Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Chumakov at the High-level Plenary of the General Assembly “Global Climate for Present and Future Generations in the Context of Economic, Social and Environmental Dimensions of Sustainable Development Agenda 2030”
Mm. President,
Climate change has negative implications for various areas of economy, social aspects, and environment.
International efforts on the environmental track should be coordinated and mutually reinforced, they should rest on a firm legal and research basis. The main platform for intergovernmental decisions that seeks to ensure universal climatic regime is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Russia welcomes the results of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC held in Poland. We hope that the adopted Paris Agreement's implementing guidelines will boost this Agreement and help achieve the main of its goals – curb the global growth of temperature. We stand ready to take active part in discussing market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement during the nest Climate Conference to be held in Chile.
Mm. President,
Consistent implementation of countries’ obligations will make it possible to reduce anthropogenic interference with the climate system. For our part, we continue to implement measures that should prevent climate change. We focus on transfer to new low-emission technologies, and on increase of energy efficiency.
Russia’s government promotes an approach that has attracted many of Russian businesses. Enterprises introduce affordable technologies and incorporate principles of environmental responsibility for business circles. However, the warming in Russia proceeds more than twice as fast as the global average. The aftereffects that we have now and expect to have in future will affect our environmental and economic systems, as well as our population. That is why we can hardly overestimate the importance of adaptation. Today in Russia we work on a national plan that lays the basis for prospective development of Russia in the conditions of changing climate.
Russia takes active part in international efforts related to climate change and assistance to the developing countries. In 2018 the Government of Russia issued a decision to allocate $3 mln. to the Green Climate Fund. In 2016 Russia and the UNDP established a Climate Change Window in the Russia-UNDP Trust Fund for Development, and we made a contribution of $10 mln. This money will be used to implement projects that aim to mitigate the consequences of climate change in Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Cuba, and there is one project for the area of the EAEU.
We are convinced, that international cooperation should focus on measures to promote development and engage relevant bodies and mechanisms of the UN economic section. Deliberate politicizing of this topic would employ resources that are needed to solve crucial tasks, especially when we are talking about countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Thank you.
