Implementation of the Global Climate Agenda in the Russian Regions: Regional Climate Profile and Climate Risk Concern

The climate agenda is global in scope, however, the long-term consequences of climate change and mitigation strategies vary across regions. This is due to the natural-geographical, socio-economic, and institutional characteristics of territories. In this regard, the development and implementation of climate policy measures require consideration of regional features, which makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of both adaptation and mitigation measures. The article proposes a Climate Profile Index for Russia’s regions that reflects the exposure of the regions of the Russian Federation to climate risks, their contribution to climate change, and their adaptive capacity, as well as a Climate Concern Index that demonstrates the willingness of regional authorities to respond to the climate change. The comparison of the two indices allowed us to assess the relationship between a region’s exposure to climate risks, its contribution to global warming, and the level of attention given by regional authorities to adaptation and mitigation. The results showed that the level of concern about climate change among regional authorities is not associated with the region’s Climate Profile Index. Regardless of its contribution to global climate change and exposure to climate risks, a region may either demonstrate a high level of concern or refrain from taking active measures. Understanding this discrepancy between the level of exposure to climate risks and the extent to which they are taken into account in strategic decision-making at the regional level leads to two important conclusions. First, it indicates the insufficient maturity of climate policy in most regions of the Russian Federation. Second, this circumstance highlights the need for additional efforts to develop the climate agenda at the regional level, which in turn can be considered as one of the indicators of the sustainability of regional development.

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