Development of the Arctic Regions within the Window of Weak Sustainability

The Russian policy towards the Arctic has changed in the last decade, the state and large firms are investing heavily in infrastructure, in the creation of new enterprises and the modernization of existing ones. But the northern nature is vulnerable, and the active development of extractive industries can lead to a crisis in the ecological situation. The development of the northern territories of the Russian Federation must meet the conditions of sustainable development, combine the growth of the economy, and the growth of incomes of the population, and the implementation of environmental restrictions. The purpose of this article is to develop methods for constructing windows of weak sustainability based on the construction of socio-ecological and economic models of the regions of the European North, and to study the possibilities of their sustainable development. The studies were carried out in four regions of the European North, which are fully or partially included in the Arctic zone of Russia - the republics of Karelia and Komi, Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions. Models have been built linking economic, environmental and social indicators. The methodology for calculating windows of weak sustainability for the regional economy is presented. The possibility of its use on the data of the Republic of Karelia has been demonstrated. The results obtained can be used as an information and methodological basis for assessing and developing a policy for sustainable development of the Arctic regions of the Russian Federation.