Abstracts of Main Articles

LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IN RUSSIA FACING MAIN CHALLENGES OF MODERN TIMES

Author

Markwart A., Sc.D. (Economics), professor with Higher School of Public Administration under Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, president, European Club of Local-Self-Government experts

Abstract:

The author of the paper states: all prominent scientific publications devoted to substance, forms of and trends in evolution of local self-government in Russia concern, to some or other extent, the factors affecting this institute, generating risks and threats for it, accordingly requiring an adequate response on the part of both municipal authorities and, surely, public authorities. Hence, currency of the topic of the article, which identifies and reviews the main (emanating from development of modern productive forces) challenges (groups of challenges) to local governments and outlines potential responses to some of them. In substantiating these suggestions account is taken of the vast foreign, primarily European, experience. Assuming the necessity of development and implementation of the so far unfortunately missing (in any case in the form of official documents) conceptual framework of local self-government development in this country and concept of state policy of the RF in this area, the author finds it useful and beneficial to employ in the relevant concepts (and in the course of elaboration by municipalities of their own concepts, strategies and programs of local community and territory development) of a methodological framework of «identification of challenges – validation of responses».

Keywords:

local self-government, public and municipal administration, challenges of modern times, threats and risks, demographic processes, depopulation, population aging, migration, Information & Communication Technologies (ICT), energy saving technologies, alternative energy.

 

CONCEPT OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES TO POPULATION AND ECONOMY: AS APPLIED TO IMPLEMENTATION IN RUSSIA’S ARCTIC REGION UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE

Author

Porfiriev B.N., Fellow of Russian Academy of Sciences, deputy director for research with the Institute of Economic Forecasting, RAS,

Terentiev N.E., PhD (Economics), senior research associate, Institute of Economic Forecasting, RAS

Abstract:

In ascertaining that modern economic development has resulted in accumulation of significant environmental damage and degradation of numerous ecosystems by creating serious risks and threats for future development on all levels of global economy, the authors stress that, first, the response to this global challenge took form of development, by leading economists of the world and authoritative international organizations, of concepts of sustainable development, green economy, environmental economics, closed-loop economy, etc. whose general mission boils down to theoretical substantiation of ways of integrating social and economic interests in national and international policy, in the course of establishing state-corporate partnership. Second, one of the major landmarks of international studies came to be suggestion by UN experts in the early 2000s – within the framework of the project «Millennium Ecosystem Assessment» – of a concept of ecosystem services (vitally important and frequently unique services directly or indirectly delivered by nature to society). The article provides subject characteristics of this concept (along with reproduction and commenting the available versions of classification of the relevant services referred to above) as well as reasons possibility and expediency of its practical realization in the course of re-development of Russia’s arctic region under the specifically arctic dimension of global climate change.

Keywords:

ecosystem services concept, sustainable development, green economy, Arctic region of the RF, global climate change, re-development (new development) of Russia’s arctic region, UN research project «Millennium Ecosystem Assessment», UN research project «the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity» (TEEB), indigenous minorities of the North.

 

PARIS INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE CONTROL: CONCERNING SCIENTIFIC VALIDITY OF SELECTED PRIORITY IN COUNTERING GLOBAL WARMING

Author

Startsev A.A., PhD (Economics) received at International University of fundamental studies within Oxford educational network; general director of North-Western International Center of Clean Production (UNIDO privileged partner); director of International Center for Promoting Implementation of UNIDO programs and projects under Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg University; UNIDO international expert

Abstract:

