Environmental Risks to Sino-Russian Transboundary Cooperation Download
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Cover Russia-China ENGLISH:Layout 1 12/29/11 12:52 PM Page 1 ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS TO SINO - RUSSIAN TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION: from brown plans to a green strategy Edited by Evgeny Shvarts, Eugene Simonov, Lada Progunova WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by: – conserving the world’s biological diversity WWF-Russia – ensuring that the use of renewable natural www.wwf.ru resources is sustainable WWF-Germany – promoting the reduction of pollution www.wwf.de and wasteful consumption. WWF-South Africa www.wwf.org.za Edited by Evgeny Shvarts, Eugene Simonov, Lada Progunova ENVIRONMENTAL RISKS TO SINO- RUSSIAN TRANSBOUNDARY COOPERATION: from brown plans to a green strategy English edition 2011 Environmental risks to Sino-Russian transboundary cooperation: from brown plans to a green strategy. WWF’s Trade and Investment Programme report. Evgeny Simonov, Evgeny Shvarts, Lada Progunova (Eds.). Moscow-Vladivostok: WWF, 2011 Authors (in alphabetical order): Yury Darman, Ph.D. Andrey Dikarev, Ph.D. Vasiliy Dikarev Ivetta Gerasimchuk, Ph.D. Vladimir Karakin, Ph.D. Natalya Lomakina, D.Sc. Alexander Moiseyev Lada Progunova, Ph.D. Nina Pusenkova, Ph.D. Evgeny Shvarts, D.Sc. Evgeny Simonov Svetlana Simonova-Zozulya Denis Smirnov Konstantin Tatsenko, Ph.D. Alexey Vaisman Alexander Voropayev Evgeny Yegidarev Oksana Yengoyan This study aims to identify environmental economic issues of Sino-Russian transboundary cooperation and to initiate a broad discussion with the purpose of finding solutions for the many acute environmental issues associated with economic cooperation between the two countries. It also aims to facilitate the coop- eration between governmental economic agencies and environmentalists with respect to the greening of “brown” regional development plans and the development of “green” strategies in order to guide Russia’s transition to a more sustainable economic system in the post-crisis period – as is occurring already in other rapidly growing economies, including China. The study analyzes development strategies and programs of the border regions; programs of transboundary cooperation between Russia and China; environmental risks associated with individual resource-intensive sectors; as well as approaches to the greening of economies and natural resource management in both countries. It also provides practical recommenda- tions aimed at the governments of Russia and China, as well as at the environmental and business commu- nities in these two countries. This publication is part of a series of reports by WWF’s Trade and Investment Programme. The objective of the series is to identify the factors of the greening of growth in the key emerging economies (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa etc.), including their participation in international trade and investments, and to establish cooperation amongst the respective actors. ISBN 978-5-7640-0044-2 Reviewers (in alphabetical order): Irina Glazyrina — Doctor of Sciences (Economics), Professor, Head of the Ecological Economics Laboratory, Insti- tute of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Cryology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Chita) Alexander Lukin — Doctor of Sciences (History), Professor, Head of the Center for East Asian Studies and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the MFA of Russia Olga Smirnova — PhD (Economics), Assistant Professor, Head of the Strategic Planning and Regional Development Department of the Ministry for Regional Development of the Russian Federation (Moscow) Any full or partial reproduction of this publication requires a reference to WWF. art and design: This report is distributed free of charge. Graphic Lab Studio [email protected] www.graphiclab.ru CONTENT Introduction Editor’s Note to the 2011 English edition (Evgeny Shvarts, Doctor of Sciences (Geography), Conservation Policy Director, WWF Russia) . 6 Preface (Eugene Simonov, Doctor of Nature Conservation (博士), Coordinator of the Rivers Without Boundaries Coalition, Consultant of the WWF Amur River Program) . 7 Introduction (Lada Progunova, PhD (economics), Project manager and editor of the collected volume, WWF Russia) . 12 Executive Summary . 15 List of abbreviations . 23 Chapter 1. Programs on Sustainable Development and Transboundary Cooperation in the Border Areas between Russia and China 1.1. State programmes for the prospective development of “peripheral” regions of Russia and China: imperatives of industrial modernization (N. Lomakina) . 26 1.2. Accountability of environmental factors in regional development strategies, programmes, and plans in Russia and China: a case study of the Russian Far East and Northeast China (A. Dikarev, V. Dikarev) . 