France urged Russia to establish carbon pricing policies during a visit to Moscow by Environment Minister Segolene Royal this week, which included talks with Oleg Deripaska, the billionaire head of aluminium giant Rusal.

Royal and Russian officials took part in a round table event on Tuesday with Derispaska and senior executives from French companies including utility EDF and construction giant Saint-Gobain, according to an agenda seen by Carbon Pulse.

In an emailed statement, France’s environment ministry said Royal invited Russia to establish a carbon price to “guide investment towards a low-carbon economy”.

“During exchanges, Russian companies have supported this approach,” the statement said.

Royal invited the companies to undertake concrete actions to cut emissions and lower energy efficiency, and submit them at the December UN climate talks in Paris as part of a wider initiative to log voluntary efforts by non-state actors.

Russia, the world’s fourth biggest CO2 emitter, dismayed climate policy observers both at home and abroad by submitting an INDC earlier this year that would allow its emissions to climb substantially from current levels.

By Ben Garside – ben@carbon-pulse.com