Environmental and energy opportunities in the Arctic zone for the transition to a circular economy

Abstract

The relevance of the study is determined by the need for scientifically-based approaches to the introduction of circular economy technologies in the Arctic zone based on accounting and assessment of the environmental and energy capabilities of this territory. Sustainable economic development with minimal negative impact on the environment is one of the biggest global challenges. Since today’s linear economy increasingly contributes to the problems of sustainable development, it is important to work on creating a closed-cycle economy in which the cycle of resources-production-use-waste is closed. The purpose of the study is to study the concept of circular economy and the possibility of its use in the socio-ecological and economic development of the Arctic zone. The objectives of the research are the following: systematization of theoretical approaches to the study of the circular economy concept; identification of economic, energy opportunities, and problems in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation for the transition to a circular economy; justification of the feasibility of using modern business models of the closed-cycle economy in the Arctic zone industries; development of state support directions for the circular economy development in the Arctic zone. The methodological and methodic basis of the research are the methods of systematic, comparative analysis, text mining, empirical verification. The results of the study are the substantiation of the possibility of introducing circular economy technologies in the national economy, considering the peculiarities of socio-ecological and economic development of the Arctic zone; the development of scientifically sound proposals for the transition to a closed-cycle economy based on the interaction of public authorities and business structures.