Russia to join global efforts to tackle climate change, says Putin

Russia would be actively involved in international efforts to cope with climate change and other environmental problems, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday.

Russia had abundant natural resources, which endowed it with the special responsibility to maintain the ecological balance of the planet, Putin said at a meeting of the Russian Geographical Society.

"We have already taken the first steps as part of our transition to a so-called green economy and sustainable development," he was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.

The government would launch a series of environmental protection and ecology initiatives for the period until 2012, Putin said.

The key goals included anti-pollution, land rehabilitation and protecting water and forest resources, he added.

Source: Xinhua