Top Arctic stories of the week, 1 -- 3 November 2021

Below is a recap of this week’s posts by Alexander Stotskiy (CEO, Project Office for Arctic Development) analyzing major international, national and regional events and trends in the Arctic.

SDWG okays projects promoting sustainability

The Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) met in Moscow for its regular session. More than 20 various projects, many of which have been introduced by Russia, were presented to the SDWG delegates. All Russia’s initiatives were approved by the AC Member States. Their implementation will help further integrate the sustainable development agenda into respective policies of the Arctic nations and push forward international cooperation in the High North. Read more…

A low-carbon strategy for Russia approved

The Russian Government has issued a strategy paper setting long-term goals for the transition to a low-carbon economy until 2050. The purpose of the strategy is to adapt Russia, whose economy is heavily reliant on hydrocarbon exports, to the ongoing global energy shift, as well as to provide for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and set pathways for reaching carbon neutrality by 2060. The transition process should stimulate the economy’s steady growth rather than slow it down. Read more…

G20 Summit sets commitments to reduce environmental footprint

The leaders of the G20 met in Rome for a summit ahead of the UN Conference on climate change in Glasgow, which kicked off on 31 October. Russian President Putin attended the summit online, with Foreign Minister Lavrov leading the Russian delegation. The summit focused on climate and environmental issues. The G20 made a commitment to hold the global average temperature increase well below 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Read more…