Russia's Climate Policy: Virtue Signalling Soviet Style




On 11 December last year the Moscow Times noted that Russia ranked 52nd out of 61 countries for its adoption of climate change goals, as assessed by the Climate Change Performance Index. "The report’s authors criticized Russian policymakers for lacking a strategy to lower carbon levels by 2050 and having no plan for phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, as well as for its new coal terminals currently under construction." In a further swipe, it pointed out that  Kazakhstan was the only post-Soviet country to place lower than Russia.

So on 4 January this year Russia published a strategy to address climate change. But unlike the breast-beating, economically disastrous plans like that adopted by the UK, Russia's plan specifically aims at taking advantage of global warming. And, as the Japan Times points out, by taking 1990 as the baseline, just before Russia's economy collapsed (and with it its carbon emissions), their climate goals allow them to significantly increase their current level of greenhouse gas emissions.

Brilliant! Putin must be chuckling, because it's a strategy that draws on Soviet-era manipulation of statistics to con the rest of the world. Especially the Left.

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