BAKU, November 18. /TASS/. Russia is ready to reevaluate its position on climate regulation if the US withdraws from the Paris Agreement, Deputy Economic Development Minister Vladimir Ilyichev said in an interview with TASS on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku (COP-29).
"In my opinion, low-carbon development is a long-term trend that is already having a serious impact on business and society. Of course, there are a lot of discussions now on how the recent US elections may affect the further development of the international climate agenda. Everyone knows Donald Trump's skeptical position and the fact that during his last [presidential] term, the US withdrew from the Paris Agreement. Nevertheless, if the US makes a similar decision now, we will consider possible changes [to Russia’s position on climate]," the deputy minister said.
According to Ilyichev, Russia has a consistent and realistic position on climate issues.
"Even in the current difficult geopolitical conditions, we are not abandoning our climate goals and are doing everything possible to achieve them within the established timeframes—while maintaining economic growth and supporting the well-being of citizens," the deputy minister noted.
Commenting on calls from international organizations to abandon fossil fuels as soon as possible, Ilyichev noted that there can be no quick solutions in this area, and strict restrictions on support for fossil fuels, as well as the lack of access to financing for the energy transition, can lead to a technological gap for developing countries and countries with economies in transition.
"We believe that countries should have the right to choose their own path to achieving climate goals—to use technologies and energy sources available to them to reduce emissions, taking into account national circumstances," the deputy minister said.
"In this context, unilateral restrictive measures some countries are introducing under the pretext of 'green' protectionism are absolutely unacceptable. The principles of maintaining a multilateral trading system must be observed," he added.
About the agreement
The Paris Agreement, which is a legally binding international treaty on climate change, was adopted by 196 parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on December 12, 2015. It entered into force on November 4, 2016.
The parties to the agreement undertake to adopt national plans to reduce emissions, technological re-equipment, and adaptation to climate change, systematically reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, and establish an international exchange of "green" technologies in the field of energy efficiency.
In June 2017, then-US President Donald Trump announced his decision to withdraw from the agreement, which the country had joined in 2016. In February 2021, the next US President, Joe Biden, signed an executive order by which the country rejoined the Paris Agreement.