Comparing climate risk across Russian regions

Abstract Climate risks pose a threat to the economy and the society, making their accurate assessment crucial for effective adaptation strategies. However, such estimates are complicated due to incomplete data on the potential risk-related damages. In this study, we apply a simplified heuristic approach using the hazard-exposure-vulnerability framework to assess climate risks in Russia. We…

Sustainable territorial development of Russia as part of the implementation of the ESG agenda

Abstract: Russia, the world’s largest country, is home to diverse ecosystems but faces challenges reconciling economic growth with environmental sustainability. This article analyses the implementation of SDGs in Russia. We conclude that a new modelling approach is needed to evaluate Russia’s spatial, economic, and ecological impacts and to develop sustainability indicators for policy assessment. This…

Decarbonizing Russia: Lessons from global carbon pricing practices

Abstract Climate change mitigation increasingly relies on carbon pricing as a core policy tool. This study investigates the applicability of such mechanisms within the Russian context, given the country’s heavy fossil fuel dependence and evolving energy landscape. A mixed-method approach is used, combining case studies (EU ETS, Nordic carbon taxes, Sakhalin pilot) with scenario modeling based…

Climate influence on Russian floods, fuel, forestry and more

Impacts from the annual Arctic 0.5°C increase continue to generate discussion and modelling within the Russian economic community. The researchers wanted to holistically assess the macroeconomic effects of climate change on the Russian economy, using the latest data. They used “a change in Russia’s annual GDP with an increase in the average annual temperature by…

Decarbonising economies – Russia, China, Brazil, Germany, Japan, India

All six countries have strategies towards achieving carbon neutrality. The researchers report that they have 44% of global population, 39.2% global GDP, 44.8% primary energy consumption and 49% global CO2 emissions. They note that different views on economic development and energy transition affect an overall international climate outlook from agreements such as Paris 2015. They…

How Krasnoyarsk could transition from coal to pellet heating

Coal has been used as a primary energy fuel across Siberia but in recent years this has been changing. Finding an optimum balance between transitioning from coal, increasing production of wood pellets but not at the expense of reducing carbon sequestration is an ongoing challenge. In 2012 the national Ecology project launched a range of…

Climate concerns of Russian businesses

In October 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an updated version of a climate doctrine for Russia, 2023 version (RU), 2009 version (EN), which will be reviewed as part of development of a future state policy.1 In November, a group of researchers from four Russian universities published their analysis of the mission statements of the…

Highway to decomposed organic matter – heavy metals in Central Siberian forests

Mining and potential toxic elements (PTE) causing soil contamination is an internationally researched issue due to the transfer and resilience of the metallic elements in the soil affecting ecosystem health. Metals move from mining dump sites either as airborne elements or through plant root structures into the soil. The researchers studied the Vilyui plain on…

BRICS and global climate governance

[Ed. The article was authored by Turkish researchers but is relevant to discussion of climate change sciences in Russia] They wanted to understand more about the developing role of BRICS during international negotiations and dialogues. BRICS nations have recently developed some policy convergence around climate change based on their economies, emissions and resources. For example,…

Predicting carbon friendly and investment friendly climates in Russia

Between 1990 and 2019, Russia had halved its GHG emissions, with 2019 emissions at 2.1 GtCO2e with carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted during energy consumption representing the bulk, alongside methane CH4 from oil and gas infrastructure, waste and nitrous oxide (NO) from agriculture. As previously mentioned, Russia’s energy mix includes natural gas, nuclear, some coal, oil…