Debt Policy for the Sustainable Development of Russian Regions and Megacities

Abstract

Relevance. In recent years, the role of ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) bonds has been rapidly growing in the world. ESGs are used to raise funds for programs for sustainable development of territories. Research objective. The paper studies the cases of Russian regions using green bonds and considers the prospects of this tool in the Russian context. Data and Methods. The analysis focuses on the debt indicators of Russian regions and related budgetary indicators based on open source data from the Ministry of Finance, the Treasury, and independent rating agencies. The methods of comparative and retrospective analysis are used to identify the state and features of regional debt policy. Results. Our analysis of the debt policy of Russian regions and megacities shows a low level of their activity in the stock market as issuers of bonds. This can be explained by the complexity of the system of subnational finances and the role of the Federation in preventing default situations, and therefore the priority use of budget loans. The city of Moscow was a pioneer in this matter in Russia. This determines the uniqueness of Moscow's experience in implementing debt policy. Conclusions. The expansion of the green bond practice will allow Russia to move forward in achieving the goals of ESG agenda, which, despite the large-scale sanctions imposed on Russia at the moment, still remains relevant.