Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08MOSCOW3673
2008-12-18 14:12:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Moscow
Cable title:  

CLIMATE CHANGE: RUSSIA'S ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Tags:  SENV ENRG KGHG RS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO9741
RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #3673/01 3531412
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181412Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1242
INFO RUEHVK/AMCONSUL VLADIVOSTOK 3047
RUEHYG/AMCONSUL YEKATERINBURG 3404
RUEHLN/AMCONSUL ST PETERSBURG 5162
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 4449
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 2033
RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN 1612
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 1200
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 1920
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2971
RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE 0798
RUEHSM/AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM 1373
RUEHMD/AMEMBASSY MADRID 0792
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 003673 

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

COPENHAGEN FOR ERIK HALL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG RS
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: RUSSIA'S ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

REF: STATE 116939

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 003673

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

COPENHAGEN FOR ERIK HALL

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: SENV ENRG KGHG RS
SUBJECT: CLIMATE CHANGE: RUSSIA'S ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

REF: STATE 116939


1. SUMMARY: In response to reftel request, Post reports that
Russia's lead agency on the political aspects of climate change is
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology (MNRE). The Federal
Service for Hydro-meteorology and Environmental Monitoring
(Roshydromet),a semi-autonomous agency under MNRE's umbrella,
handles scientific and technical aspects of the issue. The Ministry
of Economic Development handles Joint Implementation projects under
the Kyoto Protocol and other economic issues connected with climate
change. The Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Economic
Development deal with energy efficiency issues. The MFA's
Environmental Protection Section within the Department for
International Organizations deals with climate change issues in that
ministry. Russia has no plans to add climate change specialists to
diplomatic missions. END SUMMARY.


2. In response to reftel request, Post provides the following
information on the structure of Russia's government agencies on the
issue of climate change. The Ministry of Natural Resources and
Ecology (MNRE) is Russia's lead agency on climate change issues, and
Deputy Minister Stanislav Ananyev is the government's lead official
on those issues. He served as Russia's delegation head at the
recently concluded Poznan climate talks. MNRE's Office for
International Cooperation coordinates all international programs
associated with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol. As in the case of Poznan, MNRE
will continue to appoint high-level representatives to international
meetings and conferences to decide issues of political significance
connected with climate change. The Presidential Administration also
has a department which deals with environmental protection issues.
It reports to Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin.


3. The Federal Service for Hydro-meteorology and Environmental
Monitoring (Roshydromet),a semi-autonomous agency under MNRE's
umbrella, deals with scientific and technical issues associated with
climate change and is the nominal lead agency for UNFCCC issues. It
is the agency that reports on Russia's greenhouse gas emissions
inventory and prepares national reports under the UNFCCC. It also
pays Russia's annual dues to UNFCCC secretariat. This agency will
likely retain these responsibilities for the foreseeable future.



4. Until earlier in 2008, Roshydromet was Russia's lead agency on
climate change. However, Presidential decree No.724 of May 12,
2008, "Issues of the System and Structure of Federal Bodies of
Executive Power," incorporated Roshydromet into the MNRE system and
transferred responsibility for climate change policy to MNRE.
Roshydromet no longer has the authority to task other agencies with
information requests, but must route those requests through MNRE.
However, the Roshydromet staff working on climate issues is
virtually unchanged. Within the last 18 months, MNRE's Office for
International Cooperation established a four-person section devoted
to international cooperation in the protection of atmospheric air.
The Ministry's Department of Nature Protection has also established
its own Air Protection Section, also consisting of four staffers.
Both of these sections cooperate closely with Roshydromet.


5. The Ministry of Economic Development handles economic issues
associated with the Kyoto Protocol, specifically Joint
Implementation projects. Oleg Pluzhnikov, Deputy Director of the
Department of Property and Land Relationships and Economy of Nature
Utilization, is our main contact on these issues. All proposals for
Joint Implementation projects come to this ministry for approval by
a specially established commission. The members of this commission
are high-level representatives such as deputy leaders of other
interested agencies.


6. The Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Economic Development
are both active in the area of energy efficiency. The Energy
Ministry has prepared a report, to be presented at the Copenhagen
talks next year, forecasting Russia's greenhouse gas emissions
through 2020. During the year remaining before the Copenhagen
conference, the report will be circulated through the interagency
process for consideration and elaboration.


7. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Environmental Protection
Section in the Department for International Organizations deals with
climate change issues. Aleksandr Pankin, Deputy Director of the

MOSCOW 00003673 002 OF 002


Department for International Organizations, and Oleg Shamanov, Chief
of the Environmental Protection Section, told us that because of a
lack of staffing, there are no plans to add climate change
specialists to Russian diplomatic missions.


8. On November 18, Post hosted a reception for science and
environment officers from Moscow's diplomatic missions to encourage
discussion of climate change and other issues. Other than the
United Kingdom, missions rarely approach us to discuss climate
change. However, the Moscow network of foreign and domestic
environmental NGOs is quite active, particularly on the issue of
energy efficiency as a component of the larger climate change
question.


9. COMMENT: Many shifts in government structures followed President
Medvedev's transition to power in May 2008. Our contacts are
cautious in general about discussing these recent changes, and they
caution that further changes are still possible, particularly as
climate change is a complex and constantly evolving issue which
affects a broad range of sectors of critical strategic importance to
the Russian economy.

BEYRLE