President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday signed a decree allowing Russia to increase its greenhouse gas emissions by about 20% by 2035 compared to 2021 levels.
Russia, the world’s fourth-largest emitter of carbon dioxide, aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2060. But climate activists say its current goals fall far short of what’s needed to fight global warming.
Under the new decree, the government must ensure emissions are reduced to 65-67% of 1990 levels by 2035, taking into account the carbon absorption capacity of Russia’s vast forests.
That target translates to around two billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is below the 1990 peak of 3.1 billion tons but roughly 22% higher than the 1.7 billion tons Russia reported in 2021, according to UN data.
At past climate summits, Russia has resisted calls to phase out fossil fuels. Its economy remains heavily reliant on oil and gas exports, and it has frequently set emissions targets that campaigners describe as vague or unambitious.
Experts also criticize the use of 1990 as a baseline, noting that Russia’s emissions plunged in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union’s industrial output.
Russia is a signatory to the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
The country is warming 2.5 times faster than the global average, according to the head of Russia’s state meteorological service. UN climate experts warn there is a 50/50 chance the 1.5 C threshold could be crossed in the early 2030s.
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