Laboratory for Climate Change Economics Researchers at the Yasin (April) International Academic Conference

From April 15 to 18, HSE University hosted the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development. Researchers from the Laboratory for Climate Change Economics presented their work at the event.

Igor Makarov, Head of the Laboratory, served as the moderator of the session “Energy Transition and the Green Transformation of the Global Economy.”  Within this session, Elizaveta Smolovik, Junior Research Fellow, presented her paper “Climate Transition Risk Readiness Index.” The study explores how different country groups are exposed to transition risks in the context of the global low-carbon transformation. The main conclusion emphasizes the need for dialogue between exporters and importers of fossil fuels and carbon-intensive products to ensure a just energy transition.

Also presenting in this session was expert Altana Davydova, with a paper titled “The Impact of China’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism on the Russian Economy: A GTAP-Based Analysis.” The study, co-authored with Igor Makarov and Elizaveta Smolovik, concludes that China’s introduction of carbon border measures would have minimal impact on output in Russia’s energy-intensive industries.

Dmitry Skrypnik, Senior Research Fellow at the Laboratory, took part in the session “Macroeconomics and Economic Growth” and delivered a presentation titled “Production Chains in the Russian Economy: Insights from Computable General Equilibrium Models.” Key takeaways from the study include:

• Longer production chains make the industrial sector more developed and resilient to global market fluctuations, while also increasing total output and GDP.
• The study, based on a multisectoral computable general equilibrium model covering 54 sectors, identified numerous potentially efficient production chains in the Russian economy.
• Future economic development should focus on projects that drive technological transformation across multiple industries.
• Sectors with the greatest impact on total output include “Ships, Aircraft, and Spacecraft,” “Basic Chemicals and Plastics,” “Metal Products and Pipes,” and “Refined Petroleum Products.”
• Coordinated technological changes can also generate significant effects in sectors such as “Electronic Components,” “Internal Combustion Engines and Automobiles,” “Textiles and Footwear,” “Electrical Equipment,” “Pulp,” “Household Appliances,” and “Miscellaneous Industrial Goods,” as well as in the “Rubber Products” sector.

Dmitry Skrypnik

During the session “Current Issues in Global Resource and Commodity Sector Development,”  Denis Ivashkin, Research Intern at the Laboratory, presented his study “Economic Aspects of Measuring Indirect Energy-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Context of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms.” His talk addressed the relevance of carbon border policies for Russian exports, presented estimates of how different approaches to calculating indirect emissions can affect potential carbon payments, and offered practical recommendations for businesses and infrastructure organizations.

Matvey Chistikov, Junior Research Fellow, participated in the roundtable “The Arctic as a Platform for Dialogue with Non-Arctic Countries: Developing New Models of International Cooperation.”  Matvey analyzed trends in environmental cooperation and climate action in the Arctic from 2014 to 2022, focusing on the rising involvement of non-Arctic states and the increasingly tense geopolitical landscape. During this period, collaboration on environmental issues flourished, with environmental protection becoming a central theme in international Arctic relations. However, the geopolitical crisis of 2022 severely impacted environmental and climate institutions, making them among the most vulnerable. This increased focus on environmental issues stemmed both from growing global climate efforts and attempts to preserve the institutional framework of Arctic cooperation by substituting environmental agendas for areas where collaboration was hindered by the 2014 crisis. The 2022 crisis, however, saw Western nations lose interest in maintaining the existing cooperative system in the region, further weakening these institutions.