Russia presents climate monitoring system project to Arab countries, to promote it within EAEU, SCO, BRICS in future

DUBAI. Dec 12 (Interfax) - Russia held a presentation of its climate monitoring system project for Arab countries on the sidelines of the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), Russian First Deputy Economic Development Minister Ilya Torosov told Interfax.

"We discussed it with the Arab world. We have already presented the Russian climate monitoring system project. But one needs to understand that we launched it as recently as last year and will receive actual results next year or in a year's time. And then we will actively promote this project on the platforms of the Eurasian Economic Union [EAEU], the Shanghai Cooperation Organization [SCO] and BRICS. But today we need to do our 'homework' first and foremost and receive verified data," Torosov said.

As it chairs BRICS in 2024, Russia will propose forming a contact group on climate and sustainable development, he said.

Meanwhile, data received as part of this project are being used now.

"In particular, as we fine-tune the operative plan for implementing Russia's low-carbon development strategy. Second, we will use it with regard to our national determined contributions [to tackling global warming] through 2035, which we will have to present before 2025. And these data are eagerly awaited by our regions, from the point of view of adaptation to climate change. This is our top priority - the domestic agenda comes first," Torosov said.

A crucial innovative project of state significance aimed at creating a unified national system to monitor climate-active substances was approved by the Russian government in November 2022.

"The Russian climate monitoring system will accumulate data on concentrations of climate-active substances in the atmosphere, on their impact on global and regional climate. These data will provide the groundwork for making further managerial decisions with regard to limiting greenhouse gas emissions and adaption to climate change. Data to be received via the unified system will be included in national climate accounting reports (the greenhouse gas cadaster, biennial reports, national reports, etc.) to secure international recognition of new data and estimates," the Russian economic Development Ministry said then.