Mitigation potential and state support for forest climate projects in Russia

Abstract

Russia, which has significant potential to increase the absorption capacity of ecosystems, capable of providing it with the status of a global climate donor, currently does not use such a mitigation tool as forest climate projects effectively enough. The reasons for this are the immaturity of the domestic regulatory framework and the mechanism of state support for forest climate projects, as well as the low activity of Russian companies in the national and international voluntary carbon markets. The article considers estimates of greenhouse gas emissions and absorption in Russia and the world. The work defines the role of forestry in achieving the key long-term goal of the national climate policy - achieving a balance between anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and their absorption by 2060. The authors disclose the content of forest climate projects, show their importance for the socio-ecological-economic system of the regions and substantiate the need to provide state support to priority projects. The article proposes an approach to the assessment and selection of forest climate projects for state support in the regions.