Green economy of Russia: some issues of theory and methodology
Importance The article deals with theoretical and methodological approaches to some of the issues of modernization of the Russian economy according to the principles of green economy, implying the growth in economic and social indicators with simultaneous building of the natural potential and environmental risks mitigation. Objectives My research aims to determine the prerequisites, conditions and limitations of Russia’s moving to the green economy path. Methods Decoupling effect that describes the phenomenon of division of trends of economic development and environment pollution is the quantitative confirmation of fulfillment of green economy. The process of decoupling effect takes place in many countries, which considers tasks of the green economy as the priority ones. The green economy standards in these countries are performed under the strict control of the public authorities and close public attention, which are regulated by well-defined legislative instruments. My paper offers a comparative analysis of synchronization of processes of the economic growth and management of natural resources. Based on this analysis, I am describing the decoupling effect in different industrial regions of Russia. The paper shows that at present, in Russia, the processes that cause the decoupling effect are not a subject to the State control. In addition, our country has not created an institutional environment for the development of green economy, although a number of regions demonstrate the economic growth while reducing human impact on the natural environment. Results My article considers the decoupling effect in a number of the Russian mining regions: Krasnodar Krai, Murmansk, Belgorod, and Lipetsk regions. The paper defines the prerequisites of such a situation, shows its role in the greening of the Russian economy's largest industrial corporations engaged in active production. I show that industrial corporations are the backbone of the Russian economy, and its development sets a vector of the Russian economic development. The Russian industrial companies depend, to a great extent, on economic, social and environmental indexes of the country’s development. Conclusions and Relevance I conclude that the absence of coordination between the economic activity of different corporations and the State authorities can impede the Russia’s passage to the green economy.