The officials discussed the outcomes of the ministerial meeting which was held in the British capital on July 26–27, 2021. According to the Presidential Adviser, the outcomes of the meeting were predictable: with all the positive developments, such as the resumption of US participation in multilateral climate talks, multiple disagreements between the countries resurfaced during the meeting. Ruslan Edelgeriyev noted, in particular, the fact that many countries are concerned that the rules for implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement may not be adopted at the upcoming Conference of the Parties in Glasgow. At the same time, the Adviser positively assessed the initiatives of the British side with regard to carbon markets, as well as forests and other surface ecosystems.
The participants of the meeting reviewed the draft statement about sustainable forest and land use, which is proposed for adoption during the Conference. The Russian side made comments and suggestions regarding the wording of the statement and emphasised the need to follow the text and spirit of the Paris Agreement. Particular attention was paid to the importance of the forest climate projects in achieving the Agreement’s temperature targets. The Presidential Adviser expressed his willingness to provide a more detailed response to the draft statement following an in-depth interagency discussion.
The British side has shown keen interest in the strategy for Russia’s long-term development with low levels of greenhouse gas emissions until 2050, which is currently under development. Deborah Bronnert also expressed hope that the Russian President would take part in the Glasgow Conference.
The parties agreed that, despite the problems in bilateral relations, combating climate change is an area where cooperation between Russia and Great Britain is possible and necessary.
Ruslan Edelgeriyev and Deborah Bronnert agreed to continue to interact on a broad range of issues in order to ensure the success of the Conference of the Parties in Glasgow.