Today, Russia s residents use the ecological resources of 0.6 Russias.

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1 Russia Footprint Report 2014 Ecological Footprint Facts Russia is unique in having both a relatively large population and increasing biocapacity reserves. This is due to decreasing population and declining total demand for renewable resources, although per person resource use has grown since No other nation its size enjoys this positive situation. But even with this growing reserve, Russia s resource use is still above the limits of the world average available biocapacity of 1.8 global hectares (gha) per person. If everyone on the planet lived the average lifestyle of Russian residents, humanity would need 2.5 Earths to sustain our demand. Considering world trends, it is in Russia s own self-interest to minimize the loss of its biocapacity reserve. Attention and management is required if Russia hopes to preserve its natural wealth. The increasing resource demands of its own population, and that of other nations, will in time pressure Russia to start liquidating its natural capital. Many countries, including Russia, are already selling off their natural assets for quick economic gain. Even more have become highly dependent on fossil fuel as a convenient energy source for consumers, and as an easy income generator for those who extract the fuels. Russia still has plenty of fossil fuel reserves. But worldwide, the lack of sequestration capacities for the emitted CO2 presents a greater constraint than the availability of these reserves. This creates dilemmas, and adds uncertainty to both consumers and providers. And it could radically change the value of fossil fuel-dependent investments. If managed well, Russia s favorable resource situation offers strong opportunities; if not, Russia will be caught in the same resource crisis as many other countries face. Ecological Footprint Facts Today, Russia s residents use the ecological resources of 0.6 Russias. From 1992 to 2009 (the latest year data was available), Russia s per person Ecological Footprint declined by 30 percent, from 5.7 to 4.0 gha, mostly due to a decline in demand for fossil fuel and hence a decreased carbon Footprint. The drop in carbon Footprint was predominantly the result of economic decline and partial de-industrialization following the dissolution of the USSR.

2 The largest component of Russia s overall Footprint is carbon (60 per cent), followed by cropland (21 per cent) and forest products (10 per cent). Biocapacity Facts Russia has 941 million gha of biocapacity compared with an Ecological Footprint of 653 million gha, giving it a biocapacity reserve of about 290 million gha (as of 2009). Between 1992 and 2009, Russia s per person biocapacity reserve expanded from 0.9 to 2.6 gha, due in large part to a decline in per person consumption. Russia is endowed with the world s second-largest biocapacity reserve. Only Brazil has a total biocapacity reserve larger than Russia s. Russia s per person biocapacity, however, is growing, while Brazil s has been in a steep decline. Most of Russia s biocapacity wealth is forest: It stretches over more than 795 million hectares (ha), comprising almost 21 per cent of the world s forest cover. Russia s per person biocapacity has remained a stable 6.6 gha from 1992 to 2009.

3 Global hecrates per capita Russian Federation Footprint and Biocapacity Time Series Deficit Reserve Min Biocapacity Ecological Footprint Russian Federation USSR Federal Subjects Facts A total of 26 Russian Federal Subjects were found to have a greater per person biocapacity value than the national average biocapacity of 5.5 gha per person; seven of those are categorized as extremely high biocapacity states, with seven to almost 96 times the national average of terrestrial biocapacity. All 34 of the low-ranked biocapacity Federal Subjects reported biocapacity deficits.

4 Only three Federal Subjects had an Ecological Footprint at or below the global per capita biocapacity (Altai Republic, 1.8 gha; Tuva Republic, 1.7 gha; and Republic of Kalmykia, 1.6 gha). Only 17 of Russia s Federal Subjects reported an Ecological Footprint size smaller than or as small as the world average Footprint of 2.7 gha per person.

5 Top Ten Contributors to Russia's Ecological Footprint 100%

6 Many of Russia s Federal Subjects have both a high (or very high) Human Development Index value and high biocapacity. These Federal Subjects can be considered the best positioned, as they already have a high human development and the biocapacity reserve to guarantee its residents access. View the 2014 Russia Footprint Report (Russian) View the 2014 Russia Footprint Press Release (Russian) For More Information: Ronna Kelly Communications Director Global Footprint Network ronna.kelly@footprintnetwork.org phone: