bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Bloomberg

Russia plans to pay more attention to the impact climate change is having on its vast permafrost area.
Thawing of once permanently frozen ground covering more than half of Russia is putting buildings, pipelines and other infrastructure at risk of damage.
With the Arctic warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, that is a big problem. The economic loss is 50 billion to 150 billion roubles (US$2.3 billion) a year, said Alexander Krutikov, deputy minister for the Far East and Arctic development.
“This problem needs to be addressed, because the amount of damage will grow every year,” Krutikov said in an interview. “The scale is very serious. The pipes explode, the piles collapse.”




Krutikov’s comments are another sign that Russia, the world’s fourth-biggest emitter, is taking the effects of climate change more seriously
For most of his time in power, President Vladimir Putin has challenged the widely held assertion that global warming is due almost exclusively to human activity.
Still, he finally decided to ratify the 2015 Paris climate accord this year and said Russia must do whatever it can to mitigate the impact of global warming.
Why China-Russia relations are warming up in the Arctic
Rising temperatures are a particular worry for mining, oil and gas companies. The permafrost area accounts for 15 per cent of Russia’s oil and 80 per cent of its gas operations. It is also home to miners, including MMC Norilsk Nickel PJSC, the biggest refined nickel and palladium producer.




Russia has long built structures on piles to improve stability in the permafrost. But as the ground warms it becomes softer, and there are signs problems are increasing.
“Buildings lost stability as the permafrost warmed,” Nornickel said. That prompted the Arctic city to build the first new homes in decades, with fewer floors and weighing less than traditional properties.
Multiple new craters have also been found in the gas-rich Yamal region, which is a risk to pipelines, and some houses have had to be pulled down in Norilsk, the industrial town where Nornickel operates.
Russia ready to deploy missiles in Arctic
The issue may get much worse. By 2050, warming may affect about a fifth of structures and infrastructure across the permafrost area, costing some US$84 billion, according to research published in February by scientists, including Dmitry Streletskiy, a professor at George Washington University.
That would be equal to about 7.5 per cent of Russia’s gross domestic product. More than half of residential real estate, worth about US$53 billion, might be also damaged.




Companies are already planning ahead. Gas producer Novatek PJSC is designing new infrastructure to cope with warming in the next several decades, billionaire owner Leonid Mikhelson said this month.
As well as driving piles deeper, it’s using technology to help keep the ground frozen, and is also looking at keeping liquefied natural gas lines away from the permafrost via gravity-based platforms typically used in offshore production.
The city of Norilsk has put about a quarter of homes on special watch over their foundation stability, according to the Taymirskiy Telegraph. Diamond miner Alrosa PJSC is carefully monitoring ground temperatures and has a special department to supervise the permafrost, a spokeswoman said.
“Studying the permafrost is one of the most unfairly forgotten tasks and priorities of the state,” Krutikov said. “As the ministry responsible for the development of the Arctic, we cannot ignore this topic, because it directly affects economic development.”


Finland moves Eagle S tanker closer to land as probe intensifies

Slovakia threatens Ukraine with power cuts if Russian gas flows stop as tensions deepen

Survivors recall moment of Azerbaijani jet crash: ‘I thought the plane was going to fall apart’

Azerbaijani and US officials suggest plane that crashed may have been hit by weapons fire

Russia

Melting Russian permafrost could cost economy US$2.3 billion a year

The permafrost area in Russia’s Far East accounts for 15 per cent of the country’s oil. Photo: AP

Gas demand growth in China slows as economy hits consumption

In its steady push to clear smoke-blanketed skies, China is forcing homes and industrial plants to cut use of in favour of cleaner energy, such as renewables and natural gas. Photo: Simon Song

China planning 226GW of new coal-fired power projects, environmental groups say

Coal-fired power projects approved by China amount to nearly 40 per cent of the world’s total, researchers say. Photo: Xinhua

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows Pinggang coal mine from the state-owned Longmay Group on the outskirts of Jixi, in Heilongjiang province, China October 24, 2015. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo

Climate change: will young shoppers stop buying luxury goods to help save the planet?

Would buying Gucci footwear make you feel ashamed? The fashion industry is now under scrutiny for the harm it is doing to the environment. Photo: Shutterstock

Postmag June 9, 2019 Beauty buzz Fenty Beauty

Chairman and Chief Executive of LVMH Bernard Arnault delivers a speech during the presentation of the group's environmental "Life" program (LVMH Initiatives For the Environment) on September 25, 2019 at LVMH headquarters in Paris. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT / AFP)

Chairman and Chief Executive of LVMH Bernard Arnault and Louis Vuitton Executive vice president Delphine Arnault pose following the presentation of the group's environmental "Life" program (LVMH Initiatives For the Environment) on September 25, 2019 at LVMH headquarters in Paris. (Photo by ERIC PIERMONT / AFP)

China’s former ambassador to India joins team dedicated to fight against climate change

Luo Zhaohui previously served as China’s ambassador to India. Photo: Handout

News

World

Russia & Central Asia


Thawing of once permanently frozen ground covering more than half of the country is putting buildings and pipelines at risk of damage
The permafrost area, which is under threat from climate change, accounts for 80 per cent of Russia’s gas operations



Thawing of once permanently frozen ground covering more than half of the country is putting buildings and pipelines at risk of damage.


Climate change

Environment

Energy

Melting Russian permafrost could cost economy US$2.3 billion a year

Thawing of once permanently frozen ground covering more than half of the country is putting buildings and pipelines at risk of damage The permafrost area, which is under threat from climate change, accounts for 80 per cent of Russia’s gas operations

Thawing of once permanently frozen ground covering more than half of the country is putting buildings and pipelines at risk of damage

The permafrost area, which is under threat from climate change, accounts for 80 per cent of Russia’s gas operations