Survey by the Ministry of Economic Development and News Mail: 51.5% are aware of Russia's goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060
The Ministry of Economic Development of Russia and "News Mail" conducted a survey of Internet users about the goals and objectives of the Strategy for Socio-Economic Development of the Russian Federation with Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions until 2050.
As a reminder, the Strategy was adopted in 2021 by the decision of the President of the Russian Federation. Its goals are to achieve carbon neutrality while maintaining sustainable economic growth, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt the economy to the global energy transition.
The Ministry of Economic Development is the regulator in the field of climate policy and oversees the creation of the "Russian Climate Monitoring System". It is designed to provide authorities, business, and the public with high-quality data on climate change and its consequences.
The survey was anonymous. Over 7 days, from April 30 to May 6, users of "News Mail" and "Weather Mail" were surveyed. In total, almost 20,000 people (19,885) took part in the survey. According to the survey results, 51.5% of the population are aware that Russia has set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
74% of respondents approve of the development of clean, renewable energy, taking into account its environmental friendliness and positive impact on the climate: solar energy, wind energy, and the construction of small hydroelectric power plants.
67% of Russians consider climate change an important issue requiring the attention of the authorities (36% — "yes", 31% — "rather yes").
63% believe that the climate affects the stability of the Russian economy as a whole: crops, infrastructure, and the operation of enterprises.
45% of the population know or have heard about carbon units trading.
Among business actions that can influence the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, respondents consider the most important:
installation of modern treatment equipment and filters — 67%;
transition to less harmful fuel and energy-efficient technologies — 52%;
planting forests and restoring ecosystems for CO₂ sequestration — 65%;
public reporting on greenhouse gas emissions — 36%.
"To reduce the vulnerability of nature and infrastructure to the negative consequences of climate change, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia is creating a climate change adaptation system, which includes national, sectoral, and regional adaptation plans. In recent years, a system for market circulation of carbon units has been formed, the Sakhalin climate experiment is being conducted, which improves people's quality of life, including by switching transport to clean types of fuel and gasifying energy facilities. Regions regularly carry out inventories of greenhouse gas emissions. These measures increase the economy's resilience to climate risks."
"The survey is timely, and its results are important for the progress of climate policy in Russia. The last few years have been a period of active lawmaking in the field of climate change mitigation and adaptation. This formed the foundation for its practical implementation. However, for the effective implementation of any policy, social trust and citizens' awareness of the relevance of the problems being solved are necessary. In this regard, the survey results are quite telling: about 2/3 consider the climate change situation serious and see a direct link between these changes not only with everyday life but also with the economy."
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The jubilee Mendeleev Olympiad confirmed the status of a carbon-neutral event
Based on the results of the 60th International Mendeleev Chemistry Olympiad for schoolchildren, held in Moscow from April 15 to 23, 2026, a comprehensive calculation of the event's carbon footprint was performed and its full compensation was ensured. Thus, the Olympiad, organized by the Faculty of Chemistry of Moscow State University and the Melnichenko Foundation, for the first time in its history received the status of a carbon-neutral event.
The carbon footprint calculation was carried out in accordance with the international GHG Protocol standard, taking into account Scope 3 emissions, which include the most significant sources. In particular, the assessment took into account participants' flights, ground transportation, accommodation, as well as the use of various products necessary for organizing the competition. The total amount of compensation will be about 180 tons of CO₂ equivalent. Participants' flights made the largest contribution.
The compensation occurred through the retirement of carbon units obtained from the implementation of climate projects by the partner of the Melnichenko Foundation – the Siberian Generating Company (SGC), which modernized heat supply systems in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, Kemerovo, and Novosibirsk Regions. In May, the offset of the Olympiad's footprint took place on a platform in the national register of the national register of carbon units.
«Turning the Mendeleev Olympiad into a carbon-neutral format is a contribution to the formation of a new professional thinking for future scientists. We are convinced that issues of ecology and rational use of resources should become an integral part of the scientific and educational environment»
The jubilee International Mendeleev Olympiad in Moscow brought together schoolchildren from 37 countries. All 15 participants of the Russian national team won medals: 7 schoolchildren from Moscow, Samara, Magnitogorsk, and the Moscow Region received gold, and this is the best result among all participating countries in the gold medal tally. Another 8 participants of the team from Moscow, Kazan, Sirius, Saransk, and St. Petersburg were awarded silver medals.
Sovcombank has offset the carbon footprint of its operations for 2025
Sovcombank Group has acquired carbon footprint management instruments — carbon units and green electricity certificates. This allowed the bank to fully offset greenhouse gas emissions from its operations — both direct (from its own energy sources) and indirect (from consumed electricity).
How direct emissions were offsetTo achieve this, the bank was credited with carbon units obtained from the implementation of Russian climate projects. These projects are aimed at improving the energy efficiency of large enterprises in the country and have been registered in the Carbon Units Registry, which confirms their effectiveness. The retirement was carried out by Carbon Zero, a company with extensive experience in creating low-carbon solutions.
