Russia’s climate policies targeting the transport sector are badly lacking, with no plans to phase out the sale of light or heavy duty fossil fuel vehicles, while support for, and sales of electric vehicles (EVs) remain vanishingly low. Achieving even its recently set unambitious target of a 5% EV share of total car sales by 2025 appears unlikely. Moscow has targeted the installation of 200 charging stations a year, aiming to reach 600 by 2023.19 There were just 1000 charging stations across the whole of Russia in 2021. An already extensive rail network is targeted for an increase of 16,000km between 2008 and 2030, with a 33% increase in rail passengers over the same period.13 However, no sector-wide emissions or energy use targets are currently in place.
Transport emissions in Russia increased steeply over a decade from their 1997 low. They remained relatively flat after the 2008 economic slowdown, but have been increasing again in recent years.6 This trend will need to reverse dramatically if emissions from this sector are to align with 1.5°C compatible pathways. A fall in direct CO₂ emissions by at least half below 2019 levels of 256 MtCO₂ will need to occur by 2030, led by a steep increase in electrification to between a quarter and a third of total transport final energy demand from its current level of 7%. This will not be possible under the current transport targets for EVs and rail passenger expansion. Full decarbonisation of the sector by around 2050 would be needed to align with 1.5°C pathways.