Category: 2018

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New book  “Climate Change Discourse in Russia: Past and Present” published

A new book titled “Climate Change Discourse in Russia: Past and Present” was published by Routledge this August. The volume is edited by Marianna Poberezhskaya and Teresa Ashe and consists of 7 chapters written by different authors, all of whom address the issue of climate change and how it has been treated in Russia, starting from discussion in the Soviet Union. Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen contributed to the book a chapter “The Environment of an Energy Giant: Climate discourse framed by ‘hydrocarbon culture’”.

More information on the book can be found on the publisher’s website.

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Estonian “Sputnik” on Baltic Connector

Estonian version of news agency “Sputnik” published a new article “Эстония строит заведомо убыточный газопровод” (Estonia is constructing a knowingly unprofitable gas pipeline), where Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen is cited. While discussing the Baltic Conector project, Professor Tynkkynen could turn beneficial for Finland when debating the prices with Gazprom in the future.

Read the full article online here.

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AI in-house seminar

On 14th of August a seminar “Chin­a’s great power cli­mate re­spons­ib­il­ity”  was held in Aleksanteri Institute, as a part of a new seminar series “New perspectives on Russia”. This presentation gave an introduction to Dr. Sanna Kopra’s new book China and Great Power Responsibility for Climate Change by Routledge, published in August 2018.

Based on a premise that great powers have unique responsibilities in international society, the book explores the way China’s rise to great power status transforms the notions of great power responsibility in general and in the context of international climate politics in particular. The book produces empirical knowledge on the Chinese party–state’s conceptions of state responsibility and the influence of those notions on China’s role in international climate politics. Regarding theory, the book builds on and contributes to the English School of International Relations and argues that the international norm of climate responsibility is an emerging attribute of great power responsibility. The book also discusses the way China will act out its climate responsibility in the future and ponders broader implications of China’s evolving notions of great power responsibility for climate change. Thus, it seeks to shed new light on the transformations China’s rise will yield and the kind of great power China will prove to be.

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Book launch of “China and Great Power Responsibility for Climate Change”

Yesterday a book launch of the Postdoctoral researcher Sanna Kopra’s new book took place at Tiedekulma. The event consisted of the book presentation and a panel discussion, moderated by Research fellow Emma Hakala (Finnish Institute of International Affairs). During the first part, Sanna Kopra presented the book and talked about the main themes it covers, namely how China sees its role in climate leadership.

Then at the panel Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen and Postdoctoral researcher Anna Kronlund  (John Morton -centre, Turku university) discussed the questions of how China, the United States and Russia define the responsibility of the great powers in international climate policy and to what extent are they willing to bear this responsibility now and in the future. Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen presented Russian views on climate change and Anna Kronlund spoke on the USA’s behalf.

After the presentations there was a question and answer session. The audience, which consisted of large number of people, was very engaged and asked good questions. The discussion was vivid and worthwhile.

The book launch was a complete success. It is always pleasant when listeners come to academic events, but is especially valuable when they attend discussions of such topical issues as climate change.

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The GlobalArctic Handbook

“The GlobalArctic Handbook” edited by Matthias Finger and Lassi Heininen was published in July by Springer. Postdoctoral researcher Sanna Kopra wrote a chapter for the volume, titled “Climate Change and China’s Rise to Great Power Status: Implications for the Global Arctic”.

China’s rising great power status will shape the contemporary international order and generate transformation in international practices including in Arctic governance. This chapter investigates China’s emerging great power status and its implications for the Global Arctic, focusing in particular on China’s climate policies. The chapter asks whether and to what extent China’s Arctic engagement is motivated by climate change mitigation.

The book can be ordered here.

 

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Season of forest fires in Russia and black carbon emissions

Seura published an article about Russian environment- “Venäjän metsäpaloissa pääsee ilmaan mustaa hiiltä, joka nopeuttaa ilmastonmuutosta – ”Palokaudesta tulee hyvin vaarallinen”” (In Russian forest fires black carbon is released into the air, which speeds up climate change – “Fire season becomes very dangerous”).

The fire season starts already in February and lasts for months. In addition to the forest, peat bogs dry.

In the fire, carbon dioxide and black carbon are released into the air, which is the third largest source of climate change after carbon dioxide and methane. Black carbon is thought to cause up to a quarter of global warming in the Arctic.

Climate change has accelerated further still due to black carbon. In Russia, the Siberian permafrost melts, and dozens of large craters have been created in the tundra, which are likely to cause methane explosions underground.

The article contains a commentary on the issue by Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, read it here.

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Professor Tynkkynen on Helsinki summit

“The Helsinki meeting was a clear victory for the Russian President Vladimir Putin also in the field of energy policy” – Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen estimates, tells the new Yle article “Judoka-Putin heitti Trumpin tatamiin myös energiapolitiikassa – Tutkija: Ehdotus “kaasukartellista” taitava syöttö Venäjän päämieheltä” (Judoist Putin threw Trump on tatami also in energy politics – Researcher: “Gas cartel” formation proposal  was a skillful feed from the leader).

When Trump says that we are (in regards to gas) only competitors, and it is not about energy security, then Russia proposes to conjoin and create a monopoly structure that could jointly manage the market. A clever bet from Russia, of course.

Read the full article here.

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Helsinki summit results

Talouselämä newspaper published an interview with Professor Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen titled “Näin Putin tekee kaasulla täsmäiskuja hajanaiseen Eurooppaan – Professori: Venäjää ei pysty suitsimaan energian avulla” (This is how Putin makes precision strikes in fragmented Europe – Professor: Russia can not be reined with energy). Read the full article on the Magazine’s website.

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China and Great Power Responsibility for Climate Change

Read a new post on Aleksanteri Institute website about Sanna Kopra’s new book China and Great Power Responsibility for Climate Change, published this July.

Based on the premise that great powers have unique responsibilities, this book explores how China’s rise to great power status transforms notions of great power responsibility in general and international climate politics in particular. The author looks empirically at the Chinese party-state’s conceptions of state responsibility, discusses the influence of those notions on China’s role in international climate politics, and considers both how China will act out its climate responsibility in the future and the broader implications of these actions. Alongside the argument that the international norm of climate responsibility is an emerging attribute of great power responsibility, Kopra develops a normative framework of great power responsibility to shed new light on the transformations China’s rise will yield and the kind of great power China will prove to be.

The book presentation will take place on 7th of August at Tiedekulma at the panel discussion ”Suurvaltojen ilmastovastuullisuus”, where Sanna Kopra, Anna Kronlund (John Morton -centre, Turku university) and Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen will participate. The panel will be moderated by Emma Hakala (Finnish Institute of International Affairs). The event has free admission, but please fill in the registration form in advance.