The Impact of Climate and Geopolitical Changes on Russia’s Energy Policies in The Arctic Region

Öz

After the Industrial Revolution, the energy resources under the polar ice sheets became even more important for becoming a global power. Providing the security of this energy, as well as its utilisation, is a very challenging process for countries. However, a new challenge has recently been added to these challenges: The Climate Crisis. In the new global system, new Arctic-centred policies must cover three important issues: Climate, security and energy. Russia has the longest border in the Arctic Circle. Russia’s challenge in the Arctic is not only to extract energy but also to protect it and deliver it safely to ports. Therefore, Russia needs to formulate security policies without ignoring geopolitics and climate, which are of vital importance for its national borders. In this study, Russia’s new energy security will be analysed by considering the effects of climate and geopolitics changes on the Arctic region. The focus will be on valuable minerals and energy transportation from the Arctic region. The research question is: How is Russia adapting its energy security policies in the Arctic region in response to the dual challenges of climate change and geopolitical security, focusing on the extraction and transportation of precious minerals and energy resources?

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Arctic Circle
• Climate Change
• Energy Policies
• Russia
• Arctic geopolitics

İklim Değişikliğinin Rusya'nın Arktik Bölgesindeki Enerji Politikalarına Etkisi

Öz

Sanayi devrimi sonrasında kutup buzullarının altındaki enerj kaynakları, küresel güç olmak için daha da önemli hale geldi. Açığa çıkartılan enerjinin kullanımı kadar bu enerjinin güvenliğini sağlamak da ülkeler açısından oldukça zorlu bir süreç. Ancak son dönemde bu zorluklara bir yenisi daha eklendi: İklim Değişikliği. Yeni küresel sistemde Arktik merkezli inşa edilen yeni politikalar üç önemli durumu da kapsamak zorunda: İklim, güvenlik ve enerji. Rusya, Kuzey Kutup Dairesi’ndeki en uzun sınıra sahip ülke. Rusya’nın Arktik bölgesindeki mücadelesi sadece enerji elde etmek değil, aynı zamanda bu enerjiyi korumak ve limanlara güvenli bir şekilde ulaştırmaktır. Bu nedenle Rusya’nın, ulusal sınırları için hayati önem taşıyan iklim ve jeopolitik değişiklikleri göz ardı etmeden güvenlik politikaları oluşturması gerekmektedir. Bu çalışmada, Rusya’nın enerji güvenliği, iklim ve jeopolitik değişikliklerin Arktik bölgesi üzerindeki etkileri göz önünde bulundurularak analiz edilecektir. Odak noktası Arktik bölgeden değerli madenler ve enerji taşımacılığı olacak. Araştırma sorusu ise, Rusya, iklim değişikliği ve jeopolitik güvenlik gibi ikili zorluklara yanıt olarak, değerli minerallerin ve enerji kaynaklarının çıkarılması ve taşınmasına odaklanarak Arktik bölgesindeki enerji güvenliği politikalarını nasıl uyarlıyor? Çerçevesinde olacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Kuzey Kutup Dairesi
• İklim Değişikliği
• Enerji Politikaları
• Rusya
• Arktik Jeopolitiği

Kaynakça

1. Aizhu, C., and Hayley, A. (2023). “Russia’s Arctic-2 LNG set to start production during 2023, CNOOC says”, https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russias-arctic-2-lng-set-start-production-during-2023-cnooc-says-2023-08-18/ (05.01.2024).
2. Al, A., and Kaya, H. (2022). Russia and Energy in International Energy Policies, (Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing) (ed. Giray Saynur Derman).
3. Arctic Review, Economy, Oil and Gas, https://arctic.review/economy/oil-and-gas/ (01.06.2024).
4. Arctics Knowledge Hub (2009). “Russian Federation’s Policy for the Arctic to 2020” http://www.arctis-search.com/Russian+Federation+Policy+for+the+Arctic+to+2020 (09.01.2024).
5. Baysal, B., and Karakaş, U. (2017). “Climate Change and Security: Different Perceptions, Different Approaches”, Uluslararası İlişkiler, 14 (54), 21-44.
6. Davis, A., and Vest, R. (2020). Foundations of the Russian Federation State Policy in the Arctic for the Period up to 2035, Translated by Anna Davis and Ryan Vest, Russia Maritime Studies Institute | United States Naval War College, https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=rmsi_research (28.12.2023).
7. Devyatkin, P. (2020). Russian Government Supports Tax Breaks for Arctic Investments, https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/russian-government-supports-tax-breaks-arctic-investments (10.04.2024).
8. Feng, R. (2023). “China’s energy security and geopolitical imperatives: Implications for formulating national climate policy”, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949821X23000339?via%3Dihubhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.nxener.2023.100034 (09.01.2024).

