Russia’s Clever Climate Trick: Offers Forests As Carbon Sinks
Russia, moving ahead of a deadline for submitting pledges to tackle climate change, said Tuesday it could cut its greenhouse-gas emissions by up to 30 pe rcent compared to 1990 levels, subject to conditions. Its “final decision” on the commitment will depend on the outcome of the negotiating process and on the commitments by “major emitters” of greenhouse gases.
In a roster of commitments on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website, Russia announced that “limiting anthropogenic [man-made] greenhouse gases in Russia to 70-75% of 1990 levels by the year 2030 might be a long-term indicator.”
But, it said, this was “subject to the maximum possible account” of including forests — deemed absorbers of carbon gases — in the reduction.
And, it cautioned, Russia’s “final decision” on the commitment will depend on the outcome of the negotiating process and on the commitments by “major emitters” of greenhouse gases.