New Emissions Plan 'Not Enough'

President Dmitry Medvedev said Friday that Russia planned to release 30 percent more greenhouse gases by 2020 under a new emissions target scheme.

The plan would reduce emissions by 10 percent to 15 percent from Russia's emissions in 1990, when it was part of the Soviet Union and its emissions were far higher than they are today. This angered environmentalists, and the target also is likely to fall short of expectations from developing countries.

"It's not enough, it's very low," said Alexei Kokorin, the Russia spokesman for environmental protection group WWF.

Medvedev's announcement was interpreted as an opening shot in United Nations negotiations meant to seal a new climate treaty in December to replace the Kyoto Protocol. Under those talks, rich nations are meant to propose midterm emissions targets. Russia is the last major country to do so.

Environmental groups and developing countries want industrialized countries to trim their emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent below 1990 levels, referring to a range of cuts suggested by a UN panel of climate scientists.

"Based on the current situation, by 2020 we could cut emissions by about 10 to 15 percent," Medvedev told Russian state television, according to a copy of his comments supplied by the Kremlin.

Arkady Dvorkovich, the Kremlin's chief economic adviser, later clarified to Interfax that the reduction would be from 1990 levels.

Since then, Russia's carbon emissions have returned to an upward curve along with its industrial revival, preserving the country's place as the world's third-largest polluter behind China and the United States.

The target laid out Friday meant cumulative cuts of 30 billion tons of greenhouse gases from 1990 to 2020, Medvedev said.

This implies that Russia will emit about 3 billion tons of greenhouse gas in 2020, compared with 2.2 billion tons in 2007.

"We will not cut off our development potential," Medvedev said.

Under Kyoto, Russia has to return its emissions to 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012. Environmental groups and developing countries were disappointed last week by Japan's proposals for a 2020 target barely stiffer than its Kyoto Protocol goal and were again downbeat after Medvedev's announcement.

Medvedev said Russia would take a responsible approach to greenhouse gas emissions but expected other countries to follow suit.

"We expect our partners to take reciprocal steps. That is why I have said many times — the problem of climate change has to be addressed by everyone or not at all," he said.

Dvorkovich later added that Russia must find "the right balance" between addressing climate change and reaching Russia's goals for economic growth, Interfax reported.

"It's a good first step … but I expect other countries will require bigger reductions from Russia, and that will promote further negotiations," said Nina Korobova, head of the Russian operations of Global Carbon, a clean-energy project developer.

"I think Russia can easily go to 20 percent [by 2020] … even in the most pessimistic situations," she added.

During the presidency of Vladimir Putin, Russia's top Kyoto officials insisted that they would not take on mandatory emissions cuts for fear of hindering the comfort of Russia's middle class and the development of its industries.