Russia’s approach to climate change

Russia has been one of the slower countries to act on climate change. Its dependence on carbon-based energy and its inconsistent relationship with the science place the country at odds with much of the international community and its own evidently fragile ecosystem.

Despite the imminent United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) driving current international attention, the structure of Russia’s economy suggests that it will continue to struggle in this area, despite oft-heard claims that the protection of the environment is a rare and indeed crucial opportunity for cooperation, transcending political problems elsewhere.

Expert speakers assess the likelihood and scope of any such cooperation when considering how seriously the Kremlin takes climate change, and how success or failure in meeting its Paris Climate Agreement commitments will affect Russia’s environmental security and economic development.