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The degradation of environmental protection in Russia and its global consequences

RUSSIAN ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

Author: Zakhar Marzhanov

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CONTENTS OF THE REVIEW

 

I. Introduction 
II. Assessment of changes in legislation
 1. Approach to assessing changes
 2. Quantitative assessments of the speed of amendments
 3. Quantitative assessments of substantive changes
III. The Negative changes
 1. Content of negative changes
 2. Support for waste incineration

 3. Use of certain waste classes in mining operations

 4. Public access to information on the state of the environment

 5. Changes regarding the conduct of environmental expertise

 6. Authors and initiators of the changes
IV. Content of positive changes
V. Conclusions
 1
. Two groups of radical changes 

 2. Other negative changes

 3. Positive changes

 

The analytical review highlights profound changes in Russia’s environmental legislation during 2022–2023, a period marked by the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The amendments to environmental laws have weakened protections and prioritized economic activities, often at the expense of environmental sustainability.

Key Changes and Impacts:

  1. Erosion of Environmental Expertise: The timeline for state environmental assessments has been significantly reduced, with some assessments being bypassed entirely. This undermines the thorough evaluation of industrial projects and their ecological impact, posing severe risks to natural ecosystems;

  2. Support for Waste Incineration: New amendments classify waste incineration as recycling, incentivizing this method despite its harmful environmental consequences, including greenhouse gas emissions and the generation of toxic ash;

  3. Restrictions on Public Access to Environmental Data: The transfer of authority over environmental information access to federal agencies risks limiting public oversight and accountability;

  4. Encroachment on Forest Lands: Amendments to the Forest Code now allow for clear-cutting in protective forests and the construction of tourism and industrial facilities on forest lands, threatening biodiversity and forest ecosystems;

  5. Reduced Oversight on Mining and Waste Disposal: Legislative changes permit the use of low-class waste in mining operations, a practice fraught with the risk of severe pollution due to the misclassification of hazardous materials.

 

Limited Positive Changes: While some amendments encourage the use of secondary raw materials and mandate permafrost monitoring, these measures are minimal compared to the broader weakening of environmental protections. The positive changes neither impose significant obligations on businesses nor grant additional rights to residents, limiting their effectiveness.

Broader Implications: The review notes that more than 50% of amendments delegate decision-making to executive authorities, fostering instability and reducing the predictability of environmental governance. Moreover, the legislative trend during the wartime period has seen an increase in the number of environmentally detrimental amendments, leading to the rapid degradation of Russia’s natural heritage.

Conclusion: The report underscores a troubling shift in priorities, with environmental stewardship increasingly sidelined in favor of economic and industrial objectives. This trajectory poses substantial risks to Russia’s biodiversity and global ecological balance, necessitating urgent attention from both domestic and international stakeholders.

The Green Think Tank is a community of experts dedicated to analyzing the current situation in Russia and designing green reforms for the future. We are convinced that environmental transformation is an economic and political imperative for a more resilient future for Russia and beyond.

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