Russia’s greenhouse gas commitment leading up to the UN climate summit in Paris in December could lead to a 40 to 50% increase in its emissions between 2012 and 2030.
The country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) calls for a 25-30% emissions reduction compared to 1990 levels, the World Resources Institute reports. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the economic shifts that followed, emissions are already down 50% from the 1990 baseline.
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“According to Russia’s latest greenhouse gas inventory figures, emissions levels in 1990 were higher than at any other time in the past quarter century,” Levin and Damassa write. But the country’s latest commitment “would constitute a 40 to 50% increase from 2012 levels by 2030.”
WRI also expresses concern with the way Russia accounts for its boreal forests as a carbon sink. “Tree cover loss recently surged in Russia, so it’s important that the country commits to strong policies to maintain healthy forest landscapes.”
