Programmes of the republic of Belarus on climate change adaptation: Goals and results

Abstract

Having joined to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol the Republic of Belarus has developed its own programs of Climate Change Adaptation. The first one, that is, “National program of measures to mitigate the effects of climate change”, was adopted for the period of 2008–2012 years. As a result some environmental laws were adopted, different environmental projects were realized. During this period the Republic of Belarus fulfilled its obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, that is, GHG emission was reduced by a third with the increase in GDP by a factor of 2 as compared to 1990. At the same time in the process of discussion on prolongation of the Kyoto Protocol the Republic of Belarus together with Russia refused to take part in the second commitment period. A new “State program of measures to mitigate the effects of climate change (2013–2020)”adopted in 2013 is also analyzed in this article. The goals of this program are the fulfillment of international obligations of the Republic of Belarus on the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol, the implementation of measures aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change for ensuring the sustainable development of the economy, reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in order to decrease the rate and magnitude of climate change. As a result GHG emission should be decreased by 8 % to the level of 1990, energy intensity of GDP should be decreased by 50 % in 2015 and by 60 % in 2020 to the level of 2005.