Channels, Fall 2018

Channels • 2018 • Volume 3 • Number 1 Page 107 The Russian Federation, from 1990 until 2015, experienced a 35.49% decrease in CO2 emissions and 29.63% decrease in GHG emissions (see Table 1). Following the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol, the agreed standard among Annex-I countries is to reduce GHG emissions by 18% of 1990 levels by 2020 (UNFCCC, 2012). The Russian Federation is well within achieving this goal and has reduced emissions from all major sources of carbon and GHG emissions except for waste (UNFCCC, 2018). When comparing data of the breakdown of GHG emissions within the energy sector between 1990 and 2015 in the Russian Federation (Figures 1 & 2), there is an increase of 9.24% in fugitive emissions from fuels. All other categories except for unspecified items are proportionally similar with a 2% variation. From 1990 until 2012, Brazil experienced a 126.46% increase in CO2 emissions and 78.75% increase in GHG emissions (see Table 2). Within the energy sector of Brazil, GHG emissions primarily are a result from transport, which composed 44.14% of energy GHG emissions in 1990 (Figure 3). Data from 2012 is unavailable to compare, yet in comparison to the Russian Federation, Brazil’s energy industries are responsible for only 12.16% of GHG emissions as opposed to Russia’s 38.06% in 1990. As a Non-Annex I country, Brazil is not held to the same standard as Russia. Instead it must report on the steps it is taking to implement the UNFCCC. These commitments are laid out in Article 4.1 and 12 of the convention (UNCC, 2010). The primary sources of increase within Brazil of carbon and GHG emissions are energy, industrial processes, agriculture and other (UNFCCC, 2018). Although both the Russian Federation and Brazil possess many similarities, the development of their industries and GHG emissions vary vastly. A direct comparison of emissions between the two is unwise. Yet the UNFCCC data still provides relevant information when analyzing the governments and their NOCs. Both states were able to reduce their GHG emissions from land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) and experienced an increase in emissions resulting from waste. Brazil has expanded its overall emissions, whereas the Russian Federation has reduced its emissions. Russia, as an industrialized nation, still surpasses total Brazilian GHG emissions by over 1,500,000 Gg. 2 With these considerations in mind, when examining international opinion and the government’s energy strategy for Russia and Brazil, it will be important to identify the corresponding rhetoric and priorities of each country. It should be expected Russia will 2 Gigagrams (Gg) are a unit of mass equaling 1,000,000,000 grams