Russia’s Getting Left Behind in Global Dash for Clean Energy
Russia has the most to lose among big powers from a shift from fossil fuels. The Kremlin’s betting that won’t happen anytime soon.
The Osinnikovskaya coal mine, operated by Raspadskaya PJSC, in Osinniki, Russia. President Vladimir Putin called for increased exports to Asia in a March call with industry bosses.
Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/BloombergAs the man in charge of developing Russia’s vast Arctic north, Aleksey Chekunkov faces more climate-related challenges than most, from permafrost sink holes to the emergence of West Nile fever in frozen tundra. Yet he’s no eco-warrior when it comes to fossil fuels.
“We have to be realistic, we are the largest country in the world,” the minister for development of the Arctic and Far East said in a video interview, projecting a 30-year future for natural gas as a mobile, clean alternative to coal. “Solar is not an option for the Arctic region and wind energy isn’t constant.”