Russia is expected, in the absence of any change, to rival the U.S. as the top per capita emitter within the next 20 years. Yet Russia has stayed out of view amid the global hunt for an agreement on how to distribute the burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. That could change.
Earlier this month, President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia and leaders of various Russian districts gathered in Arkhangelsk, near the shores of the White Sea, to discuss the country’s still-recovering economy and where energy — in all its manifestations — fits into the bigger picture.
“While dealing with the problems of today, the challenges of the future must be addressed as well, so we also need to think about the kind of energy resources that will ultimately be the staple of the future power industry,†Mr. Medvedev said in his opening remarks.
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“Currently, this does not seem like a problem that is relevant now or in the near future, but we must nevertheless analyze how alternative sources of energy may be introduced.
“We need to promote these alternative sources of energy, because sooner or later, they will replace today’s traditional hydrocarbons, as sad as that may sound to us.â€
