Putin and the planet
Russia is the world\u2019s fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gasses. Any talk of changing that needs to focus on President Vladimir Putin. Under his leadership, Russia has become a fossil fuel powerhouse. Since he took office in 2000, Russian oil production has risen by 70%. Today, the state is dependent on its revenues. Four in every ten dollars Moscow spends comes from fossil fuels. So the idea that Russia needs to shift away from fossil fuels to prevent the worst effects of climate change strikes at the very heart of Mr Putin\u2019s power.
But Russia is already suffering more than most from the effects of climate change. Arctic temperatures are rising faster than the global average, forests the size of countries are going up in smoke. Two thirds of the country\u2019s permafrost - permanently frozen ground - has roads, homes, schools, oil and pipelines and even nuclear reactors are built on it. And the permafrost is starting to melt. \nPutin\u2019s latest national security document for the first time mentions climate change as a risk. But can he do what is necessary to prevent things from getting worse?
Contributors -\nAngelina Davydova - Environmental Journalist \nChris Miller - Director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute\u2019s Eurasia Program\nVladimir Chuprov - Director of the Energy Program, Greenpeace Russia\n \nPresenters: Neal Razzell and Kate Lamble\nReporter - Olga Dobrovidova \nProducer: Jordan Dunbar