July 8, 2019
Preparation for ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement is in line with general purposes of the Russian state environmental policy. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation (Minprirody of Russia) submitted a proposal on ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement to the Government of RF. It was adopted in 2015 and Russia signed it in April 2016.
Russian contribution to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement may be limitation of greenhouse gases to over 75% by 2030 in comparison with 1990 values, including by taking into account the absorbing capacity of forests. This is in line with the purposes of sustainable forest management policy, one of the most important component of which are the activities on rational use, protection, care, defending, and reproduction of forests.
The measures that Russia is undertaking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and maintain the environmental well-being are fully consistent with the Paris Agreement standards. The main orientations of Russian national climate strategy include establishment of a system of state greenhouse gas emissions regulation, preparation of strategic documents that form low-carbon development of the domestic economy, development of a national plan for adaptation to adverse climate changes, etc.
In addition, the Russian Forestry development Strategy to 2030 envisages implementation of long-term measures for adaptation to the climate changes and improvement of regulation of greenhouse gas emissions in forestry to 2050.
The Federal Forestry Agency have already prepared and sent to the Ministry of Nature of Russia a Draft Plan for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions because of deforestation and degradation of forests, for enhancing the measures for preservation, sustainable management, and increase of carbon accumulation.
In March 2019, within the framework of complex of works for improving the state regulation of greenhouse emissions and preparation for ratification of the Paris Climate Agreement, the Federal Forestry Agency, Company RUSAL and the government of Krasnoyarsk region signed an Agreement on implementation of voluntary projects on absorption of greenhouse gases. Inter alia, the Agreement stipulates planting of no less than 500 000 trees within 120 hectares area in the territory of Krasnoyarsk region.
Translated into English by Muhiddin Ganiev