30 1.3. The Russian-Chinese Transboundary Cooperation Programme — a Case of “Business as Usual” (O. Yengoyan, E. Simonov) . 40 1.4. Approaches to ensuring environmental safety in shared ecosystems along the eastern section of the Sino-Russian border (Vladimir P. Karakin) . 51 Chapter 2. Environmental Costs of Industrial Cooperation between Russia and China 2.1. The Potential and Risks of Transforming the Russian Mining Industry into a Sustainable Economic Sector of the Russian Far East (based on an analysis of projects presented in the Russian-Chinese 2009—2018 Cooperation Programme) (N. Lomakina) . 58 2.2. Russian-Chinese Cooperation in the Oil and Gas Sector: Prospects and Challenges (Nina Poussenkova) . 66 2.3. Analysis of the prospects of Russian Far East and Northwestern Chinese economic transboundary cooperation within the power industry (Tattsenko, K.V.) . 80 2.4. Transboundary water resources management on the Amur River: competition and cooperation (Vladimir P. Karakin) . 86 2.5. Hydropower and water resource management in the Amur River basin (Eugene Simonov, Coordinator International Coalition "Rivers without Boundaries”) . 95 2.6. Russian-Chinese cooperation in harvesting and processing of fish and seafood (А. R. Moiseev) . 106 2.7. Illegal trade in wild animals and plants between the Russian Far East and Northeast China (Alexey Vaisman) . 120 2.8. Development of tourism — a way towards a more sustainable economy in border regions (Svetlana Simonova-Zozulya) . 126 Chapter 3. Current Approaches to Green Economy in Russia and China 3.1. Approaches to the Formation of Environmentally Sustainable Economies, and Development and Implementation of State Environmental Policies in China and Russia (A. Dikarev) . 140 3.2. System of protected natural territories in the basin of the Amur River as a factor of development of ecosystems management within the border area (Yu. Darman, E. Simonov, E. Egidarev/ . 151 3.3. Forest Certification as Means to Ecologize Forest Products Trade between Russia and China (Voropayev A., Smirnov D.) . 154 3.4. Responsible Finance as an Instrument for Greening Russian-Chinese Cooperation (I. Gerasimchuk, L. Progunova (with a contribution from experts of Eurasia Strategics Limited) . 163 Chapter 4. Recommendations for the greening of Sino-Russian transboundary cooperation (E. Simonov, E. Shvarts, L. Progunova, WWF Russia) . 176 Annexes Annex 1. Agreements on environmental issues and harvesting of natural resources between Russia and China . 186 Annex 2. Maps . 187 5 ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ РИСКИ РОССИЙСКО-КИТАЙСКОГО ТРАНСГРАНИЧНОГО СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВА INTRODUCTION EDITOR’S NOTE TO THE 2011 ENGLISH EDITION China is an economy that maintains stable and rapid growth, while aiming to globalize its investment flows and pro- duction operations. The nature of the economic relations between China and Russia, which is currently changing not in favor of the latter, raises concerns amongst Russian sustainability experts and environmentalists. One of the most concerning trends is the transfer of polluting technologies, which are banned in China, to Russia. It is noted that, until recently, China faced a similar situation in that it received and hosted polluting industrial operations, which were being transferred to China from developed countries. However, concerns about Russia’s cooperation with China often prevent us from seeing the opportunities which exist as regards learning from China’s positive experience in areas such as: changing attitudes towards the envi- ronment at the highest levels of government; attempting to overcome adverse trends in the country’s environmen- tal situation; and developing a national environmental policy aimed at the transition of China’s economy towards a path of sustainable low-carbon development. China is gradually taking the lead in providing energy efficient and renewable energy equipment both to European developed countries and, particularly important, to the African developing countries, which have low purchasing power. It seems that, while talking a lot about the need for the modernization of the Russian economy, we do not pay enough attention to the potential opportunities that exist in technology cooperation with our Southeastern neighbor for purposes of the effective modernization of our economy and the transition to a low-carbon develop- ment scenario. China views the expansion of its presence in the border regions of Russia very seriously. In principle, this process also conforms to the national interests of our country, and is being supported by its government and major state- controlled corporations. However, the planning of Russian-Chinese economic cooperation, particularly in the raw materials