Greenhouse-Gas Credits: Russia Could Clean Up
Re “An Ambitious Russia Won’t Trade Growth for Green,” Commentary, May 24: The Kyoto Protocol’s greenhouse-gas trading market offers an unparalleled opportunity for Russia to achieve President Vladimir Putin’s economic-efficiency goals by attracting investment that can drive growth up and drive pollution down. The U.S. sulfur dioxide trading market blazed this trail, showing utilities how to reduce acid rain pollution dramatically while maintaining robust growth.
Putin’s decision to bring Russia into both the World Trade Organization and the Kyoto Protocol together is eminently sensible. Kyoto participation will entail some modest costs to create robust and transparent domestic infrastructure, but the economic, social and environmental returns, for Russia and the world, will be handsome.
Alexander Golub
Economist
Environmental Defense
Washington
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