Green Transition To Profoundly Affect Intertwined EU, Russian Economies - Ederer

Ties between Russia and the European Union are largely defined by trade in fossil fuel and will be reshaped by a future shift toward green energy, the top EU diplomat in Moscow said Tuesday, as he called on the two to support each other on the path toward decarbonization

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st December, 2020) Ties between Russia and the European Union are largely defined by trade in fossil fuel and will be reshaped by a future shift toward green energy, the top EU diplomat in Moscow said Tuesday, as he called on the two to support each other on the path toward decarbonization.

"It is true that 80 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions can be attributed to energy production and energy usage, and, at the same time, the EU and Russia are each other's biggest importer and exporter of energy. These facts alone mean that any action to truly address climate change is bound to profoundly affect our respective economies and therefore also our relations," Markus Ederer said.

The ambassador to Russia spoke at the first ever EU-Russia climate conference, which began on Tuesday. The three-day virtual event is a symbol of importance that the EU attaches to Russia in the fight against climate change and presents an opportunity to identify potential joint activities, he said.

Ederer said Moscow and Brussels were at the crossroads of their relations and needed to talk to build trust and overcome their fear of changing well-established methods of production and the structures of their economies. "We need to support each other in reaping the benefits of decarbonized economy," the diplomat added.