How "green" electricity was ensuredSovcombank has fully transitioned its electricity consumption to renewable sources using Carbon Zero green electricity certificates. The certificates were obtained from the Krasnoyarsk Hydroelectric Power Plant (part of En+ Group). 100% of the bank's electricity consumption is provided from zero-greenhouse gas emission sources. The bank purchased and retired certificates confirming that the electricity was produced from renewable sources in accordance with Russian legislation. The operator of the generation attributes registry is the Energy Certification Center (ECC LLC), authorized by the Government of the Russian Federation. It registered the purchase and confirmed that the electricity consumed by the bank was indeed obtained from "green" sources.
Systemic work since 2020Since 2020, Sovcombank has been annually assessing its carbon footprint — both direct and indirect emissions (including those related to the activities of suppliers and borrowers). The results are disclosed in the annual report. In 2021, the bank set a goal to become carbon-neutral in its operations (direct and indirect energy emissions) by 2030, and across all three emission categories by 2050. Since 2022, Sovcombank has been annually offsetting the carbon footprint from its branch operations. The bank became the first systemically important credit institution in Russia to achieve carbon neutrality for direct and indirect energy emissions.
"Recently, thanks to stimulating regulation, the investment community has been paying increased attention to the current sustainable development market environment. This is a good reason to remember the comprehensive approach to this sector's work. Sovcombank is not only a market leader in organizing the placement of sustainable development bonds, a leader in providing consulting services for sustainable finance, and a leader in the Bank's key areas of social investment, but it also confirms its status as a carbon-neutral bank for the fourth consecutive year. Offsetting all emissions from our operations — including fuel combustion and electricity consumption for 2025 — is part of our systemic work to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. We will continue to implement best sustainable development practices and support the sustainability of the Russian economy."
"Congratulations to Sovcombank on another achievement in implementing its sustainable development strategy. It is important that this is a systemic effort by the bank over several years in the decarbonization instruments market — from green electricity certificates to carbon units. Russian markets are already showing a certain maturity: the necessary regulatory framework has been formed, and state registries ensure the transparency of operations. Under these conditions, companies' access to proven and comprehensive solutions becomes key. At Carbon Zero, we focus on providing such access by combining instruments, infrastructure, and expertise for the implementation of decarbonization projects."
"The Carbon Units Registry highly values the Bank's systemic approach to carbon footprint management. We consider the implementation of such practices as a significant contribution to the formation of a responsible and transparent climate policy."
"Many different instruments may be required to achieve carbon neutrality, and En+, as the world's largest private producer of renewable energy, is actively developing them for the Russian market. It is important that more and more companies in various sectors, including banking, are choosing green certificates to achieve their climate goals. Such deals support the emerging carbon market in Russia and show that domestic mechanisms work and open the opportunity for companies of any scale to take responsibility for their carbon footprint."
"The Energy Certification Center, as the operator of the electricity origin certification system, welcomes this step by Sovcombank towards forming our common sustainable future. We hope that in the future, Sovcombank will continue to both provide financial support to renewable and low-carbon energy projects and ensure its own energy consumption with clean generation."
SIBUR and RWB have launched a project on voluntary compensation of the carbon footprint from the delivery of orders
SIBUR and RWB (United Company Wildberries & Russ) have launched Russia's first tool for voluntary offsetting the carbon footprint of online order delivery. Now, on the "RWB Participation" platform, anyone can make their purchase on the marketplace carbon neutral in just a few clicks.
You can learn about the climate impact of your online orders and fully offset it with Russian carbon units in your user account on the "RWB Participation" platform. For more than 90% of deliveries, the cost of offsetting the carbon footprint will be 3-5 rubles, opening the opportunity for a truly wide range of users to participate in the climate agenda. It is independent of the price of the product and takes into account factors such as: mode of transport, distance of the route, volume and weight of the product, and fuel consumption.
The reliability of each indicator is ensured by information from the waybill completed during cargo transportation. The carbon footprint calculation method itself is based on an analysis of historical data on Wildberries' logistics and has been independently verified by Bureau Veritas, a global leader in certification. The carbon units used to offset the carbon footprint of order delivery were obtained through the implementation of large-scale climate projects aimed at improving energy efficiency at SIBUR, a leader in the climate market. The results of these projects have been verified and published in the state registry of carbon units.
"The launch of the joint project between RWB and SIBUR is a significant event for the development of the Russian carbon unit system. We are seeing how the climate agenda is no longer solely a corporate matter and is becoming accessible to every citizen. This is precisely the case when large businesses create the infrastructure for the conscious participation of millions of people in low-carbon development. I am convinced that such initiatives foster a culture of responsible consumption and contribute to the achievement of national sustainable development goals."
A bonus program is available for service users: for offsetting their carbon footprint, participants will receive Yagodka cashback, which can be spent on new purchases on Wildberries, as well as a personalized redemption certificate and exclusive rewards on the RWB "Uchastie" platform. Thus, the project aims to promote conscious consumption, raise awareness among the general public about measures to limit greenhouse gas emissions, and engage them in the fight against climate change.
