Topic: 2025 – Impact of Climate Change on Air Quality
Country: Russian Federation
Delegate Name: Yasin Avdic
Climate change is something that is being addressed all over the globe due to necessity. It is very prevalent as well, with nations needing to cut 42% of their emissions by 2030 to stay on track for a 1.5°C increase in global temperatures. If we don’t reach that goal, there could be an increase of 2.6-3.1°C globally, which would cause devastating impacts to the environment. One of those impacts would be air quality, which would significantly worsen. Populous cities and large manufacturing spaces would be most affected by the issue of air quality due to climate change. Because of their quickly-produced greenhouse gases, when air heats up and becomes stagnant, that pollution can build up quickly. This can lead to things like having to stay at home, not being able to do certain jobs, increase death rates in the city, and even cause movements of people away from these polluted areas, which many countries will learn how to handle, as well as tanking the economy. Other nations can help these affected areas by just simply working to stop climate change all together, although certain air-pollution-focused strategies would be more effective in this instance. For example, joining and being an active member in the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), which will implement known efforts that will bring methane emissions down by 40% when comparing 2010 to 2030, and starting a carbon neutrality initiative, which can get a nation’s total footprint to be stagnant, can all work towards preventing these air quality and climate issues. Farming also plays a role in the issue of air quality. When burning something on a farm (prescribed burning), it creates particulates in the air (small particles of liquids or solids) which can penetrate lungs and be inhaled millions at a time when living in poor air quality areas, which millions of people live under. Then engines, animal feeding operations, grain terminal elevators, and solid waste incineration all contribute to that air pollution and over all heating of our planet. Russia recognizes climate change’s impact and has implemented many of its own plans to lessen its effects, however, Russia has also seen and somewhat leans towards the adaptation solutions of the climate change and air quality issue, seeing as fossil fuels and rare mineral production is a large part of Russia’s economy.
Russia has a pretty set stance on climate change, with certain plans implemented, like a carbon neutrality initiative and a national voluntary carbon market, but also a large hope towards adaptation instead of mitigation, as almost all of Russia’s economy is based on things that cause emissions. The Russian Central Bank warned that without more adaptation actions, one-third of companies in important sectors could face financial decline between 2030 and 2040 within Russia. So it’s very clear that there is more that Russia needs to get done, but in the adaptation mindset, not mitigation, when it comes to climate change. Russia is also being impacted by air pollution a ton, with cities like Krasnoyarsk in Siberia having to get residents to close their windows and doors some days so as to not breath in the smog around the city. With Russia having such a hold on most of the economy, it seems like opening up a green economy could ruin Russia, where rare earth minerals, oil, and gas are all major Russian exports. The Russian economy also relies heavily on farming, which as talked about releases many gases and particulates, but nonetheless some sort of adaptation or solution must be made as the economy of Russia relies heavily upon it, with exported wheat generating revenues of 6.4 billion in 2019. This makes it pretty clear that Russia will find an alternative approach to tackling the pollution and climate problem in order to ensure that it will still have a stable economy afterward.
Russia believes that countries with less funds towards adaptation should be upheld by wealthier countries, all to work towards the goal of slowly lessening the impact of climate change whilst adapting its effects. Having a plan like a carbon-neutrality initiative, which if Russia succeeds in will make it the first to reach its neutrality goal, is very effective when it comes to slowing down climate change and stopping air pollution, it can be used with smaller countries via. the funding by larger ones. But, on the other hand, in order to retain its foothold in the economy and preserve itself as a superpower, there still needs to be some sort of preserving of carbon economy and adaptation will have to be necessary for those things, especially when it comes to producing food, which is a necessity but releases a decent amount of pollution into the atmosphere. This would tackle the issue of other countries needing to work on their climate efforts with wealthier countries funding them (because that would benefit the whole planet), while still maintaining some sort of carbon economy so Russia and other countries who rely on those exports still find use in them. After all, things like farms and certain machinery still need gas and oil.
Works Cited:
https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/article/russias-strategic-approach-climate-change
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/02/26/black-sky-gray-snow-decades-of-air-pollution-leave-siberias-krasnoyarsk-struggling-to-breathe-a84081
https://www.ccacoalition.org/
https://www.epa.gov/agriculture/agriculture-and-air-quality#agburning
