Climatologists are absolutely convinced that the global emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) must be reduced very significantly, otherwise mankind will face serious problems during the second half of the 21st Century. This is what both the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its Russian equivalent, the Second Assessment Report of the Russian Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (RosHydroMet), both published in 2014, came up with.
Country-specific objectives on reducing GHG emissions do not prove to be effective. The emissions must be regulated at the level of individual companies, which is how
such regulations work effectively across the world.
Governments in different countries are bothered not so much by the amount of GHG emission but by the
‘backwardness’ of energy production and industries.
Therefore, governments
want to find and apply a simple and transparent tool with which to identify those companies that operate significantly below the average global level and to force them to modernise. Experience in many countries shows that the most practical and efficient tool is the introduction of emission quotas through market methods, ie. by issuing quotas and developing a mechanism for trading in quotas. This is probably the best direction for Russia to take and WWF has been promoting this idea at all levels, from scientific papers through to meetings with government officials and industry managers.
Dmitry Zylev,
Director General of Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Plant:
“Over the last ten years, Arkhangelsk Pulp and Paper Plant (PPP) has been calculating and verifying its carbon footprint and publishing its annual reports on GHG emissions. We were the first company in Russia to introduce a GHG emission management system according to ISO 14064 standard. This enables us not only to correctly calculate the amount of GHG emission but also helps us to plan and implement measures to reduce the emissions. In 2014, Arkhangelsk PPP took part for the first time in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the largest world database on GHG emissions by individual companies. We produced a report on our climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in CDP format. As a result, Arkhangelsk PPP was given the highest rating of carbon transparency in Russia and we are truly proud of this.”
© ARKHANGELSKIY PULP AND PAPER MILL © DARYA KUDRYAVTSEVA / WWF-RUSSIA
Elena Perevertailova, Earth Keeper since 2009:
“It is nice to know that your money, even if it was a small amount, helped to save an animal’s life or your vote helped to prevent the implementation of a project that would have had an adverse impact on the environment or made its implementation more environmentally-responsible.”
26 | WWF-Russia. Annual Report 2014
CLIMATE AND ENERGY
In 2013, the President of Russia signed a decree that limits greenhouse gas emissions to 75% of the 1990 level by 2020. However, this Decree sets the target for the whole country which does not provide any results on its own. The Decree does not specify who should reduce emissions and why. In order to specify these, the Government needs to know how much individual companies emit – in other words, obligatory reporting must be in place.
Those companies which are considerably behind the global average indicators must be forced to introduce modern technologies that will eventually result in the reduction of emissions. The reporting system should be reliable, comprehensive, open to the public and provide incentives for taking the next steps.
In April 2014 and after a long period of consultation during which WWF-Russia was an active participant, the Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, signed an Instruction whereby each sector of the economy must have its own quotas of GHG emissions and from the beginning of 2016 obligatory reporting
for each enterprise must be in place. The Instruction, however, specifies neither the format of reporting to be used nor the government body to whom to report should be directed. This subject has been the focus of intense discussion for almost a year. In the end, common sense prevailed. The final draft of the Concept sent by the agencies to the Government for approval is functional, aimed at future regulation and a reduction in emissions and is in line with WWF’s position.
FACTS OF THE MATTER
WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED?
Alexei Kokorin,
Head of the WWF-Russia Climate and Energy Programme:
“At present, developed countries reduce their CO2 emissions while countries at a similar stage of development as Russia are levelling off their emissions.
A significant reduction in the amount of CO2 emissions is expected in Russia in the 2030s when it is realistic to expect the economy becoming less dependent on extractive industries. However, even now we can see a very noticeable shift. In 2014, investments in solar power generation grew dramatically. Solar power stations are being actively built and their total installed capacity by 2015 will be 40 times more than in 2011.”
© NAOYUKI YAMAGISHI / WWF-JAPAN © MAYA YERLANBAYEVA
GREEN
ECONOMY ~
© ISTOCKPHOTO.COM / WWF-CANADA
Irina Antonova, WWF supporter
“Why do I like helping WWF? It just makes me happy!
To help and to create is so much more fun than
28 | WWF-Russia. Annual Report 2014
GREEN ECONOMY