Russia-EU: a cooperative approach against climate change

摘要

On September 23rd, Russia formally adopted the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. World leaders, gathered in New York for the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, welcomed Russia's induction into the agreement. Previously, the president of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin expressed his scepticism about the reality of anthropogenic climate change. The Russian government repeatedly stressed the economic benefits that Russia could derive from melting ice in the Artic. Despite the symbolic weight of Russia's adoption of the Paris agreement, this step does not signify a shift in Moscow's approach to climate change. The European Union (EU), acting as a world leader in the global fight against climate change, can take meaningful steps to incite Russia to dee-pen its climate commitments. The adoption of such strategies by European states would radically transform their relation with Russia.