MOSCOW, November 29. /TASS/. Russia hopes it will be possible to reach a compromise on the climate issue between the participants in the G20 summit in Buenos Aires that will be held from November 30 to December 1, Russian G20 Sherpa Svetlana Lukash said on Thursday.
"Of course, the climate issue will be discussed at the summit. This is probably one of the most pressing issues, but we hope some kind of compromise will be found," she told the Rossiya 24 television channel.
According to Lukash, Russia is committed to its obligations under the Paris climate agreement. "We signed it, we are working to ratify it next year. <…> We do not shy away from our climate change commitments," Lukash said. She also pointed to the importance of multilateral efforts, including in mobilizing financial resources, to provide assistance to the most vulnerable countries, which will be the first to be exposed to severe climate change.
Commenting on the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, Russia’s sherpa noted that a positive effect would be achieved, if all parties undertook certain obligations. She noted though that the situation is not criminal, since "regardless of whether or not it (the United States - TASS) withdrew from the Paris Agreement, the debates, in particular in the G20, show that the US likewise plans to develop clean energy and seek ways to reduce emissions."
The Paris Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015, by the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The aim of the agreement is to prevent a rise in the average temperature on the planet by more than two degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial area by 2100. Scientists believe that a more significant increase in temperatures can lead to irreversible environmental effects. The Paris Climate Agreement is to replace the Kyoto Protocol expiring in 2020.
In June 2017, US President Donald Trump announced Washington’s plans to withdraw from the deal arguing that the agreement was a threat to the US economy. He also said that the Paris Agreement would cost the United States 2.7 million jobs by 2025.