For Russia, green issues pose a two-pronged challenge: both ecological and political/economic. The participants of the fifth session of the 17th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, which took place on October 22, 2020, discussed the circumstances that Russia is facing, as well as the opportunities that environmental politics creates for it, both domestically and internationally.
Climate change, which has been actively discussed in past years, was temporarily side-lined by the pandemic. However, it was only a short respite. At the new stage, environmental and climate-related issues will not only come back to the fore, they will become among those that determine, to a large extent, the international politics and actions of individual states. They will play an important role in the process of overcoming the global recession. Environmental factors are already being cited to justify protectionism. Another acute issue is the condition of the environment, and the consequences of failing to value sustainability. For Russia, green issues pose a two-pronged challenge: both ecological (the consequences of climate change, especially for its northern regions) and political/economic (the risk of protectionist measures). At the same time, Russia, thanks to its natural potential and expertise, is capable of making a significant contribution to solving global environmental problems.
The 17th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club will be held in Moscow from 20 to 22 October 2020. This year's theme is “The Lessons of the Pandemic and the New Agenda: How to Turn the World Crisis Into an Opportunity for the World.” For the first time in the history of the Club, the entire programme of the Annual Valdai meeting will be open to the media and the general public.