Ecological and Economic State of Regions: Improvement of Methodology and Methods of Assessment

Abstract

Sustainable environmental and economic development of economic actors requires “ecological” thinking, which involves the adoption of economic actors responsible for the consequences of the impacts of production activities on the environment. Taking into account both the efficiency of economic activities and changes in the environmental situation is the main step for the development of monitoring of the ecological and economic condition of the territories. The aim of the study is to develop the methodology for assessing the ecological and economic development of regions on the basis of the concept of sustainable development by clarifying the principles of assessment and methods of decoupling analysis. The paper uses the method of decoupling analysis refined by the authors by means of six sectors that characterize different degrees of the ecological and economic state of the regions. The paper presents the results of the decoupling analysis of 80 Russian regions for the period 2010–2016 according to the method proposed by the authors. The authors analyze indicators of GRP and emissions of pollutants from stationary sources. The article substantiates the conclusion that the decoupling effect is stable in the majority of Russian regions relative to 2010, while it reveals a negative effect of crises on the ecological-economic condition of the region manifested in 2015 and 2016. The results of the analysis contribute to a better understanding of the nature of the decoupling effect and can be used for forming a monitoring system of environmental-economic status areas.