Putin's G20 Speech On Climate Change & Environment

Russia is among global de-carbonization leaders in expert estimates and the low-carbon energy sector is developing in the country at a good pace, Vladimir Putin said at a G20 summit via a videoconference on Sunday.

"In the estimate of international experts, Russia is among global de-carbonization leaders. Over the past 20 years, our economy’s carbon intensity has been falling by an average of 2.7% annually, which is higher than in the world as a whole and even higher than in the G7 countries," the Russian leader pointed out.

As Putin said, today in Russia "the share of energy from practically carbon-free sources and, as we know, these are nuclear power plants, hydropower plants, wind and solar electric power plants, exceeds 40% and this figure rises to 86%, taking into account natural gas, the lowest carbon-content fuel among hydrocarbons." This is one of the best indicators in the world, the Russian leader stressed. Recently, the Russian authorities have made a decision to implement a new program of raising the economy’s energy efficiency for a period through 2035, which will be a key element for the country to become carbon-neutral no later than 2060, Putin said.

"And we have publicly stated that we are undertaking this commitment. Moreover, we do not simply want to become carbon neutral but want to ensure that in the next three decades the accumulated amount of net greenhouse gas emissions in Russia is less than, for example, in our neighbors and colleagues in the European Union. And this is a task that we can quote cope with," the Russian leader said.

Russia also expects "to build long-term plans with all partners, implement them as priorities in the energy sector on the principles of technological neutrality, objectively taking into account the carbon footprint of various types of power generation," he pointed out. "Let me mention, in particular, that the solar energy carbon footprint is four times higher than in nuclear power engineering, according to scientific data," the Russian president said.

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is not enough and it is necessary to build up the practices of absorbing them and Russia has big potential for that, Vladimir Putin said.

"Let me also stress that it is not sufficient, in our view, simply to reduce emissions to cope with the problem of global warming. It is necessary to build up the practices of absorbing greenhouse gases and in this regard Russia, like some other countries, has huge potential," the Russian leader stressed. As Putin specified, he meant the absorbing potential of forests, tundra, agricultural lands, seas and swamps. "In order to tap the available potential in full, we are planning to considerably raise the quality of forest management, increase forest recovery areas, expand the territories of pristine nature and introduce new agricultural agro-technologies," the Russian president specified.

Russia recently made a decision to implement a new program of raising the economy’s energy efficiency through 2035 to become a key element for the country to turn carbon neutral no later than 2060, he pointed out.

At the same time, Russia has publicly announced that it is undertaking this commitment. Moreover, it seeks not simply to achieve its carbon neutrality but to ensure that in the next three decades the accumulated amount of net greenhouse gas emissions in the country is less than, for example, in some EU states, Putin said.

"This is a task that we can quite cope with," the Russian leader said.

‘We also expect to build long-term plans with all partners and implement them as priorities in the energy sector on the principles of technological neutrality, objectively taking into account the carbon footprint of various types of power generation," Putin said, adding that the solar energy carbon footprint was four times greater than in nuclear power engineering, according to scientific data.

"It is important to focus the international community’s efforts primarily on the most efficient environmental projects. In our view, experts could draw up a rating of such projects in terms of the efficiency of greenhouse gas cuts per each invested dollar," the Russian leader suggested.

The Russian president did not rule out that the initiatives included in this rating that stipulated, in particular, measures to preserve forests in Russia and in Latin America would turn out to be more efficient than investments in renewable energy in some countries.

Global warming is unfolding in Russia faster than in the world and the average air temperature in the country has grown by a half-degree in the past decade, Vladimir Putin said.

"Let me note that the average annual air temperature in Russia is growing faster than in the world by more than 2.5 times. Over ten years, it has grown by more than a half-degree," the Russian leader said.