Ruslan Edelgeriyev delivered a report at the plenary session on the strategies to counter climate change and decarbonisation during the coronavirus pandemic and answered questions about the most acute topics on Russia’s climatic agenda.
Taking part in the discussion were Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans and Deputy Director-General of the European Commission for Climate Action Clara de la Torre. Foreign speakers presented the EU’s long-term policy on reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases.
During the session, the need to reduce the national economy’s carbon intensity was stressed in order to increase its competitiveness and create conditions for to the adoption of climatically sustainable technologies. Draft regulatory acts of the Russian Federation on the state regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and long-term targets in this area were also discussed.
The discussion focused on the harmonisation of Russian and international actions regarding the energy transition. The Adviser to the President noted that, regardless of the scale of projects to structurally rebuild the economy, the climatic agenda would suffer from unilateral measures and required cooperation.
In conclusion, Ruslan Edelgeriyev emphasised the need to lift artificial restrictions for Russian companies to get access to international climatic financing, which can further promote the implementation of climate projects. The climate agenda must remain beyond political conflicts and help address global challenges.
Following the consultations, the intention was voiced to strengthen cooperation between Russian and European authorities, civil societies, businesses and research organisations.