| Summary/Abstract |
This article examines Russian environmental politics under Putin. It explores the extent to which Putin participates in the environmental policymaking process, concentrating on his role in agenda-setting and policy development. It also investigates the way that environmental issues are framed, and their function within the political system. The findings indicate that Putin plays a key role in shaping the policy agenda but is not involved in the day-to-day policymaking. In contemporary Russia, the environment has become a tool, and on occasions, a weapon, used by Putin to serve a broader agenda. The environment represents a source of regime stability and legitimacy, important for projecting state power to a domestic and international audience, managing demands from the population, and as a way of controlling civil society. Questions remain, however, as to how sustainable this approach to environmental issues is in the longer term.
|