Russia’s deputy prime minister has suggested the country could revisit its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions goal, during a meeting with France environment chief Segolene Royal.
In notes of Monday’s discussion released by Royal’s office, Alexander Khloponin was reported as saying Moscow would assess its goal to cut emissions 30% on 1990 levels.
“The Deputy Prime Minister said that Russia would revise upward its climate action because it had achieved its reduction target for 2030,” read the summary.
Khloponin also told Royal a “preparatory document for ratification” of the Paris Agreement would be ready by October, although did not specify when Russia would formally join the UN pact.
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Russia’s climate plan was described as a “magnum opus of hypotheticals” by one analyst when it was released last April, requiring little in the way of emission cuts from industry.
Depending on how the reductions are calculated, the country could already have met its goal if carbon soaked up by its vast forests was used in the final sums, said a Finnish diplomat.
Last week, the country’s climate negotiator Oleg Shamanov told Reuters that Moscow wanted to see the rules for the Paris Agreement before it would sign up.
“The core issue to create the landscape conducive to joining is the development of the book of rules,” he said.