Mr Ivanov noted in his speech at the forum that Russia is fulfilling all of its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol and supports the drafting without delay of a new international agreement on climate issues.
Russia places priority importance on resolving the biggest environmental problems and will continue to play an active part in all efforts to help reduce the human impact on the climate, Mr Ivanov said.
“Humanity needs a new development model today, one that both guarantees our societies’ prosperity and avoids creating too great a burden on the environment,” he said.
Mr Ivanov said that greater use should be made of the opportunities provided by multilateral international organisations, including the CIS, BRICS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, APEC, ASEAN, and the G20, for discussing various environmental protection issues.
Mr Ivanov noted that Russia’s environmental policy has made it possible to reduce biodiversity loss. Over the last decade, Russia has increased the amount of protected natural territory by more than 5 million hectares, created two nature reserves, 10 national parks, two protected territories, and increased the size of another five nature reserves and a national park.
The previous day, in the run-up to the forum, Mr Ivanov met with Vice President of China Li Yuanchao and also with Communist Party Secretary of Guizhou Province Zhao Kezhi.