Russia's contradictions: for or against climate change?

Weather of Arabia - Russia always emphasizes that the new major oil ports will be environmentally friendly, and that they will leave a very small hydrocarbon footprint. According to available information, it will depend on operating oil facilities using wind turbines. However, building new oil infrastructure is already considered inappropriate at the present time, and is not what the world needs in light of the current global environmental challenges.

Environmental activists fear that increased commercial shipping traffic in the Arctic, made possible by shrinking ice as a result of climate change in recent decades, will lead to greater exploitation of the region than in the past. This development is likely to open the door to more shipping and oil and gas exploration, which could negatively impact the fragile Arctic environment.

Many environmental groups have campaigned against these projects, because parts of the oil fields may be located within nature reserves, and building such facilities could harm Arctic wildlife. In addition, human activities in these areas can negatively impact the traditional livelihoods of indigenous people and wildlife, such as polar bears, which rely heavily on sea ice as a vital platform for their seal hunting.

Despite campaigns by many environmental organizations to warn about the effects of climate change, President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly denied that there is scientific agreement on the effects of human activity on climate change. On many occasions, Putin has blamed "processes in the universe" rather than human activity as the main cause of climate change. He also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of solar and wind energy, while expressing concern about the risks turbines could pose to birds and other animals.

Russia is already the world's fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, contributing about 4.6% of total global emissions. Russia's per capita emissions are among the highest in the world, thought to be higher than 53% of China and about 79% of the European Union.

Although Russia has huge potential as a source of renewable energy, its share in the energy mix is negligible (less than 0.1% for wind, solar and geothermal). There are no clear plans to invest significantly in the development of these alternative sources of energy in Russia.

The Kremlin's climate change policy shows contradiction, as it is not considered an important issue in domestic politics. However, constantly aware of the importance of Russia's image globally, Putin signed the Paris Agreement in 2019, pledging for the first time that Russia - a major producer... For fossil fuels – it will achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2060, although it has not yet committed to phasing out coal and methane emissions over the next decade.

In theory, Russia has joined the global fight against climate change, but it is also striving to make the most of the economic benefits of global warming, especially in areas such as the East Siberian Sea.

The Russian approach appears to be the same in practice, as climate change is a huge challenge for the future, with Arctic ice shrinking as the age progresses. Therefore, the idea of taking advantage of the business opportunities available today seems acceptable and logical.

Source: aljazeera