Russian President Vladimir Putin
MOSCOW, Nov 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered a reduction of greenhouse gases to up to 70 per cent of 1990 levels in the fight against climate change by 2030, the Kremlin said in a decree.
Moscow notes that the impact of temperatures rising is stronger in Russia than in other parts of the world.
Scientists are particularly concerned that permafrost soils in Siberia are thawing and releasing enormous amounts of climate-damaging methane gas.
Putin’s decree fell on the day that the United States formally exited the 2015 Paris climate accord.
International climate scientists warn that drastic action is needed to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as laid out in the accord.
As the largest country in the world, Russia is feeling the effects of climate change not only through the thawing of permafrost soils but also through annual temperature records, massive forest fires and floods.
Putin also instructed the government to come up with a strategy for climate-neutral social and economic development in Russia by 2050.
Russia, which is rich in raw materials, relies heavily on its gas and oil resources. But it is one of the countries with the highest emissions of carbon dioxide. Almost two-thirds of the land area in Russia is permanently frozen. There, thawing could release huge amounts of carbon, which would further accelerate global warming. — NNN-AGENCIES