Russia and the Circular Economy: Opportunities for Economic Growth

On-Going Study to Promote the Principles of the Closed-Loop Economy

Case

TIARCENTER organized an expert discussion at Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Graduate School of Public Administration dedicated to Russia’s transition to the circular economic model.

Action Taken

Representatives of government authorities, the expert community and business discussed issues relating to environmental policy, increasing energy efficiency and implementing the best available technologies in Russia.

The circular economy, an alternative to the traditional linear economic model, enables economic growth via more effective use of available resources, collaborative and repeat consumption of manufactured goods, waste recycling, and producing goods from recycled resources. Transition to the principles of a green economy will mean meeting the targets set out in a series of government papers, in particular the presidential decree on national objectives and strategic challenges in the Russian Federation’s development up to 2024, with regard to increasing efficiency in manufacturing and consumer waste management, reducing air pollution, and introducing environmental regulation systems based on the best available technologies (BAT).

During this expert discussion, the view of the state authorities on the transition to the principles of the circular economy was shared by representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Eurasian Economic Commission. The expert community was represented by the Clean Country Association (the largest association of operators in waste management), the Association of European Business, the Center for Environmental Industrial Policy (Research Institute), the Graduate School of Public Administration at MSU, and the Institute of Ecology at the Higher School of Economics. Business cases where the principles of the circular economy have been introduced into the production chain were presented by representatives of Sibur, Ferrero and UPM. You can find the participants’ presentations here.

The Result

As a result of the discussion, recommendations for promotion of circular economy principles in Russia were formulated.