The paper comments on the contents of Paris climate agreement signed in the late 2015 based on the results of the 21st UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and called to replace Kyoto Protocol in 2020. In stating that underlying the ideology of Kyoto and Paris processes is anthropogenic-carbon concept of global warming, associating the anthropogenic nature of the latter exclusively or primarily with atmospheric discharge of carbon dioxide resulting from burning all types of fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal) the author asks himself: to what extent is this approach scientifically valid, and what can Russia’s mature position be on that score (both theoretically reasoned and, of course, considered from the point of view of national interests and interests of the country’s involvement in ensuring global economic security)? In answering these questions, the author reproduces and extensively comments on the concept of climate change, which is alternative to the aforesaid but also anthropogenic. Its authors and proponents, while not denying the negative role of the greenhouse gas emissions, hence the necessity of reduction thereof for containment of global warming, are sure, however, that the main cause thereof – forest clearance by man, i.e. destruction of «biotic forest pump» as a natural environmental mechanism supplying moisture from basins to land and acting as a base for circulation of water on the planet. Hence, yet another suggested major priority of countering climatic change – conservation of woodlands and promotion of reproduction of the natural forest wealth (including, and in the first place, Russian native forests as a key component of the «global biotic pump»). This priority integrates with the requirement of not deindustrialization (ruinous for Russia) but rather fitting the processes of industrial development, including development of conventional energy forms, into ecologically acceptable regulatory framework.

Keywords:

Paris climate agreement, Kyoto protocol, UN FCCC, 2016 Marrakech conference, global climate change, global warming, anthropogenic (industrial) discharge of carbon dioxide, biotic forest pump, traditional power, alternative energy.

 

CONCERNING RISKS OF PARIS CLIMATE AGREEMENT FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIA

Author

Silvestrov S.N., ScD (Economics), professor, director, Institute of Economic Policy and Economic Security Problems associated with Financial University under RF government,

Roginko S.A., PhD (Economics), head, Center for Ecology and Development under Institute of Europe RAS

Abstract:

In reviewing the texts of Paris agreement and the related UN FCCC documents, and taking into consideration the signals emanating from politicians, analytical and business organizations with respect to these documents, the article authors identify risks referred to in the heading. These are the risks associated with the commitments of the parties to the agreement with respect to the assessment of compliance, as well as risks: of imposition of global carbon tax; associated with financial assistance to developing countries; associated with inclusion of human rights issues in the core activities of UN FCCC institutions; for the prospects of development of national power engineering; conjugated with market mechanisms of securing Agreement performance; technological lag of the country. The authors

believe that these risks for Russia, which signed but not yet ratified the Agreement, so far exist as abstract, purely potential, implicit ones. Transformation thereof into real, highly probable threats and build-up or reduction of such threats largely depend, on the one hand, on the final contents of the Agreement as a whole (which will materialize only after completion of a series of negotiations on the procedures, riles and modalities of all articles and provisions of the document), and, on the other, on the forethought of our environmental policy and on adaptation of the mechanisms of its implementation to the interests of economy and society development. Accordingly, no need to hurry with ratification of the Agreement (Russia applied a similar approach to Kyoto protocol. Nearly six years passed between signing and ratification thereof by Russia). In conclusion the authors touch upon US stance on Paris agreement, which has radically changed since ascent to power of a new American president. A quite definite attitude is articulated with respect to an optimal Russia’s response to the intentions and deeds of the current US administration.

Keywords:

Paris climate agreement, Paris climate agreement risks for Russia, Kyoto protocol, UN FCCC, 2016 Marrakech conference, industrial emission of carbon dioxide, indicative Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), ecological goods and services, conventional energy, alternative energy, renewable energy sources, D. Trump plan for American power engineering.

 

CONVERGENCE — IN THE KAZAKHSTAN WAY (ABOUT S.A. USENOV BOOK «NURSULTAN NAZARBAJEV IDEAS – IDEOLOGY OF INDEPENDENT KAZAKHSTAN)

Author

Tkachuk S.P., projects director with Scientific Center for Eurasian Integration under RAS Scientific Board on problems of Eurasian economic integration, modernization, competitiveness and sustainable development

Abstrct:

