MOSCOW: Russian scientists have undertaken a comprehensive revision of the national anthropogenic emissions and absorption of greenhouse gas removals across the Russian Federation. The revision was made possible by the nation’s climate monitoring system and a sovereign methodology for calculating such emissions, as reported by the Centre for Strategic Research in Russia.
According to Emirates News Agency, new findings indicate that from 1990 to 2022, Russian ecosystems absorbed 1.23 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent. This data was produced by the scientific consortium ‘Anthropogenic Emissions: Inventory’ under the Russian climate monitoring system. The recalibration has clarified emission indicators, showing a reduction of over 80 million tonnes in sectors including energy, industry, agriculture, and waste processing. Compared to previous inventory numbers submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the updated data shows an average reduction of 680 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent pe
r year from 2010 to 2021.
The recalculated figures are attributed to innovative approaches in accounting absorption, enhanced remote sensing technologies, and artificial intelligence. New satellite data has provided updated insights into timber reserves, annual forest fire losses, and regions where protective measures have been initiated. This has enabled the adjustment of absorption values by hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2-equivalent compared to past inventories.
All models and calculations are underpinned by objective data sourced from Russia’s expansive territories. The ongoing development of the Russian Climate Monitoring System aims to refine data on diverse ecosystems across land, seas, and oceans by 2030. The enhanced absorption capacity of Russian ecosystems represents significant scientific advancement, contributing to a re-evaluation of the global greenhouse gas cycle. Over 800 Russian scientists played a role in refining the methodologies and developing new independent emission coefficient
s.
The Russian delegation, comprising representatives from government, science, business, and public organizations, will present these findings at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku. The Russian pavilion at COP29 will serve as a venue for dialogue with international experts. The two-year efforts of the Russian Climate Monitoring System will be highlighted, including on the Day of Science, 12th November, when Anna Romanovskaya, Director of the Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, will present the new national methodology and its results.
The inventory of anthropogenic emissions by sources and absorption by sinks, not governed by the Montreal Protocol, is a reporting document submitted to the UNFCCC. This document provides crucial data on greenhouse gas emissions and removals, aiding in global climate change decision-making processes.
