Listen to this article Decrease In Air Pollution Detected By Satellites Suggests Industrial Decline Impacts Russia’s Economy
Russian Industry Decline Reflected in Decrease in Air Pollution, Satellite Data Shows
The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Russia’s economy is experiencing industrial decline, which has been worsened by Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. The report cites data from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-5P satellite, which uses the Troposphereic Monitoring Instrument to detect gases like nitrogen dioxide, ozone, methane, and more.
The use of satellite data allows for an objective view of Russia’s economic activity, as it shows a decline in the volume of air pollutants being emitted by factories in the country. This data specifically tracks the amount of nitrogen dioxide in the air, which is indicative of the burning of gas, diesel, and coal.
The Paris-based research firm QuantCube analyzes the satellite data and reports that over the last six months, urban pollution in Moscow and St. Petersburg has slightly increased, while pollution in industrial regions has fallen by 1.2% in the six months to April and 6.2% lower year over year.Russia’s official government data stated that industrial production rose 1.2% for the year up to March. However, the limited data being released to the public since the country’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has made analysts increasingly skeptical about official data from the Kremlin.
The satellite data
Also shows that certain industries are emitting less pollution than others. The automotive sector, construction, oil and gas, and even the defense industry are emitting less pollution, while the thermal power and metals industries are polluting more.
ECB economists
Adrian Schmith and Hanna Sakhno have incorporated satellite pollution data into their alternative tracker of economic data for Russia, which shows a contraction of the Russian economy ahead of the official figures release. According to Sakhno, GDP data coming out of the country has covered up the slowdown in the private economy, which is visible in alternative trackers of domestic economic activity. Retail sales have been down, domestic flight purchases have plunged, and the housing market has stagnated, indicating that businesses and consumers in Russia are feeling the impact of the country’s economic decline.
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