Sustainable development and industrial enterprises competitiveness increasing in the Barents Euro-Arctic region

The article considers possibilities for increasing competitiveness of Russian industrial enterprises during the development of resource effective industrial policy. The authors discuss the meaning and interpretation of “sustainable development” and “competitiveness” used in national and international scientific publications. The article traces current trends in the external environment that can contribute to organization's competitive advantages or cause the stability loss. The most significant changes include: the strengthening of industrial policy at national and international levels; broadening the understanding of essence and geographic scope of regulation based on the principles of best available techniques; promoting resource efficient and low-carbon technologies and formulating new international marketing segment for such technologies; establishing approaches for circular economy and links to resource efficient and low-carbon development; developing responsible investment system supporting activities related to meeting sustainable development goals.The authors analyse the basic principles of Environment Social Governance (ESG) and Business Charter for Sustainable Development and demonstrate their impact on the development of new competition rules.The paper presents results of case studies carried out in pulp and paper production and mining industry: environmental and technological modernizationprojects of JSC “Kovdor Mining and Benefication Plant” and JSC “Mondi Syktyvkar” and compares these projects with theESG investment principles. The procedure for excluding Russian installations from the list of environmental “hot spots” of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region is analysed and project assessment results meeting requirements of Best Available Techniques and responsible investment are considered. The paper concludes with the statement that in order to increase the level of international competitiveness of Russian industries it is necessary to take into account sustainable development principles and ESG principles while developing environmental and technological modernization programmes of Russian enterprises.