Russia

Key Statistics

Cumulative CO2 Emissions from Energy (1990-2005)

Global Rank

4th
Per Capita Global Rank

14

Percent Global total

7.17%
Tons Per Person
186.2T

Kyoto Goals and Status

Kyoto Target, Compared to 1990

N/A
Emissions Change (1990-2007)

-40.3%

Key Negotiators

Map

Copenhagen Positions

Long Term Temperature Goal

+2 Degrees Celsius
2020 Target

-10% to 15% (Compared to 1990 Levels)
2050 Target

-80% (Compared to 1990 levels)
Annex I 2020 Target

Historical and Projected Data

1990 2007 2020 2030
Polluter Rank–Per Capita (Annual)1 10th 18th*
Polluter Rank–Gross (Annual)2 4th 4th
Total Annual GHG Emissions (CO2e, millions)3 3,319Mt 2,192Mt
Percent of Global Emissions 9.78%4 5.0%*5
Tons of CO2 Per Person (Annual)6 19.8T 13.7T*
Percent of World Population7 2.8% 2.1% 1.7% 1.3%
Population (thousands) and Rank8 147,973/6th 141,378/9th 132,242/9th 124,094/13th
C02 Emissions from Energy Use (CO2e, millions) 2,287Mt9 1,410Mt10 1,924Mt11 2,004Mt12
C02 Emissions from Land Use Change & Forestry (CO2e, millions)13 +36Mt -189Mt
Responsibility and Capacity Index14 (Percent of Global) 4.31% 4.59%
G-20 Low Carbon Competitive Index15 (Rank/Index) #12/.54

* 2005 Data

  1. Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) Version 6.0. (Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 2009). GHG emissions from C02, CH4, N20, PFCs, HFC, SF6, excluding Land-Use Change & Forestry ↩
  2. Ibid ↩
  3. UNFCCC, Summary of GHG Emissions for Russian Federation,(pdf) excluding Land-Use Change & Forestry. ↩
  4. CAIT, GHG emissions from C02, CH4, N20, PFCs, HFC, SF6, excluding Land-Use Change & Forestry. ↩
  5. IEA 2009 World Energy Outlook, Bangkok Report ↩
  6. CAIT, based on GHG emissions from C02, CH4, N20, PFCs, HFC, SF6, excluding Land-Use Change & Forestry. ↩
  7. U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base (IDB) ↩
  8. Ibid ↩
  9. UNFCCC Annex I Party Common Reporting Format, submission of Russian Federation, RUS-2009-2007-v2.1.xls, Table 10s1, JPN-2009-1990-v.1.xls, Table 10s1. ↩
  10. UNFCCC Annex I Party Common Reporting Format, submission of Russian Federation, RUS-2009-2007-v2.1.xls, Table 10s1, JPN-2009-1990-v.1.xls, Table 10s2. ↩
  11. CAIT, Greenhouse Gas Emission Projections, using IEA, World Energy Outlook 2008 data set. ↩
  12. Ibid ↩
  13. UNFCCC, Summary of GHG Emissions for Russian Federation(pdf) ↩
  14. The Greenhouse Development Rights Framework, The Right to Development in A Climate Constrained World (pdf), p.6, September 2008. ↩
  15. G20 Low Carbon Competitiveness Report. (pdf) ↩

International Climate Policy

Because of the 1990 base year chosen for the Kyoto Protocol and the subsequent associated economy collapse associated with the break up of the former Soviet Union, Russia’s economy and emissions profile is dramatically lower and significantly different from its 1990 base year, or even from the state of the economy in 1997 when the Kyoto Protocol was negotiated.   Though the Russian Federation experienced steep decline in economic activity in the mid 1990s, it has experienced significant growth since 1998, and is growing with much lower carbon intensity (32% decrease in carbon per unit of GDP in 2006 compared to 1990), due primarily from fuel switching to lower carbon energy sources and a significant decline in total population.

Because of the U.S. withdrawal from Kyoto, Russia ratification of the Protocol was essential to bring it into force.  Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to support ratification, in return for EU support of Russia’s entrance into the WTO.

Given that Russian emissions (as well as those of much of the countries of the former Soviet Union) are still far below 1990 levels, and will still be by the end of the first commitment period (2008-2012) under Kyoto, a key question for Copenhagen will be how the surplus of emission credits can be carried forward into the next commitment period, which could significantly weaken the targets adopted for the post-2012 period if allowed to be carried forward in full.

Negotiation Bloc: Umbrella Group
Participant in: G8, G20, Major Economies Forum (MEF)

Recent Negotiation News

EU-Russia Forum on Russia’s Role in Copenhagen

Government/NGO/Think Tank

Ministry of Natural Resources for Russian Federation

WWF Russia

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