Policymaking and Policy Framing: Russian Environmental Politics under Putin

Abstract

This article examines Russian environmental politics under Putin. It explores the extent to which Putin participates in the environmental policymaking process, concentrating on his role in agenda-setting and policy development. It also investigates the way that environmental issues are framed, and their function within the political system. The findings indicate that Putin plays a key role in shaping the policy agenda but is not involved in the day-to-day policymaking. In contemporary Russia, the environment has become a tool, and on occasions, a weapon, used by Putin to serve a broader agenda. The environment represents a source of regime stability and legitimacy, important for projecting state power to a domestic and international audience, managing demands from the population, and as a way of controlling civil society. Questions remain, however, as to how sustainable this approach to environmental issues is in the longer term.