Moscow has prepared an analytical report called "Climate Agenda of Russian Cities" and an online toolkit for self-assessment in reducing carbon emissions, combating climate change, and improving the quality of life for its citizens. This was announced by the press service of the city's Department of Economic Policy and Development.
The report aims to help cities evaluate their efforts in implementing the climate agenda, identify strengths and weaknesses, and adopt effective practices. The study evaluates the work of 36 major cities in Russia in five key areas affecting greenhouse gas emissions: energy production and consumption, transportation, green spaces, and waste management.
"It is important that improvements in these areas not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also enhance the quality of life in cities," added Maria Bagreeva, head of the department.
The report provides city profiles reflecting the results in each of the five areas, as well as an overall index showing the progress in implementing the climate agenda. Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Perm, and Yekaterinburg are among the leaders in the climate agenda among million-plus cities in Russia, while Balashikha, Izhevsk, Naberezhnye Chelny, Stavropol, and Tyumen are the leaders among cities with a population of 500,000 to 1 million people.
The report emphasizes that the use of city-level indicators is a distinctive feature of the study. This statistical data is available to city administrations, allowing each city to conduct a self-assessment using the research methodology and the online toolkit provided on the project's website.
"Moscow is a leader in Russia in many areas of sustainable development. The transition to a sustainable development trajectory is happening in all spheres of urban life. Moscow conducts research in the field of urban climate policy to study the experience of Russian and foreign cities and identify best practices," said Bagreeva.
The first analytical report on the climate agenda of world cities was presented at the UN Climate Conference in Dubai in December 2023, and the report on the climate agenda of BRICS cities was presented at the "BRICS Climate Agenda in Modern Conditions" forum in August of this year. The research methodology has been highly praised by Russian and international climate experts. The analytical report on the climate agenda of Russian cities was prepared in partnership with VEB.RF, and its methodology was adapted for use in the context of Russian cities.
