The Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of Russia to the Paris Agreement is to limit the anthropogenic greenhouse gases to 70-75% of 1990 levels by 2030. The Russian Federation is the only big emitter that has not yet ratified the Paris Agreement. The targets of NDC allow Russia to increase emissions 8–27% above 2015 levels by 2020 and 18–25% by 2030.

Most probably Russia will achieve its INDC target, but the target is so weak that it would not require a decrease in GHG emissions from current levels.

A first step towards contributing to the Paris Agreement’s goals would be to speed up the national process for ratification of the Agreement and present a 2030 target with emissions reductions from current levels.

Russia’s NDC pledge is unconditional. However, the 2030 target “is subject to the maximum possible accounting of the absorbing capacity of forests”. It is not clear if Russia includes the LULUCF sector both in the base year and target year. If so it will allow much higher emissions in the target year compared to a situation in which the target excluded LULUCF emissions.

In April 2018 Russia started a big campaign against fires in forests together with MChS (Emergencies Ministry), Greenpeace Russia and Federal Forest Agency. However, forest management still includes preventive burning outs which lead to massive forest fires every year and thus it increases greenhouse gas emissions. Prohibition of preventive burning out would allow Russia to decrease GHG emission from current levels and to strengthen its Paris Agreement pledge.

To meet more ambitious targets of CO2 emission it is necessary to increase the share of renewable energy sources and to continue the work on improving energy efficiency, which currently is one of the lowest globally.

Please send the following message to the Russian Ministry of Ecology:
It is important that Russia strengthen the pledge our country has made to the Paris Agreement before the Agreement goes into effect. We believe that first of all Russia could speed up the national process for ratification of the Agreement and present a 2030 target with emissions reductions from current levels. Then, it is essential to prohibit the preventive burning out of forests which lead to massive fires. And finally, to meet more ambitious targets of CO2 emission it is necessary to increase the share of renewable energy sources and to continue to improve energy efficiency, which is one of the lowest globally.

Contact
Ministry of Ecology of Russian Federation
WEB   http://mnr.gov.ru/open_ministry/reference/19/
Mail:  minprirody@mnr.gov.ru