ИСТИНА

At the United Nations conference 1992 in Rio de Janeiro the idea of the necessity for modern society to transition to the sustainable development model was adopted. The concept of sustainable development focuses on achieving harmony in relations between people, society and nature by making changes in material and spiritual culture. Global ideas, substantiated in this concept, need clarification and concretization at the regional level. Thus, the implementation of the concept of sustainable development in Russia is possible only if the country’s unique natural, social and cultural characteristics are taken into account. The dependence of Russia, its economy, culture, and way of life on the harsh climate, vast landmass, and the nature of the population must be acknowledged. Russia’s current situation is characterized by several environmental problems (pollution of air, soil, ground- and surface water). However, Russia has a huge potential for developing a green economy and plays an important role in the preservation of the global environment due to its large ecological potential, which – to a considerable extent – compensates for the negative impact of global industrial development.