East Europeans Take Russia’s Side in Climate Talks – German Media

A proposal, made by Russia, may undermine the unity of the EU position on climate issues. The Russian proposal is less strict and meets expectations of the eastern Europeans.

Russia proposes to cut its CO2 emissions by 25-30 percent by 2030, taking the year 1990 as a starting point, DWN reported.

Other former Eastern Bloc countries such as Poland and Hungary support this idea, insisting that 1990 should be considered a starting point for the process of emissions cuts.

The reason is that after 1990 old and inefficient plants were shut down. Many facilities were renewed step by step what means that countries of the former Eastern Bloc could demonstrate great success over the past 25 years and meet their climate targets.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovenia were allowed to recognize the years 1986 to 1990 levels as the basis for calculation. However, some factions in Germany and the EU, especially the Greens, have repeatedly urged to introduce strict climate protection requirements and raise a starting point to the year of 2005.

Eastern European countries and Russia oppose this step.

"This would diminish all successes already achieved in reducing CO2 emissions," David Buchan from the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies wrote in his study.

Thus, the Moscow proposal may undermine the unity of the EU with regard to climate issues as countries of the former Eastern Bloc are likely to take Russia’s side during the climate talks in December, DWN wrote.