corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Zakharov said at a press conference on Thursday.
According to the scientist, it is wrong to regard the Kyoto protocol as the mechanism of trade of free quotas on greenhouse gas emissions.
The Kyoto protocol should be considered a mechanism restricting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting industrial modernization, introduction of new technologies and economic development, Mr. Zakharov said.
He is convinced that the implementation of the Kyoto protocol will have positive ecological effect in the near future.
According to expert assessments, about 85,000 people annually die of environmental pollution in Russia's big cities, said Alexander Golub, professor at the High Economics School.
Moreover, climate change has lead to the growth of malaria cases and climate catastrophes, Mr. Golub noted. As a result of permafrost thawing, 42% of buildings in Norilsk and 51% in Yakutsk are under threat of deformation. Permafrost thawing also causes destruction of gas pipelines and secondary methane emission in marshlands, Alexander Golub continued.
According to scientists, the Kyoto protocol stipulates for the restriction of greenhouse gas emissions, which can alter the situation.
Speaking about the economic effect of the Kyoto protocol implementation, Mr. Golub said it would increase Russian economic growth rates. According to experts, in the next five years investments in Russian economy will amount to $50 billion, he added.
