Russia committed to carbon neutrality by 2060: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Xinhua)

MOSCOW, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Russia will aim to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday at the plenary session of the Russian Energy Week.

Despite the fact that there is still much work to be done, Russia strives to transition to a carbon-neutral economy no later than 2060, the Kremlin reported the president as saying.

Putin called climate protection a common task for humanity, saying that tackling this challenge requires joint efforts from specialists, public associations, and states themselves.

In addition, the president said Russia expects to increase production of liquefied natural gas to 140 million tons per year by 2035, aiming to increase its share in the global market to 20 percent.

Commenting on Europe's energy crisis, the president said Russia is fully committed to meeting its contractual obligations to all its partners, including Europe, and can increase gas supplies if necessary.

"We are increasing (gas) supplies to Europe... in general Russia has increased supplies to Europe by 15%," he said, adding that the country is ready to ramp up gas exports even more.

"Russia is ready for constructive, trustworthy, and close cooperation, as well as direct dialogue with our partners in Europe and the European Commission, aimed at finding common solutions to stabilize energy markets and combat climate change," he said.