(Reuters) --- President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he wanted Russia's total net greenhouse gas emissions to be less than the European Union's over the next 30 years, agoal he described as tough but doable.
The leader of the vast hydrocarbon-rich nation that is the world's fourth largest greenhouse gas emitter is set to deliver a speech at an online climate change summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday.
"Over the next 30 years, accumulated net greenhouse gas emissions in Russia must be lower than in the European Union," Putin told top officials and lawmakers at his annual state-of-the-nation speech.
"This is a difficult task, given the size of our country, its geography, climate and economic structure. However, I am absolutely certain that this goal, given our scientific and technological potential, is achievable."
The European Union, a trade bloc of 27 nations, has committed to cutting emissions by more than most major emitters.
Russia's economy is heavily reliant on exports of oil, gas and mineral resources, and the push to combat climate change poses serious challenges for the Kremlin.
Putin has said Russia is warming at 2.5 times the world average and that it would be a disaster if the permafrost melts in its northern cities.
The Russian leader, who has questioned whether human activity is the sole driver of warming climate cycles, has cast himself as a defender of the environment.
Russia joined the 2015 Paris Agreement to fight climate change in September 2019. Putin ordered the government last November to work towards an emissions cut by 2030 of up to 30% below emission levels in 1990.
