Topical Issues of Law Enforcement of the Concept of Sustainable Development: Constitutional Law Analysis

Within the framework of analyzing theoretical approaches to understanding the concept of sustainable development, its reflection in international and national legal acts, as well as doctrinal approaches to the mechanisms of its implementation, the author presents a position on the current and target state of Russian legislation regulating relations in the field of sustainable development. Taking into account the universally recognized and established approach to understanding the Concept of Sustainable Development as based on the interconnection of social, economic, and environmental aspects, the author proposes to consider cultural progress and methods of public management as unnamed aspects of sustainable development. Based on the approaches developed in the doctrine to understanding the legal support of sustainable development and the scientific understanding of the term «legal mechanism», the author provides a classification of political and legal mechanisms for implementing sustainable development. Following the analysis of the set of acts regulating relations in the field of sustainable development, the author concludes that there is no unified terminological foundation in either international legal acts or domestic legislation. The author emphasizes that the values of sustainable development enshrined in the post-reform Constitution of the Russian Federation form a sufficient value basis for the implementation of state policy in this area, while the existing system of national legislation lacks effective mechanisms for achieving the goals of sustainable development. In light of the current legislative activity aimed at establishing an interconnected system of criteria in the field of business implementation of sustainable development goals and monitoring their achievement, the author notes positive trends in national regulation of sustainable development issues.

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