Moscow, December 14 (Interfax) - Russia is ready to put forward new objectives to improve the global environmental situation, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said.
"Russia is already a world leader in the scale of reducing emissions. Our role in improving the global environmental situation is also related to our forests. The international community should take our contribution into account. However, we are also ready to put forward a new objective," Medvedev stated on his online video blog posted Dec. 14 morning.
The objective would be "to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 25% by 2020 (which is a very significant figure) on 1990 levels as the benchmark level," Medvedev said.
"Thus during the period between 1990 and 2020 Russia would secure the combined reduction of greenhouse gases by over 30 billion tonnes," he said.
He said Russia will succeed in reaching this through "raising the energy and environmental efficiency of the economy, that is the modernization which we have planned – given the consistent introduction of energy-saving technologies and promoting reusable sources of energy."
Medvedev disclosed plans to raise the level of energy effectiveness of the Russian economy 40% by 2020, adding that it was one of the first decrees that he had signed as president.
He also pointed out the gradual reliance Russia is having on reusable sources of energy, using the share of nuclear power that will be raised 25% by 2030, as an example.
