Russian draft climate law gutted after industry intervention

(Climate Change News, 25 Oct 2019) Draft bill, which had been seen as step towards modernising Russia’s economy, loses legal targets and support for low carbon projects.

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The Russian government has gutted its proposed law to regulate emissions, apparently caving in to the country’s powerful fossil fuel industry.

The new version, which was first reported by Russian daily Kommersant and seen by CHN, does away with legally binding targets and sanctions included in a draft dating from March.

Also scrapped was a section detailing a fund to support carbon-cutting projects, along with sections allowing the government to strengthen the bill over time.

The government could present the draft bill to parliament by December, according to Greenpeace Russia.

The U-turn came after the ministry of the economy, which penned the bill with a view to modernising Russia’s infrastructure and economy, held talks with the ministry of energy, ministry of industry and trade and the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP).

The latter’s members include giants from the country’s steel, oil, gas and coal industry, such as Russia’s largest coal company, the Siberian Coal Energy Company (Suek).

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Climate Change News, 25 Oct 2019: Russian draft climate law gutted after industry intervention