"The research my colleagues conduct confirms that Russia can easily ratify the Kyoto protocol and the emissions quota will in no way hinder the tasks to double the GDP. Moreover, as the mechanisms of the Kyoto protocol may help Russian enterprises attract investments, I would even say this task [doubling the GDP] will be easier to fulfill, having ratified the Kyoto protocol," said professor with the Higher School of Economics Alexander Golub.
Director of the Water Problems Institute under the Russian Academy of Sciences Viktor Danilov-Danilyan agrees with him.
"The Kyoto protocol actively contributes to taking such scientific-technical measures that could weaken Russia's dependence on the world raw materials market and turn it into a post-industrial power with a modern, highly intellectual economy," said Mr. Danilov-Danilyan.
"We see the main economic gain in joint projects, when the European, Canadian and Japanese investors invest money in the reconstruction of a Russian enterprise, and the realized project ensures reduction of carbon dioxide or methane emissions. For his investments, the investor gets the credit of saved emissions," said Mr. Danilov-Danilyan.
"Russia may easily pay for such investments with such an additional economy," he added.
The Kyoto protocol was adopted on the basis of consensus by the third conference of the parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1997. In 1999, Russia signed this protocol, but has not ratified it yet. According to the protocol, industrially developed countries must reduce their emissions, which contribute to the so-called greenhouse effect, by 2008-2012 at least by 5% in comparison with 1990.