9. Gamjashvili, L. (2022). The Arctic Region: A source of conflict or potential for international cooperation? https://www.foraus.ch/posts/the-arctic-region-a-source-of-conflict-or-potential-for-international-cooperation/ (15.04.2024).
10. Garbis, Z., McCarthy, E., Orttung, R. (2023), “Governing the green economy in the Arctic: Climatic Change”, (Springer).
11. Güçyetmez, F. (2021). “Yeni Hegemonya Alanı: Arktika”, Ağrı İbrahim Çeçen Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 7(1), 153-177. https://doi.org/10.31463/aicusbed.888275
12. Humpert, M. (2023). “China to Supply Key Turbines to Novatek’s Arctic LNG 2”, High North News, https://www.highnorthnews.com/en/china-supply-key-turbines-novateks-arctic-lng-2 (25.12.2023).
13. İncekara, R., and Güçyetmez, F. (2021). “China’s Economic Hegemony in Africa,” International Journal of Eurasia Social Sciences (IJOESS), 12(45), 739-751. http://dx.doi.org/10.35826/ijoess.2974 International Energy Agency (n.d.). “Analysing the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on energy markets and energy security Russia’s War on Ukraine”, https://www.iea.org/topics/russias-war-on-ukraine.
14. Jonek, K. (2022). “Assessing the energy security of European countries in the resource and economic context”, Oeconomia Copernicana, 13 (2), 301–334.
15. Kılıçbeyli, E. Sochneva I., Sochneva O. (2021). “Russia’s Arctic Policy: Economic Development, Regional Priorities, and Territorial Sea”, International Journal of Politics and Security, 3(1), 218-243.
16. Kısacık, S. (2022). “20. Yüzyıldan 21. Yüzyıla Çin’in Enerji Güvenliği Politikaları: Sürdürülebilir Kalkınma için Sürekli Enerjiye İhtiyaç Duyan Bir Dev”, 21. Yüzyılda Bütün Boyutlarıyla Çin Halk Cumhuriyeti 2. Cilt, (Ed. Mesut Hakkı Caşın, Sina Kısacık, Can Donduran) (Ankara: Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık).
17. Klimenko, E. (2020). “Russia’s New Arctic Policy Document Signals Continuity Rather Than Change”, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Https://Www.Sipri.Org/Commentary/Essay/2020/Russias-New-Arctic-Policy-Document-Signals-Continuity-Rather-Change (09.01.2024).
18. Korkmaz, H. (2021). “Küresel Jeopolitik Rekabette Yeni Bir Cephe: Çin’in Arktik Vizyonunu Anlamak”, Yeni Küresel ve Ekonomik Rekabet Alanı Arktika, (İstanbul, Türkmen Kitabevi) (Ed. Ferdi Güçyetmez).
19. Kubny, H. (2023). “Chinese technology to power Russian Arctic LNG plant”, Polar Journal, https://polarjournal.ch/en/2023/06/02/chinese-technology-to-power-russian-arctic-lng-plant/ (24.12.2023).
20. Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation (2010), “Energy Strategy of Russia for The Period up to 2030 Approved by Decree N°1715-r of the Government of the Russian Federation”, http://www.energystrategy.ru/projects/docs/ES-2030_(Eng).pdf (10.12.2023).
21. Morgunova, M. (2020). “Why Is Exploitation of Arctic Offshore Oil and Natural Gas Resources Ongoing? A Multi-Level Perspective on The Cases of Norway and Russia,” The Polar Journal, 10 (1): 64-81. Paul, M., and Swistek, G. (2022). Russia in the Arctic, https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2022RP03/#hd-d29104e323 (05.12.2023).
22. Perconcordiam (2021), Russian Discourse — Arctic Interests & Activity, Russian Arctic Military Installations, https://perconcordiam.com/russia-in-the-arctic/ (09.10.2024).
23. Rosatom (2023), “Power Generation”, https://rosatom.ru/en/rosatom-group/power-generation/#:~:text=In%20total%2C%2038%20nuclear%20units,than%2019%25%20of%20Russian%20electricity (05.01.2024).
24. Sarkhanov T., and Muradzada I. (2023). “The Place of Gulf Basin Energy Resources in EU Energy Security”, International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 13 (4), 68-75.
25. Soldatkin, V. (2023). “Russia’s Putin approves departure of Arctic LNG 2’s first line to production site”, Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/russias-putin-approves-departure-arctic-lng-2s-first-line-production-site-2023-07-20/ (05.01.2024).
26. Statista (2023a). “Proved oil reserves in Russia from 2000 to 2020(in billion barrels)”, https://www.statista.com/statistics/447360/proved-oil-reserves-in-russia/#:~:text=The%20total%20volume%20of%20proved,oil%20reserves%20exceeded%20six%20percent (10.11.2023).
27. Statista (2023b). “Proved natural gas reserves in Russia from 2000 to 2020(in trillion cubic meters)”, https://www.statista.com/statistics/265325/natural-gas-reserves-in-russia/#:~:text=Russia%3A%20natural%20gas%20reserves%202000%2D2020andtext=In%202020%2C%20Russia%20had%20proved,meters%20recorded%20a%20decade%20earlier.
28. Steblyanskaya, A., Xu, Q., Razmanova, S., Steblyanskiy, N. and Denisov, A. (2021). “China and Russia Energy Strategy Development: Arctic LNG”, International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 11(4), 450-460.
29. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (2023), “The Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, Approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation,” https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/fundamental_documents/1860586/ (25.12.2023).
30. Worldometer (2016), “Russia Coal”, https://www.worldometers.info/coal/russia-coal/ (05.01.2024).
31. Yılmaz, S., and Limon, O. (2022). “Rusya’nın Arktika Politikası”, Geçmişten Günümüze Ruslar ve Rusya, (Ankara: Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık), (Ed. Salih Yılmaz, Şeref Ateş, Victoria Bilge Yılmaz, Mücahit Küçükyılmaz and Metin Kıratlı).
32. Yılmaz, Ş., and Sever-Mehmetoğlu, D. (2016). “Linking Foreign Policy and Energy Security: An Asset or a Liability for Turkey”, Uluslararası İlişkiler, 13(52).