Russia produces a significant portion of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and is, therefore, an important country in the international climate negotiations. The Kyoto protocol did not come into force before it was ratified by Russia. In fact, Russia is the fourth largest greenhouse gas polluter, and a global survey of 40 countries released this summer found that Russians had the lowest level of concern about global warming out of every country but one – Ukraine.

Russia is a nation with the most amount of nukes followed by united states of America. From cold war, many nuclear tests are tested on artic circle in Russia only. like for example, one of the major tests was by the Soviet military on islands of Novaya Zemlya in the Arctic Ocean, which was their second testing site after Semipalatinsk (now Semey), Kazakhstan. Nuclear reactors and wastes were dumped into the Barents and Kara seas of the far north and in far eastern Siberia. Dumping of nuclear wastes in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) continued until 1993. Dumping of military waste and nuclear waste is continued till now.

The average life expectancy of a factory worker in Norilsk is ten years below the national average. A study in 1999 found that pollution from factories here was being found in soil 60km away. The people here really work themselves to death, especially at Norilsk Nickel, where they produce 17% of the world’s nickel and 41% of the world’s palladium. This one business is responsible for 2% of Russia’s GDP, has around 100,000 employees and is owned by famous Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich.

Erosion and degradation of land and water is also a major problem in Russia. During the Soviet era, such as the Kuznetsk Basin on the Tom’ River in southern Siberia, the industrial belt along the southern portion of the Ural Mountains, and the lower Volga River, were degraded beyond repair. Water bodies like the Caspian Sea, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea are also affected badly because of pollutants released. Mismanagement and because of problems, erosion have also affected the regions like North Caucasus, lower Volga River basin, and western Siberia. without adequate sewage treatment plants. Inadequate or nonexistent wastewater treatment in cities, the problem arises. Airborne pollutants had also been a major problem, improper treatment of Copper, cobalt, and nickel smelters emit huge amounts of sulfur dioxide. Poaching and illegal hunting had also bee a problem destroying forests.

Over the arctic circle where countries fear that melting ice can destroy the world. Russia is setting plants over there with huge investments of companies. Meeting of ice means a new sea route for Russian cargo ships, which is very desirable for Russia. They are interested in changing the sea route from a long passage traveling from the Suez canal and having a very long route,but the new plan they made that if they want to travel to East Asia, instead if they can make a passage from a route passing through arctic circle (MAP), it can reduce days. In Nariska, located over the north of arctic circle is a city which has major industries. Many reports like of CNN says that “RUSSIAN RIVER TURNED RED BY METALLURGICAL WASTE”. Locals don’t have major problems or they are ignoring it. Some locals say that it becomes sometimes really hard to breathe due to huge pollution.

Citizens at other parts of the country have no such problem with pollution and climate change and encourage the oil refineries and huge scale minings saying that it nourishes their nation

 

”Despite not having a specific National Climate Change Adaptation Plan, Russia
has adopted some climate change adaptation measures aimed at reducing
natural disaster damage and other negative climate events, based primarily on
provisions of the Climate Doctrine (2009). The 2014 Progress Report on the
Execution of the Climate Doctrine Implementation Plan states that measures
and solutions were developed in 2013 to address issues such as development
and implementation of measures aiming to prevent growth in the frequency of
forest and peat fires; mitigation of production loss risks in agriculture; limiting
negative impacts caused by more frequent floods due to higher rainfall and
rising sea levels; and mitigation of mountain glaciation degradation, dangerous
mudflow and avalanches. The Ministry of Natural resources is in the final phase
in developing the Strategy Convention on Biodiversity Conservation, which
includes tasks on the adaptation of biodiversity to climate change and on forestry
adaptation to climate change. The project is financed by the GEF and its
implementation is coordinated by the WWF Russia.” According to The 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study

Sources-

•  https://naturvernforbundet.no/international/environmental-issues-in-russia/category930.html
• https://www.exposingtruth.com/life-polluted-city-russia/
• http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/RUSSIA.pdf
• http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/law/climate-doctrine-of-the-russian-federation/

“Climate change has become one of the gravest challenges humanity is facing, Caused by global warming, hurricanes, droughts, floods and other anomalies are the source of economic damage.”

-Vladmir Putin, president of RUSSIA

(Note- Updates on the topic after the date of publishing have not been recorded.)