The Russian agencies that do most of the environmental data collection are The Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring and the Institute of Global Climate Change and Ecology. The information posted on these websites is not easily navigable and the data reporting seems irregular.

Much of the more accessible information on greenhouse gas emission levels in Russia comes from external sources, e.g. the World Bank, the International Energy Association and the US Department of Energy It is difficult to determine who collects and analyzes climate data within Russia. It should be the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, but we have been unable to locate current data on emissions levels in Russia that they have published.

According to 2011 data from the US Department of Energy since 1992 total fossil-fuel CO2 emissions from the Russian Federation have dropped 23 percent to 466 million metric tons of carbon, still the fourth largest emitting country in the world and the largest emitter of the republics comprising the former USSR. Emissions from gas consumption still represent the largest fraction (49.1 percent) of Russia’s emissions and only recently have returned to the 1992 level. Emissions from coal consumption have dropped 25.5 percent since 1992 and presently account for 26.6 percent of Russia’s emissions.

Russia has the largest population of any Eastern European country with a population of 141 million people. From a per capita standpoint, Russia’s 2008 per capita emission rate of 3.30 metric tons of carbon exceeds the global average and represents the third highest rate of the region behind Kazakhstan (4.16) and Estonia (3.72).

According to Climate Action Tracker Russia’s currently implemented policies will lead to emissions of between 2.6 and 2.7 GtCO2e in 2020 and between 2.8 and 3 GtCO2e in 2030 (both excluding LULUCF), which is 0-4 percent and 6-14 percent above 2016 emission levels, respectively. This represents a decrease in emissions from 1990 levels of 27-29 percent in 2020 and 20-25 percent in 2030, all below the INDC targets, which allow emissions to grow 6–24 percent above 2016 levels by 2020 and 15–22 percent by 2030.

With this approach, the Russian economy is at risk of losing global competitiveness in the medium to long term in a market that is moving fast towards the development of low-carbon technologies.

Current Russian data on greenhouse gas emissions is difficult to come by, and significantly out-of-date. More useful and accessible data is provided by external agencies.

Dear Minister Dimitri Kobylkin

Climate Scorecard encourages the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment to provide current comprehensive information on greenhouse gas emissions levels in Russia, and make this information available to all stakeholder organizations and the general public. This will help create a greater awareness about climate change, and enable researchers and policy-makers to more effectively do their work.

Send Action Alert Message to:

http://www.mnr.gov.ru/english/