Global Review asked Annalena Baerbrock and Katrin Göring-Eckhardt how they think about an EU-Russia climate protection cooperation. Unfortunately, we only received very general, rather negative answers, which, moreover, cannot imagine any cooperation with Putin and the Russian government, but primarily only through NGOs.

Dear Mrs. Baerbrock,

How do you think about an EU-Russia climate protection cooperation, the reforestation of the green lungs of Eurasia, the Siberian forests, the promotion of blue and turquese hydrogen technology with gas, the cooperation in the construction of green and smart cities, the cooperation for sustainable agriculture including clean meat, which includes the promotion of gentle dacha tourism and the shared protection of the Arctic?

Ralf Ostner (Global Review)

Dear Mr. Ostner,

 Thank you for your message. Multilateral climate protection cooperation is at the center of our foreign climate policy. We are aware that the socio-ecological transformation also requires cooperation with countries like China or Russia. But we also see that the Russian government is increasingly positioning itself in open rejection and hostility towards the EU and our common values agreed in Europe and that its policies undermine political goals, such as the Paris climate agreement. Russia’s economy is heavily dependent on the export of fossil fuels and is poorly diversified. This is the main reason for the country’s social, economic and ecological stagnation. This often conceals oligarchic and corrupt structures that support Putin’s regime and hinder any progress. Unfortunately also in relations with the EU. From our point of view, the opportunities for cooperation outlined by you will therefore be difficult or even impossible to implement with the current leadership in the Kremlin. Nevertheless, in a possible green government participation in our relations with Russia, we will repeatedly point out the need for ecological transformation and cooperation and offer them.

With best regards Team Annalena Baerbock

https://www.abgeordnetenwatch.de/profile/annalena-baerbock/fragen-antworten/574586

Dear Ms. / Team Baerbrock,

Why can’t the Greens, like Joe Biden or his climate protection envoy Kerry, promote selective cooperation with Russia on climate protection despite all other differences? How do you think about a CSCE negotiating format with Russia that includes disarmament, business, human rights and besides other topics  ecology as the 9th negotiating basket? Why should one be able to negotiate earlier with the Soviet Union and now no longer with Russia?

Ralf Ostner (Global Review)

Dear Mr. Ostner,

Thank you for your renewed request. In March 2016, the European Union agreed on five basic principles for dealing with Russia. The fourth principle names selective engagement with Russia and expressly includes cooperation against the climate crisis. We Greens are in good and close exchange with Russian civil society and environmental protection movement and want a close dialogue with Russian society. Especially with regard to the global challenge of the climate crisis. However, the Russian energy strategy still relies primarily on the consumption and export of fossil fuels. Oil products alone make up around 40 percent of Russian exports to the European Union. The European “Green Deal” therefore represents a serious income risk for the Russian Federation. We refer to this in our dispute with the German government and our contacts in Russia. One thing is clear to us: Russia has also committed itself – albeit late – to the Paris climate protection agreement. The government must therefore initiate structural change, prepare for the reduced demand for fossil fuels and initiate the decarbonization of its own economy. So far, however, the Kremlin seems far removed from such a strategy. Most recently, Putin made it possible to increase emissions. The share of wind and sun in the Russian electricity mix is currently only 0.25 percent. We are in discussion with many experts about what effects the Green Deal could have on cooperation with Russia and what economic and political offers are available to support the modernization of Russia and to integrate it into an overall strategy. Unfortunately, it is also clear that the current Russian government is not showing any interest in such cooperation, but is trying by all means, for example via Nord Stream 2, to stick to the old business model of fossil exports.

With best regards Team Annalena Baerbock

https://www.abgeordnetenwatch.de/profile/annalena-baerbock/fragen-antworten/574869

Dear Mrs. Göring-Eckhardt,

How do you think about an EU-Russia climate protection cooperation, the reforestation of the green lungs of Eurasia, the Siberian forests, the promotion of blue and turquese hydrogen technology with gas, the cooperation in the construction of green and smart cities, the cooperation for sustainable agriculture including clean meat, which includes the promotion of gentle dacha tourism and the shared protection of the Arctic?

Ralf Ostner (Global Review)

Ralf Ostner (Global Review)

 Dear Mr. Ostner, Thank you for your question to Ms. Göring-Eckardt. She asked us to answer you. A global socio-ecological transformation will not be possible without China, Russia or Brazil. The economic and ecological modernization of Russia has failed for years due to the lack of will on the part of the country’s political leadership. Russia has increasingly turned into an authoritarian state and is increasingly undermining democracy and stability in the EU and in the common neighborhood. At the same time, the democracy movement in Russia is growing stronger. We want to support the courageous civil society, which stands up to the ever harsher repression by the Kremlin and fights for human rights, democracy and environmental progress, and we want to intensify the exchange with it. The Nord Stream 2 pipeline project is not only harmful in terms of climate and energy policy, but also geostrategically – especially for the situation in Ukraine – and must therefore be stopped.

With best regards, Office Goering-Eckardt

https://www.abgeordnetenwatch.de/profile/katrin-goering-eckardt/fragen-antworten/574578

As reading tips:

Climate protection: Towards a selective ecological coooperation between the US, EU and Russia?
https://www.global-review.info/2021/03/14/climate-protection-towards-a-selective-ecological-coooperation-between-the-us-eu-and-russia/

EU-Russian ecological cooperation needed despite and because of the Covid crisis
By Global Review/Club of Rome Germany/Desert Tech/ Plant for the Planet
https://russiancouncil.ru/en/blogs/ralf-ostner/eurussian-ecological-cooperation-needed-despite-and-because-of-the-cov/

RIAC — CREON Group Seminar “Prospects for Cooperation between Russia and the EU in the Ecology Sphere”
https://russiancouncil.ru/en/news/riac-creon-group-seminar-prospects-for-cooperation-between-russia-and-the-eu-in-the-ecology-sphere/

Russian Climate Fund/Umweltschutz in Russland: Die Aufförsterin
https://www.fr.de/zukunft/storys/umweltschutz/russland-umweltschutz-war-hier-ein-fremdwort-90457897.html

Kerry’s China climate talks should focus on coal consumption
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/04/14/kerrys-china-climate-talks-should-focus-on-coal-consumption/?fbclid=IwAR3KGBlluQJ3tVinG1QR5o4unzbib21ekf_YxwU_h07rvriSE7y6_7MX6ZY