Global Review

Short notice: Green Russia and the Green EU-chance for an ecological cooperation?

February 4, 2020
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I read the State of the Union address of Putin. praised him that he is member of the Paris agreement, different to Trump or Bolsanaro and even Karaganov is discovering a green Russia, ecology and Siberia and the dachas. Therefore the idea is not dead. But there should be a clear signal from Russia. And as the EU has decided to become a Green Europe in 2050 and the Greens will be the decisive power in the next German goverment this supports this idea. Sasha Rahr, EU adviser to Gazprom, Russia expert and member of Putin´s Valdai Club already outlined his plan for ecological cooperation. Of course, there are differences, but Russia should spell out by itself what its vision of a Green Russia is, what they want to do and what they can do, how the EU could support them and make a cooperation and what its interests are. If Russia openly and actively defines its interests in a Green Russia it is much more easy to understand where the potential and limits are for such a cooperation.

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Source: Tass

And the Russian fear that the Europeans won´t buy Russian carbons anymore are exaggerated. The renewable energy are mostly about electricity and not about the gas and oil. And the whole transportation and traffic system can`t be replaced by electricity as the Germans or the Europeans don´t have the electricity foe that, even can´t build the electricity tracks from the North Sea to the South in time (65oo kilometer needed, 650 bult in the last decade). And without coal and nuclear energy there is no way to realize electromobility. In short: This will take a long time and Russia still will sell its gas and oil. It´s a long transition period, not a shock as was the 100 days privatization program under US economist Jeffrey Sachs under Yeltsin or the Friday for Future kids and Greta want. Therefore the EU, Germany and Russia have plenty of time to create a Green EU and a Green Russia in the longterm and to define their own interests and potentials and limits of cooperation. You have to find a longterm middle way for a Green EU and Russia. Not Shock and awe!

However, a positive sign is that after the head of the think tank of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs RIAC, Dr. Kortunov once thought of the Greens as a strategic partner of Russia, the EU adviser to Gazprom Dr. Alexander Rahr at the Valdai Club and beyond was committed to ecological cooperation between Germany, the EU and Russia and I on RIAC thanks to Dr. Kulikovs was invited to comment on this idea and deepen it, even such hardliners as Karaganov speak now of a green Russia, although more in Siberia due to his Asian Pivot and Putin also stressed in his State of Union Address the importance of the Paris Climate Accord, as well as he and increasing sections of the elite realize the EU’s orientation towards a Green EU, and the likelihood of a black-green coalition after Merkel in Germany, as is already the case in Austria. Therefore Russia has now offered the proposal for an EU-Russia climate protection summit in Moscow and already has a draft agenda for this. Hopefully, there are partners in the EU who discuss this offer seriously.

Source: Global Review.

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