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printThe global “green imperative”:
Russia’s place in the international climate regime
Maslova E.A.,
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University), Moscow, Russia; The Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia; HSE University, Moscow, Russia, e.maslova@inno.mgimo.ru
elibrary_id: 683669 | ORCID: 0000-0002-2493-3900 | RESEARCHER_ID: J-3216-2013
DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2022.01.03
For citation:
Maslova E.A. The global “green imperative”: Russia’s place in the international climate regime. – Polis. Political Studies. 2022. No. 1. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2022.01.03
The study was supported by MGIMO University, project No. 1921-01-06.
Abstract
This article is devoted to the political science analysis of the international climate regime, Russia’s position regarding the implementation of its principles and the EU climate regime. Today, the problem of climate change is fundamental to any society. At the global level, there is an established system of governance under the auspices of the UN, as well as a “green consensus” contending that an increase in the average temperature on Earth is a threat to humankind. The theory of international regimes suggests the existence of an international climate regime, a system of intergovernmental institutions to combat climate change with the UN playing a dominant role (while the participants form a certain common understanding and consensus, and thereby take binding obligations that restrict their actions by established norms and rules). The global consensus is expressed in the implementation of national practices and the development of national approaches. We show that despite the presence of common environmental values, their implementation at the national level occurs in different ways. The Russian approach focuses on adapting to the effects of climate change and finding tools to reduce emissions (by absorbing them, and not only by actually reducing them). This approach is referred to as a loss reduction and benefits reaping strategy. The European Union, already positioning itself as a global environmental leader, is launching a “green perestroika” and opting for a decarbonisation paradigm. This existence of paradigmally different approaches at meso-levels is blurring the system of global environmental governance and leading to its fragmentation. Ultimately, this creates new dividing lines, including ate political and ideological levels. In the medium term, this could contribute to increasing tensions in international relations and world politics.
Keywords
global green imperative, international climate regime, Paris Agreement, climate neutrality, climate change consensus, decarbonization, Russia’s environmental policy, adaptation to the consequences of climate change, Green Deal.
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Content No. 1, 2022
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