ROSATOM and Sakhalin Implement Projects of Carbon Footprint Reporting Verification
The State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM has fulfilled the first contracts for verification of declarations on greenhouse gas emission (GG). The respective evaluation and analysis have now been performed as ordered by several enterprises located in the Sakhalin Region. The verified data will become an important element at the core of the greenhouse gas emission management system of the region, implementation of future climatic projects in the region, and research works in the field of the climatic agenda.
“The Sakhalin Region is a pilot region, where the laws on application of the mechanisms aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are implemented. Our region will serve as an example for testing various measures for carbon footprint regulation and for evaluating their efficiency for subsequent scaling-up on the country level”, said Vyacheslav Alenkov, Deputy Chairperson of the Sakhalin Region Government.
“The activity of the Validation and Verification Center is a part of the large-scale comprehensive work performed by the State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM in the sphere of ecology and sustainable development. We plan not only to perform legal verification of documents, but also consult, train personnel, share the significant experience of the State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM in implementation of ecological projects with our partners in Sakhalin and in other regions actively,” said Kseniya Sukhotina, General Director of Rusatom Smart Utilities.
In 2021, within the framework of implementation of Paris Agreement, Federal Law No. 296 “On limitation of greenhouse gas emissions” entered into force in Russia for regulated entities, which obliges to maintain respective reporting and forms the carbon units terminology: climatic project, carbon unit, carbon units registry, greenhouse gas cadastre, etc. According to the document, the greenhouse emitters pertain to regulated ones, if the following conditions are met: mass of greenhouse gas emission exceeds 150 thousand tons of СО2-equivalent per year. As from January 1, 2025 the limit will lower down to 50 thousand tons and less; this means that smaller production entities will qualify for the regulation as well.
Currently, an experiment is carried out in the Sakhalin Region; according to Federal Law No. 34 dated March 6, 2022, the limit for reporting entities is even lower in 2023: 20 thousand tons of emission of СО2-equivalent per year.
In the future, measures for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions will be established; in case of implementation of climatic projects, companies will have a possibility to sell carbon units or get economic advantages. An important requirement of the law is performance of verification of carbon reporting, carbon footprint and results of climatic projects.
Verification is check of the greenhouse gases declaration for correctness of information and compliance with the standards of the GG program. It is performed by the government-accredited authority. Such an authority was established in ROSATOM based on Rusatom Smart Utilities.
The work on the first contracts was held for the companies of the energy industry, oil and gas sector, and coal industry. At least 6 projects are to be performed before the end of June.
For reference:
Rusatom Smart Utilities has become entitled to perform validation and verification of greenhouse gas emissions in Russia. The respective authority established in Rusatom Smart Utilities was accredited by the National Institute for Accreditation, RusAccreditation in September 2022.
Currently, Rusatom Smart Utilities is entitled to perform audit, assess and issue opinions on validation and verification of greenhouse gases for the enterprises operating in 13 spheres, including: production, transmission and distribution of electricity by all types of plants, steam and hot water; extraction of oil, oil-associated gas and gas, production of petroleum derivatives; extraction and enrichment of coal, extraction and enrichment of brown coal; production of chrome, manganese, nickel; disposal of materials sorted out.
Based on these opinions, the entities will arrange their carbon footprint reduction work, and this will not only improve the environmental situation in cities, but will also help the entities save on ecological payments and implement climatic projects.