RSPP discussed the priorities of the climate agenda

The main achievement of the Russian climate policy is the implementation of the first stage of the most important innovative project of national importance "Unified National System for Monitoring of Climate Active Substances" (the so-called VIP GZ) and clarification of the national greenhouse gas inventory based on the data obtained within the framework of VIP GZ. This was announced by the head of the RSPP Committee on Climate Policy and Carbon Regulation, member of the RSPP Board Bureau Andrei Melnichenko during the Committee meeting. The participants of the event summarized the results of the UN climate conference COP29 that ended last week in Baku and discussed the main priorities of the Russian climate agenda taking into account the realities of today.

The meeting was chaired by Andrey Melnichenko. The meeting was attended by Andrey Fursenko, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Ruslan Edelgeriev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Special Representative of the President on Climate Issues, Sergey Kononuchenko, Ambassador-at-Large, Special Representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Climate Issues, representatives of relevant ministries, science and business.

Assessing the results of COP29, Andrey Melnichenko noted the results of work on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which is the basis for the creation of an international voluntary carbon market: COP29 has made significant progress. He also mentioned the work within the BRICS and G20, expressing hope for the development of the agreements on joint climate research reached during the Russian BRICS Presidency.

Speaking about the project "Unified National System for Monitoring of Climate Active Substances", Andrey Melnichenko emphasized its role for the country's economy. "Since 2016, RSPP has been talking about the importance of full and objective accounting of emissions and absorption of greenhouse gases, primarily in natural ecosystems. Thanks to A.A. Fursenko, this issue has moved forward, an unprecedented scientific project has been implemented, which made it possible to reduce the burden on the country's economy from achieving greenhouse gas emission reduction targets through correct accounting based on reliable and transparent scientific data. Similar reductions through measures in the economy would have required tens of trillions of rubles. This money was saved by spending orders of magnitude less - about 10 billion rubles. It is important to continue this work and implement the second stage of the VIP GZ," emphasized Andrei Melnichenko.

According to Andrey Melnichenko, two other important issues are setting a new national emissions target for 2035 and finalizing the draft implementation plan for the Low Carbon Development Strategy of the Russian Federation-2050. When setting the 2035 target, which will also be Russia's commitment to the Paris Agreement, it is worth thinking about the right metrics - more efficient and fair. For example, it could be a target for accumulated emissions over the period 1990-2035, taking into account national peculiarities.

Andrey Fursenko, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, pointed out the importance of cooperation between the state, science and business, noting that the VIP GZ became not only an unprecedented example of how more than 50 scientific institutions worked together synchronously, but also an example of real demand for applied scientific results on the part of the state and business to make and implement management decisions.

Ruslan Edelgeriev, Assistant to the President, Special Representative for Climate Issues, who headed the Russian delegation to COP29, assessed the decisions taken on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement as causing cautious optimism, calling the format of bilateral agreements with interested countries the main priority of work on this article. He also noted the ineffectiveness of the approach of a number of countries to complicate requirements to climate issues, starting from bureaucratization of the process and ending with the promotion of a narrow range of technologies that are unavailable or unprofitable for the rest of the participants. Russia, unlike these countries, favors clear and transparent, measurable solutions and methodologies. The VIP GZ, which was presented by the Russian delegation at COP29, has become one of the world's best practices and aroused great interest from representatives of different countries.

"European cross-border carbon regulation has had a significant impact on global trade and is, in fact, a form of redistribution of spheres of influence. If loudly, it is a new, climatic, neo-colonialism. We need new rules of global trade that would fairly and objectively take into account the climate agenda," summarized Andrey Melnichenko.

The meeting participants agreed to continue joint work on these and other areas of the climate agenda.