In Russia, Pollution Is Good for Business
Listening to: BBC Radio 1-derland
From the NY
Times:
The Kyoto treaty, negotiated in 1997 and adopted by 36 industrial nations, established
a mechanism aimed at finding the cheapest way to curb emissions of gases that contribute
to global warming. The idea was that countries that produced more than their treaty-imposed
limits could reach their goals by buying rights from producers in other countries
where controlling output is easier and less expensive.It is not clear how successful that approach will turn out to be. But because
Russia’s companies operate such outdated and inefficient equipment, they can easily
and cheaply upgrade. As a result, the Kyoto process has already emerged as a potential
source of earnings for the country’s big energy and manufacturing companies, according
to company executives and analysts. They have hired consultants, inventoried pollution
sources to earn credits, and opened carbon-trading divisions.