Review of the above book by Kazakhstan economist (PhD in economics, associate professor with D.A. Kunajev Almaty University) preceded and accompanied by an extended op-ed. In the reader’s and editors’ opinion the author managed to show the following. First, «convergence Kazakhstan style» — fundamental ideological perceptions of N.A. Nazarbajev, «embedded» in his practical activities as a macro-level manager – refers, wishing or not, not only to the mainstream neoclassical tradition of the world theoretical economic thought but also to the traditions opposing «mainstream» including left, up to scientifically sociological (Marxist), ideas. The key achievement of the administration model, built in the republic, is a pronounced ability of state leadership to adapt to the market capitalist environment under formation some elements of socialist economic management associated with utilization of the institutes of central planning, programing and project development, as well as social equalization of citizens through income redistribution, operation of «means of social mobility», involvement of other factors for shaping «competitive human capital». Second, it is precisely N.A. Nazarbajev who advanced, for the first time since disintegration of the USSR, a new Eurasian idea along with a concrete project for its implementation. That was EurAsEC project, which later gave rise to CU-UES, which in its turn evolved into the currently realized EEU project. According to the final conclusion of the reader: (a) S.A. Usenov managed to present N.A. Nazarbajev ideas in relation to the economy and other fields of civil life as components of the general ideological platform of the all-time leader of independent Kazakhstan; (b) «Ideas …» are rather useful for a wide audience - social scientists, all levels of managers and different categories of entrepreneurs, for teaching and studying at higher educational institutions both in Kazakhstan, Russia, EEU and CIS countries and even beyond their boundaries.

Keywords:

N.A. Nazarbajev, Republic of Kazakhstan (RK), independent Kazakhstan, disintegration (breakdown, destruction) of the USSR, indicative macroeconomic planning, neoclassical (economics) mainstream, Eurasian economic integration, EurAsEC, CU-UES, EEU, presidential programs «Kazakhstan-30» and «Kazakhstan-50»

 

DETRIMENTAL MYTHS OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC HARM OF TRADE UNIONS

Author

Kutepova N.I., PhD (Economics), associate professor, Theoretical Economics Department of NRU Higher School of Economics

Abstract:

The article states that the general economics and labor economics courses at Russian higher educational institutions, both «cloning» western samples and claiming to originality, invariably contain versions of trade union influence on labor market, far from actual processes and even distorting them. Accordingly, an attempt is made to identify discrepancies between the consequences of trade union activities in neoclassical models (textbooks exposing them) and in real life. In that context, the author scrutinizes the myths of trade unions as a factor of rising unemployment and inflation, shows as to how the relevant theoretical premises are used for substantiation of measures of social (antisocial, to be more correct) policy, and traces the evolution of demands on the part of foreign and Russian trade unions. According to the substantiated summary, there is need for revision of the discourse relative to the absolutely negative results of trade union activities for economy and social sphere.

Keywords:

trade unions, neoclassical economic theory, neoclassical model of labor market, concept of cheap worker economics, unemployment, cost inflation, nominal and real wage, labor productivity, strikes, Association of German Trade Unions, Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Russia

 

ON APPLICATION OF RELIABILITY THEORY MODELS TO ADMINISTRATION OF ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE STATE

Author

Arbuzov S.G., PhD (Economics), chairman, Association «Center for Studies of Economic and Sociocultural Development of CIS, Central and Eastern Europe Countries

Abstract:

The article substantiates the possibility and expediency of employment, for handling the task of rational formation and distribution of public resources needed for assurance of national economic security, of methodological approach based on theory of reliability in managing economic systems (financial flows within the framework thereof). The author suggests to adapt the optimization mathematical economic model developed by A.A. Pervozvansky and G.V. Dvas for socio-economic systems (territorial and national economic) to the conditions of the above macromanagerial task.

Keywords:

of national economic security, theory of reliability, modelling of economic processes, macroeconomic indicators of security, aggregate economic agents, debt potential of the state, skewness of spatial development, superimposition functions, A.A. Pervozvansky, G.V. Dvas

 

ON REGIONAL MARKETING AND ITS USE IN MANAGEMENT OF BELGOROD REGION DEVELOPMENT

Author

Kozlova N.V., PhD (Economics), associate professor, V.G. Shukhov Belgorod State Technological University

Abstract:

Proceeding from the presence in world and Russian socio-economic environment of the phenomena such as «competition of territories (regions)» and «transfer of big business managerial technologies to the field of territorial (regional) management», the author cites and comments on the definitions of regional marketing, available in modern literature, and describes the experience in application of its tools to management of socio-economic development of Belgorod region.

Keywords:

competition of territories (regions), regional marketing, territorial marketing, institutionalization of regional marketing, marketing strategies of regions, target markets, image of territories (regions), territory branding, strategy of socio-economic development of Belgorod region for a period of up to 2025, «Development» of Belgorod region corporation.