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Arctic Yearbook 2013
Pelyasov
The theme of energy safety and energy efficiency is covered in the Russian Arctic Strategy in
a very comprehensive way. In the document this topic is covered at the national level as
sustainable development of the Russian energy complex (with the help of reserve funds in
the Arctic deposits, diversification of the main routes of the Russian oil and gas delivery on
the world markets and other measures); provision of energy independence for remote small
settlements, including realization of the national and international projects in energy saving
and efficiency; optimization of the provision of coal, oil and oil products in the remote
regions; and development of local sources of energy and heat and differentiation of the
scheme of delivery of energy sources.
7.
New off-shore industrial regions in the Arctic shelf are mentioned in the document many
times. To expedite the process of their formation, the document mentions how to stimulate
resource corporations to work in the Arctic shelf, utilizing special taxation and other
measures. It will be necessary to modernize northern marine sea route and Arctic ports,
transportation infrastructure, to develop an icebreaker fleet and to train qualified personnel
in the Arctic marine complex in areas such as navigation, marine geology, extraction and
processing, and marine biotechnology.
8.
The topic of environmental safety is covered in the document in several instances. These
include the realization of projects to mitigate the environmental damages that arose from
past industrial, military, and other activity. The elaboration and realization of measures to
diminish environmental risks is also connected with the expansion of industrial activity
including within the Arctic shelf. This includes the utilization of special datasets to control
the situation and minimize pollution in the environment, and utilizing contemporary means
of monitoring both land and space. It also seeks to address the consequences of global
climate changes in the Russian Arctic zone, taking into consideration biodiversity of the
Arctic flora and fauna, dangerous situations etc. It also describes the development and
expansion of the network of the Arctic protected federal and regional natural reserves.
9.
To fulfill the very ambitious goals of the Russian Arctic Strategy it is necessary to elaborate
adequate mechanisms of its realization, aimed at increasing returns from state efforts and
channeling resources to develop the Arctic. Therefore the theme of improvement in the
whole system of state governance is very important for the document. Russia as an Arctic
federation should make progress in the process of inter-agency coordination in the
elaboration and realization of the measures of state Arctic policy. So it is time to think about
how a central coordination body could be reestablished under the Russian Government that
would be responsible for the elaboration of the federal Northern and Arctic policy (like
Goskomsever of 1990-s).