Russia Has 'Tremendous Potential' to Reduce Emissions: UN Secretary-General

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stated that Russia has "tremendous potential" to contribute to emissions reductions during the UN Climate Change Conference.

UNITED NATIONS, December 10 (Sputnik) — Russia has "tremendous potential" in reducing emissions, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said.

"The secretary-general noted Russia's tremendous potential to contribute to emissions reductions," the UN said in a statement published Tuesday following the meeting between Ban and Alexander Bedritsky, the Russian presidential climate change adviser.

The meeting was held on the margins of the UN Climate Change Conference and was devoted to emissions reductions.

Russia's "leadership role on climate change could have a tremendously positive impact in mobilizing higher levels of ambition and action from others," the readout stated.

According to the statement, UN secretary-general has also voiced hopes that Russia will continue its efforts, aimed at ensuring that a universal agreement is reached in Paris in 2015.

A two-week long climate change conference, which is currently taking place in Lima, Peru, started on December 1 and gathered experts from across the globe amid increasing concerns about record-breaking temperatures.

The Lima climate talks aim to propose a binding universal draft agreement on climate change, which is expected to be adopted at the UN Climate Change Conference in France in 2015.