Russia readies to ratify Paris Agreement, warns about renewables ‘absolutism’

(EurActiv, 10 Jul 2019) The Russian government will submit legislation to ratify the Paris climate agreement by September, but president Vladimir Putin warned against the perils of “absolutist” renewable energy. EURACTIV’s media partner Climate Home News reports.

On Friday, deputy prime minister Alexei Gordeev ordered the ministries of environment and foreign affairs to submit a bill to ratify the accord to parliament by September 1, according to a government statement.

The country, which ranks as the world’s fourth biggest polluter, is one of 12 out of 197 signatories to the Paris Agreement not to have ratified the accord.

The communiqué said it was “now necessary… to launch the process of ratification before the World Climate Action Summit [on 23] September 2019” – a key, last-chance climate conference convened by UN chief Antonio Guterres that aims to boost countries’ emission reduction pledges.

Kremlin cites global shift to low-carbon energy

The move follows months of back-and-forth consultations between the economic development ministry, which penned the law, and the ministries of resources and environment and foreign affairs.

The government statement said ratification of the Paris Agreement “could give Russia additional opportunities to participate in all negotiation processes and protect its interests in international fora that define the rules for reducing CO2 emissions and develop relevant documents”.

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EurActiv, 10 Jul 2019: Russia readies to ratify Paris Agreement, warns about renewables ‘absolutism’