SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION: MULTILEVEL POLITICS AND CONSTELLATION OF ACTORS

Abstract

Globally implemented concept of sustainable development in Russia takes the form of Sustainable Development Goals, which may serve as an example of multi-level governance. This article aims to analyze the implementation of ESG in the context of multi-level governance from the perspective of the subject-actor composition, and models of relationships between these actors. The authors use a case study strategy and examine the implementation of the ESG in two municipalities of the Perm region: Krasnokamsk and Nytvensky districts. The main research materials for this article are the results of 19 in-depth interviews with representatives of municipal authorities and civil society organizations. The study reveals the subjectivity and functionality of specific ESG actors. The key actors are found to be supra-local and municipal authorities, businesses and NGOs. The media and the public tend to act as a source of support for the implementation of ESG by the aforementioned actors. Two models of relationships between actors of ESG implementation in municipalities are formulated: coordinating and implementing. The variability of the models is shown to be due to political, administrative, and other local conditions. The study also confirms the hypothesis that the implementation of a multi-level policy in Russia is largely hindered by institutional, resource and organizational barriers.