The first Deputy Head of the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection called the global climate change the most important problem of modern mankind.

Russia continues the implementation of all its obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and does not intend to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Viacheslav Fetisov, First Deputy Head of the Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, told this to journalists on Thursday.

‘Russia has no plans to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, is not going to abandon the implementation of this most important environmental international legal instrument and continues to fulfill all its obligations under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change,’ stressed Fetisov.

He noted that global climate change is the most important problem of the modern mankind, and all leading countries of the world recognize it. ‘Russia's role in this process is unique: its natural ecosystems are key in solving the climate problems of the entire planet,’ Fetisov said. Thus, he recalled, the Paris Climate Agreement, which Russia joined in 2019, implies that countries must keep the growth of the total average temperature of the Earth within 1.5-2 ° C. ‘Russia is a global environmental donor, the largest coutry in the world by area, almost half of Russia's territory is occupied by forests that absorb significant amounts of greenhouse gases entering the planet's atmosphere as a result of all human economic activities,’ Fetisov stressed.

A coherent strategy of the Russian Federation

In his turn, the head of the Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Dmitry Kobylkin noted that Russia will consistently and pragmatically adhere to the strategy of achieving carbon neutrality. The Deputy reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier set the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060.

‘The position of the country on climate issues and the movement towards low-carbon economic development is defined: it was, is and will remain one of the key focuses of our work and will remain an important priority for the State Duma,’ Kobylkin emphasized.

He also added that ‘in conditions of unprecedented political and economic pressure’ on Russia today, the emotional reaction of many citizens to the actions of ‘Western figures who suggest excluding Russia from many international organizations, conventions and agreements’ is understandable. ‘However, I would like to note that in making decisions we will be guided not by emotions, but by cold and sober reasoning, assessing the situation first and foremost from the perspective of the interests of the country and our people,’ Kobylkin stressed.

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