According to a survey conducted by the RWB Research center earlier this year among more than 1,600 respondents, the demand for green delivery is quite strong among Russians: 50% of all buyers and 62% of users of the RWB Participation platform consider this important. Greenhouse gases and carbon footprint are the most familiar topics among respondents (61% and 45% of buyers, respectively, rate their knowledge on these topics as high). At the same time, concepts such as decarbonization (over 60% with low knowledge), carbon units (57% with low knowledge), and carbon offsetting (53%) pose significantly more difficulties. The audience generally understands environmental issues at a basic level, but is less familiar with the tools and mechanisms of climate policy, according to analysts at RWB Research. To increase knowledge on this topic, educational content has been added to the project.
"The climate agenda transcends industry boundaries – the effectiveness of work in this area directly depends on the ability to unite efforts for the common good. SIBUR has proven expertise in implementing large-scale climate projects – we have 12 of them to our credit, and the impact has already reached 5.4 million verified carbon units. But to translate this expertise into real engagement for millions of people, we need to join forces with those who interact with mass audiences on a daily basis. Our partnership with RWB is an example of such synergy: an industrial leader and an e-commerce leader are setting a precedent for taking climate responsibility to a fundamentally new level."
"Such climate initiatives are an integral part of our sustainable development strategy. It's important for us not just to give people the technical ability to 'push a button,' but also to explain why it's necessary. We want to foster long-term awareness, not just carry out a one-off campaign. And now, together with SIBUR, which shares our values, we are combining our best competencies and essentially creating from scratch a carbon credit market for ordinary people who can purposefully participate in the "green" agenda alongside the government and business."
The service was launched as part of an agreement to implement a new project in the field of sustainable development, which RWB and SIBUR signed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in 2025.
Russia's application for accreditation in the CORSIA Carbon Compensation and Reduction System has been registered by ICAO
Russia's application for accreditation of the Russian voluntary system reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the Compensation System and carbon emissions reductions for CORSIA International aviation registered and published on the website of the International Organization Civil Aviation (ICAO).
Earlier in March, the application was prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development It was sent to ICAO with the participation of the Russian Ministry of Transport.
Since 2019, the system has been implemented in international aviation CORSIA. This is a set of market-based measures aimed at reducing emissions. carbon in the aviation industry. The main measures to reduce emissions are the purchase of carbon units to offset emissions over baseline level and use of fuel that meets the criteria the sustainability of CORSIA. The mandatory implementation phase will begin in 2027. a system that will extend to most of the ICAO member countries, including Russia.
For reference:
If the airline's emissions on international flights exceed 10 thousand tons of CO2 per year, it will be required to monitor consumption volumes. fuel and submit emissions reports. The claim for compensation for airlines will have emissions if global emissions exceed 85% of 2019 emissions. The first official calculations of compensation obligations for Russian airlines under the rules of CORSIA will begin It should be formed based on the results of three years from the date of the country's accession to the mechanism. Airlines will be required to generate emissions reports. carbon dioxide and submit them to the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, responsible for for climate policy in the country.
Carbon units for offsetting greenhouse gas emissions can be purchased only through a system that provides training and application of methodologies, validation of projects, monitoring of emissions and verification of the results of the implementation of climate projects, as well as through the register of carbon units that have received approval (accreditation) The International Civil Aviation Organization. Currently for the period 2027-2029. The ICAO Council has approved only 4 programs acquisition of carbon units. The Russian implementation system climate projects and the release of carbon units are not among them yet.
"Russian air carriers should be able to purchase carbon units released based on sales results climate projects on the territory of the Russian Federation. This it will give an additional impetus to the development of the Russian a voluntary carbon market, which, in turn, corresponds to the adopted Strategy of low-carbon development of our country. According to the requirements of the CORSIA system, the Russian legislation in the field of greenhouse gas emissions control. The state accounting of emissions has been expanded, and a system has been created verifier accreditations for airline reporting, clarified requirements for climate projects, mechanisms have been introduced to allow avoid double counting of carbon units"
"The Aeroflot Group pays great attention to the issues of sustainable development, climate and decarbonization, which are part of the international aviation development agenda and our strategic priorities. Over the years, the Aeroflot Group has been systematically It is working on improving fuel efficiency, and therefore environmental efficiency. efficiency. We do not plan to stop there and intend to together with partners, to develop the practice of carbon offsetting a trace. We hope that the development of the Russian carbon market and participation It will provide an additional incentive for the implementation of climate projects in our country, will support the development of new technologies and environmental improvements will contribute to contribution to solving global climate problems"
Since 2022, Russia has been operating a national system for issuing and trading in carbon units. Currently in the Russian carbon registry 104 units registered climate project with total potential 102.5 million carbon units. 36.5 million carbon units are already located in circulation.
