The Environmental Dimension of the World System

In recent decades, the environmental agenda gained prominence across all the domains of the global system. This impact is due to a variety of objective and subjective factors. Environmental considerations became an integral part of the global economics and politics due to deterioration of the environment, wide recognition of the severity of the depth and scale of ecological problems, new opportunities acknowledged by large-scale, medium-sized and small enterprises, as well as for a number of other reasons.

The environmental component is on the increase in the global economy, trade and investments, labor migration, R&D, scientific cooperation, information exchange. Environmental protection issues are already among the key components of global agenda and an important factor of global instability. Environmental security is becoming an integral part of national security, especially in the areas of resource control and resolution of ecology related conflicts. Environmental risks are defined as a major threat to humankind by the World Economic Forum. The ecological factor has an impact on and brings about changes to international, regional and state politics, new strategies are being developed with regards to this. The World Trade Organization pays increasing attention to environmental policy; international environmental agreements have been elaborated and signed.

This article analyses the changes in the global system due to environmental considerations. The main emphasis is on the transformation of the global economic system. The author shows that one of the main driving forces of the changes are countries and major corporations interests. Building upon the analysis of the recent changes in the global system, the author comes to the conclusion that ecological issues should have a priority place in the Russian policy.

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