She emphasized the role of Russia as an active and responsible partner-participant of environmental conventions and global international mechanisms
Elena Gordeeva, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and History of State and Law of VyatSU, made a presentation at the international conference “Integrating Climate Change Concerns into Post COVID19 Recovery in the EU & Asia”. The conference was held on December 3-4 online with the support of the University of Insubria (Como, Italy), National Tsinghua University (Beijing, China) and the College of Sustainable Development (Bruges, Belgium). Representatives of the scientific community exchanged knowledge in the field of law, politics, economic and financial instruments aimed at solving issues related to climate change.
Elena Mikhailovna, said that the response to the COVID-19 crisis has already led to a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at the global level. In addition to the current pandemic emergency, the desired economic recovery could have a significant impact on the global climate: will the recovery packages support an already existing system of economic development based primarily on fossil fuels or will they support a bolder development path that stimulates the transition to “green energy”?
This global uncertainty is also combined with little progress in meeting national commitments under the Paris Agreement, as demonstrated by States at the 25th session of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Now, in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, many countries are increasingly beginning to integrate solutions aimed at overcoming the pandemic and its consequences into the green course of economic development. From a scientific point of view, it is important to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the originally planned climate change activities and to “re-plan” them, including, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guteres says, “bold, forward-looking and in a spirit of international cooperation”.
The Russian Federation, Elena Gordeeva stressed, proceeds from the premise that environmental issues should not be hostages of the current situation in the world. Russia is an active and responsible partner, participating in more than 25 environmental international conventions and many global international mechanisms.
Today, Russia is creating a system of state regulation of greenhouse gas emissions, aimed at low-carbon development of the domestic economy; a national plan for adaptation to adverse climate changes has been adopted; measures to combat deforestation and forest degradation are constantly being improved. A draft “Strategy for the long-term development of the Russian Federation with a low level of greenhouse gas emissions until 2050” has already been prepared. In the near future, in accordance with the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, actual changes are expected in the important strategic planning document “Climate Doctrine of the Russian Federation”
Elena Gordeeva emphasized.
The lecturer of VyatSU Law Institute also explained that the problem of climate change, international legal instruments for its solution, as well as the implementation of international law in the national legal system of the Russian Federation, are studied by university students in the course “International public law”.
Translated by Artemy Sizov
