News
Publish date: November 25, 2005
News
The amendments passed through the first reading of the 450-seat Duma, the lower chamber of the Russian parliament, by a vote of 370-18, with 48 abstentions on November 23rd.
The law, if it is voted into force, would require that several hundred thousand Russian NGOs re-register under a new and stricter regime. Moreover, the representative offices of international NGOs, foundations, groups providing social services and others, would have to re-register as purely Russian legal entities with headquarters in Russia, or face liquidation. The law would impose restrictions on their ability to receive foreign donations or hire foreigners in their offices. Only citizens of the Russian federation or non-citizens with a permanent Russian residence permit would be allowed to represent the these organisations. The authorities that would implement the registration processes under the new law would be authorized to make decisions under such unclear criteria as extremist activities or (providing) help to legalise illegal assets. The Russian authorities will also be given wide powers to make inspections of the organisations under unclear pretexts.
Recent attacks on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant "mark the beginning of a new and gravely dangerous front of the war," the UN atomic agency's director general said last week.
After years of inaction, Germany is working on its Carbon Management Strategy to resolve how CCS can play a role in climate action in industry. At the end of February, the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action published first key points and a proposal to amend the law Kohlenstoffdioxid Speicherungsgesetz (KSpG). Bellona Deutschland, who was actively involved in the previous stakeholder dialogue submitted a statement in the association hearing.
In the midst of a global discussion on whether natural gas should be used as a transitional fuel and whether emissions from its extraction, production, transport and use are significantly less than those from other fossil fuels, Russia has developed ambitious plans to increase its own production of liquified natural gas (LNG) in the Arctic – a region with 75% of proven gas reserves in Russia – to raise its share in the international gas trade.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our main focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution risks and climate change.