COP26 has revealed that in many regions of the world demand for coal will reduce. This is a dual challenge for Russia and its coal sector.

Having signed the Paris Agreement in September 2019, the Russian government must take action to develop new strategies for coal and other fossil fuels. However, the government must also ensure a just transition, considering the country’s fossil fuel-producing regions and the wide-reaching consequences of changes to coal production and export.

This programme improves understanding of energy transitions in Russia. In its current phase, it will:

• Look at regional economic diversification in Russia’s main coal region, Kuzbass
• Assess the future of coal in the power and heat sector
• Analyse how to soften the social costs of coal transitions in Russia
• Explore the prospects for oil and gas transitions in Russia.

This project also aims to strengthen ties between Russian and international researchers. The links between Russia and Europe have been weak in recent years, with limited collaboration, political tensions and delays on climate action. Despite this, the project aims to seize the opportunities for dialogue to develop a domestic and international network working on low-carbon transitions in Russia.

The project aims to enable knowledge exchange between Europe and Russia, and to support stakeholders at multiple levels in industry, government and the general public by providing a comprehensive analysis of the Russian coal sector and explore transition pathways for oil and gas.

It also aims to create a lasting network, both domestic and international, that will take forward research into low-carbon development and just transitions in Russia.

The objectives are:

1. Regional diversification: Kuzbass in-depth case study to provide an overview of economic diversification options in the region.
2. Assess the future of coal in the power and heat sector to investigate the life-span and long-term viability of the Russian coal fleet, as well as the impact this has on long-term power and heat supply and the viability and affordability of alternatives.
3. Analysis on how to soften the social cost of coal transitions in Russia to propose what strategic social interventions are most suited for a coal transition in Russia.
4. Produce pilot study on prospects for oil and gas transitions in Russia.

These are publications from the previous project phase. We will update this page as new research becomes available in 2022.

Reports and Policy Briefs

• Final report: The Russian coal sector in a low-carbon world: Prospects for a Coal Transition?
• Policy Brief: Green development of Russian coal-intensive regions: opportunities and innovations
• Policy Brief: Economic diversification in Russia’s Kuzbass coal region
• Policy Brief: Visions for the future of the Russian coal industry in light of the global decarbonisation trend

Media and Publications

• BBC Future: Will Russia ever leave fossil fuels behind?
• Own coal goal: phasing out the fossil fuel in Russia. An interview with Anna Korppoo 
• Blog post: The days of coal are numbered. It’s time for Russia to get ready for the energy transition

Events

• Watch a recording of our webinar on advancing the coal transition in Russia

The research lead is Anna Korppoo, Research Professor at the Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Oslo. Our Russian partners are:

• Maxim Titov and Nikita Lomagin, Energy Policy Research Center at the European University St. Petersburg;
• George Safanov, Higher School of Economics, Moscow; and
• Tatiana Lanshina, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Moscow.