Greenhouse gas emissions by Russia

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This article is about greenhouse gas emissions by Russia, and their mitigation. For everything else related to climate change in Russia, see Climate change in Russia.
Reftinskaya GRES: the largest coal-fired power station in Russia

Greenhouse gas emissions by Russia are over 3% of the annual world total[1] and derive mostly from fossil fuels. Russia emits about 1600 megatonnes (Mt) CO2eq of greenhouse gases each year;[2] about 5% of world emissions[3] and about 11 tons per person. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore air pollution in Russia, would have health benefits greater than the cost.[4] Greenhouse gas emissions by Russia have great impact on climate change since the country is the fourth-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world,[5] and most of the country's emissions comes from the energy sector burning fossil fuels. In 2017, Russia emitted 2155 Mt of CO2, while 578 Mt was reabsorbed by Land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF).[6] Thus contributing to about 5% of world emissions.[7] 4 billion dollars worth of methane was estimated to leak in 2019/20.[8]

Russia's greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 30.3% between 1990 and 2018 (this excluding emissions from land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF).[9] Still, Russia has set up goals to decrease greenhouse gas emissions even further. In 2020, Russia submitted a nationally determined contribution to the UNFCCC were an emission reduction target of 30% by 2030 was stated.[10]

Sources[]

Russia is one of the largest per person greenhouse gas emitters.[11]

2155 Mt of CO2 was emitted in 2017 but 578 Mt was reabsorbed by land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF).[2]

Russia electricity production by year. Fossil fuels used in electricity generation is a source of greenhouse gases.

Russia must submit its inventory of 2018 emissions to the UNFCCC by 15 April 2020, and so on for each calendar year.[12]

In 2017, Russia emitted 11.32 tons of CO2 per person.[13]

Energy[]

In 2017 Russia's energy sector, which under IPCC guidelines includes fuel for transport, emitted almost 80% of the country's greenhouse gases.[2] Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU) emitted over 10%. The largest emitters are energy industries—mainly electricity generation—followed by fugitive emissions from fuels, and then transport.[2]

Energy from fossil fuels[]

See also: Energy policy of Russia, Coal in Russia, and Electricity sector in Russia

Most emissions are from the energy sector burning fossil fuels.

According to the Russian Science Foundation in 2019, the natural influx of greenhouse gases from terrestrial ecosystems in Russia constantly changes. Measuring these influxes had shown that greenhouses gases into the atmosphere in short time intervals is contributing to the deceleration of warming in Russia. This is attributed to the fact that the effect of temperature growth deceleration, due to absorption of CO2 by the terrestrial ecosystems from the atmosphere, is stronger than the effect of warming acceleration caused by the emission of CH4 into the atmosphere.

The effect of terrestrial ecosystems contributing to the deceleration of global warming in the Russian regions grows in the first half of the 21st century and decreases by the end of the century upon reaching the maximum, depending on the scenario of anthropogenic emissions, under all studied scenarios of anthropogenic impacts resulting from the growth in natural emissions of CH4 and the decrease in CO2 absorption by the terrestrial ecosystems. In accordance with the results obtained, under the scenarios of anthropogenic emissions considered, the natural emissions from the Russian regions will also accelerate climate warming on the short time horizons under the climate conditions of the second half of the 21st century.

Electricity generation[]

Public information from space-based measurements of carbon dioxide by Climate Trace is expected to reveal individual large plants before the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference.[14]

Gas fired power stations[]

Gas fired power stations are a major source.[15]

Agriculture[]

In 2017, agriculture emitted 6% of Russia's greenhouse gases.[2]

Waste[]

In 2017, waste emitted 4% of the country's greenhouse gases.[2]

Land[]

Russian challenges for forests include control of illegal logging,[16] corruption, forest fires and land use.

As well as trees burning peat burning in wildfires emits carbon.[17]

Mitigation[]

Energy[]

In 2020, Russia released a draft long-term strategy, to reduce CO2 emissions by 33% by 2030 compared to 1990. It did not plan to reach net zero until as late as 2100.[18] Reducing methane leaks would help.

Economics[]

As Russia has no carbon tax or emissions trading[19] it could be vulnerable to future carbon tariffs imposed by the EU,[20][21] or other export partners.[22]

Carbon sinks[]

Carbon sinks, which in Russia consist mainly of forests, offset about a quarter of national emissions in 2017.[2]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Report: China emissions exceed all developed nations combined". BBC News. 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2021-05-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Summary of GHG Emissions for Russian Federation" (PDF). UNFCCC.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ "BROWN TO GREEN: THE G20 TRANSITION TO A LOW-CARBON ECONOMY | 2017" (PDF). Climate Transparency.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ Sampedro, Jon; Smith, Steven J.; Arto, Iñaki; González-Eguino, Mikel; Markandya, Anil; Mulvaney, Kathleen M.; Pizarro-Irizar, Cristina; Van Dingenen, Rita (2020-03-01). "Health co-benefits and mitigation costs as per the Paris Agreement under different technological pathways for energy supply". Environment International. 136: 105513. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.105513. ISSN 0160-4120.
  5. ^ "Historical GHG Emissions". Retrieved 2021-05-18.
  6. ^ "Summary of GHG Emissions for Russian Federation" (PDF).
  7. ^ "Climate Transparency" (PDF).
  8. ^ "Satellites map huge methane plumes from oil and gas". BBC News. 2022-02-04. Retrieved 2022-02-04.
  9. ^ "Report on the technical review of the fourth biennial report of the Russian Federation" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Nationally determined contribution of the Russian Federation" (PDF).
  11. ^ ● "Territorial (MtCO2)". GlobalCarbonAtlas.org. Retrieved 30 December 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) (choose "Chart view"; use download link)
    ● Data for 2020 is also presented in Popovich, Nadja; Plumer, Brad (November 12, 2021). "Who Has The Most Historical Responsibility for Climate Change?". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 29, 2021.
    ● Source for country populations: "List of the populations of the world's countries, dependencies, and territories". britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Reporting requirements | UNFCCC". unfccc.int. Retrieved 2019-10-08.
  13. ^ Ritchie, Hannah; Roser, Max (2020-06-11). "CO₂ and Greenhouse Gas Emissions". Our World in Data.
  14. ^ "Transcript: The Path Forward: Al Gore on Climate and the Economy". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2021-05-06.
  15. ^ IntelliNews, Ben Aris for bne (2019-09-30). "The Cost of Carbon in Russia". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  16. ^ "Russia's forests threatened by illegal logging | DW | 25.03.2019". DW.COM. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  17. ^ Page, Michael Le. "Russia has declared a state of emergency over Siberian wildfires". New Scientist. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
  18. ^ "Russia's Proposed Climate Plan Means Higher Emissions Through 2050". World Resources Institute. 2020-04-13. Retrieved 2020-11-29.
  19. ^ "Taxing Energy Use 2019: Country Note – Russia" (PDF). OECD.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "Carbon tariffs are EU's secret weapon in trade battle". Daily Telegraph. 5 June 2018. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  21. ^ "Pollution Costs at Decade High Squeeze Industry, Coal in Europe". Bloomberg. 24 August 2018. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
  22. ^ "Carbon Tariffs: A Climate Necessity?". Kluwer Regulating for Globalization. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2018.

External links[]

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