The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Russia

The document examines Russia's transition toward a green economy, noting that while the concept is integrated into official policy, practical implementation lags. It highlights Russia's vast natural capital but criticises its inefficient resource use and extreme reliance on hydrocarbon exports. The author argues that Russia must prioritise energy efficiency and economic diversification to maintain competitiveness and ensure long-term sustainability.

• Russia possesses immense natural capital, with natural resources contributing between 83% and 88% of its national wealth. The country holds approximately 20% of global forests and 22% of world reserves for all 17 rare earth metals.
• Despite its resource wealth, Russia suffers from severe economic inefficiency and a disproportionate reliance on the export of hydrocarbons. This 'brown economy' model is described as unsustainable and a barrier to structural economic reform.
• Russia's energy efficiency is significantly lower than that of advanced economies, with energy intensity estimated to be two to four times higher. The potential for energy efficiency improvements is evaluated at approximately 40–45% across various sectors.
• While Russia has adopted numerous policy documents—including the 'Energy Strategy of Russia to 2030' and the 'Plan of Action of State Policy in the Area of the Environmental Development of the Russian Federation to 2030'—actual achievements remain limited and theory often outweighs practice.
• The Russian government continues to provide substantial subsidies to the mineral resource industries, which contradicts sustainable development goals. In 2010, oil and gas sector subsidies were estimated at $14.4 billion.
• Russia lags behind global trends in the development of alternative and renewable energy. Despite having significant potential in wind and geothermal energy, these resources are underutilised, and many small hydroelectric stations have been abandoned.

APA

Panova, V. (2014). The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Russia. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-192.pdf

Chicago

Panova, Victoria. The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Russia. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2014. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-192.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Panova |first1=Victoria |title=The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Russia |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=June 2014 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-192.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{panova2014green, author = {Panova, Victoria}, title = {{The Green Economy in the G-20, Post-Mexico: Implications for Russia}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2014}, month = jun, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Occasional-Paper-192.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }