February 15
- Economy vs. Climate: Lessons in Adaptation Climate change will have a negative impact on almost all sectors of the economy, as well as infrastructure and business facilities. This will create considerable risks for many investment projects – and for the development prospects of key sectors...
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Climate change will have a negative impact on almost all sectors of the economy, as well as infrastructure and business facilities. This will create considerable risks for many investment projects – and for the development prospects of key sectors of the economy. Over the period 1990–2015, the number of dangerous natural phenomena in Russia almost doubled; the number of large-scale natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and forest fires also increased. Energy infrastructure and settlements located in perennial permafrost zones face potential danger. Given current trends in regional climate change, the damage caused could amount to 1–2% of the country’s GDP on average. Which factors must be taken into account in evaluating the damage in particular sectors? What measures is the Government of the Russian Federation considering to reduce economic losses related to the negative consequences of climate change and to reinforce infrastructure? How are businesses reacting to the threats they are facing?
- Chemistry for Life The chemical industry is a core branch of Russian manufacturing and makes a significant contribution to the national economy in terms of jobs, products supplied, and exports. The output of the chemical industry is used in nearly every area of the ...
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The chemical industry is a core branch of Russian manufacturing and makes a significant contribution to the national economy in terms of jobs, products supplied, and exports. The output of the chemical industry is used in nearly every area of the Russian economy and plays an important role in shaping innovation at every stage of its development. The growth of high-value-added production in the petrochemical and chemical sectors is providing a powerful boost to the development of related branches of Russian industry, such as light manufacturing, medicines and pharmaceuticals, aviation, shipbuilding and engineering, perfume and cosmetics, and many more. The main challenge for the chemical industry over the next six years is to increase the competitiveness of Russian output on both domestic and external markets. What strategy will achieve strong performance in the development of the Russian chemical industry? What support measures does the petrochemicals sector require? What raw material resource base can the Russian petrochemicals industry draw on and to what extent do domestic hydrocarbons undergo further processing? What are the current trends in the digitalization of the Russian chemical industry? Chemicals and the environment – myth or reality?
- Counterfeits vs Everyone: The Damage to Legal Business and the National Economy The illicit trade in manufactured goods is a central problem facing the Russian economy. Its damaging consequences affect everyone: the state, business, and ordinary consumers, hence the need for an integrated approach and a package of measures ai...
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The illicit trade in manufactured goods is a central problem facing the Russian economy. Its damaging consequences affect everyone: the state, business, and ordinary consumers, hence the need for an integrated approach and a package of measures aimed at reducing the volume of goods that are illegally traded. A special coordinating body created to tackle offences of this kind, the State Commission for Countering Illicit Trade in Manufactured Products, has been in existence since 2015, developing and adopting specific measures in conjunction with the business community. Non-state institutions such as Roskachestvo (Russian Quality System) and industry bodies also play a significant role in preventing illicit trade.
Marking is an effective and increasingly widely-used tool for counteracting illicit trade, and one which offers businesses new types of solutions for creating a digital economy of trust between the state, businesses, and consumers.
How does the black market threaten the economic security of the state? How successful has the work of the State Commission for Countering the Illicit Trafficking of Industrial Products been? What role should non-governmental institutions play in the creation of an orderly market? How does the new unified digital marking and traceability system market protection tool work, and what results have the voluntary experiments returned? What other labelling solutions can business look to?
- Green Financing: Developing the Responsible Investment Market Green finance is about using financial services and instruments focused on supporting economic activity which helps to improve the environment, mitigate the consequences of climate change, and encourage smarter use of natural resources. The princi...
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Green finance is about using financial services and instruments focused on supporting economic activity which helps to improve the environment, mitigate the consequences of climate change, and encourage smarter use of natural resources. The principal goals of a green finance system are, firstly, to create an institutional environment in which the state and private funders come together to finance green sectors, and, secondly, to maintain effective control over investment in projects where the risk of negative impact on the environment is high. Today, forging and developing a green finance system is considered to be an integral part of the national development strategy, particularly when it comes to implementing national projects and introducing the best available technologies within the manufacturing industry. At the same time, the sustainable development goals and domestic financing are an active part of the international agenda, including for the G20. How can we expand the availability of financing for investment in green projects? How can we increase the investment attractiveness of such projects? How can we improve the way the capital market works to distribute resources and serve the real economy?
- Smart Regulation Tools for the Digital Economy Regulatory controls are a fundamental condition for economic development in any state. High-quality lawmaking can provide an impetus for economic growth, while weak development of the regulatory environment can constitute an insurmountable barrier...
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Regulatory controls are a fundamental condition for economic development in any state. High-quality lawmaking can provide an impetus for economic growth, while weak development of the regulatory environment can constitute an insurmountable barrier. The challenge facing us today is to create a modern system of state regulation. Rather than being a way of reacting to changes already underway in society, regulatory policy should instead be built in to these changes and capable of being finetuned as society evolves. Our task is to create an effective system for change management which allows for flexible and timely responses to contemporary challenges within a smart regulatory system. One key area of focus for improving the lawmaking system would be how to harness the potential of information technologies and tailored platform solutions: in other words, introducing the principle of ‘the state as a platform’ into state administration. How can we adapt existing regulatory policy to the principles of smart regulation? What are the possibilities and limits of digitalization in the lawmaking process? What are the principal approaches to regulatory control in the digital economy? Are there any opportunities to automate lawmaking processes and make legislation machine-readable? Are there any successful examples of this around the world? What is Russia currently doing in this area?
- Is Russia Prepared for New Challenges in Cyberspace? The development of the digital economy and the ubiquitous process of digitalization hold out the possibility of breakthroughs in work involving data – but, at the same time, significantly increase the risks posed by cyberthreats. According to offi...
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The development of the digital economy and the ubiquitous process of digitalization hold out the possibility of breakthroughs in work involving data – but, at the same time, significantly increase the risks posed by cyberthreats. According to official data, over the last six years, cybercrime in Russia has increased tenfold. In January–September 2018, law enforcement agencies recorded more than 13,000 such crimes every month, almost twice as many as the previous year. There is clearly increased interest among criminals in valuable corporate and personal data, especially bank accounts, and the financial sector is at particular risk. As a result, cybersecurity is well on its way to becoming a vital priority both for businesses and at the state level. Which cybersecurity strategies are the most successful? What is the best way to optimize resources and organize joint efforts to ensure maximum security? What needs to be done to predict and prevent cyberthreats?
