Sustainable Natural Resources Use: Financial and Tax Issues

Abstract The ecological stability and environmental security are becoming relevant issues being the elements of the national security. The development and the improvement of the financial (including tax), legal, educational, social and cultural components of the environmental regulation system is now a worldwide trend. The publication aims to analyze the financial and fiscal aspects of sustainable use of natural resources. Based on the consideration of advantages and disadvantages of the current system of ecological taxation in Russia, the critical analyses of implementing the “polluters pay” principle was provided and the key disadvantages of the energy and transport tax system were disclosed. The main challenges that arise from the implementation of the traditional objectives of ecological taxes and charges were examined in the paper. As a result of the summarized data the recommendations are suggested to improve the ecological taxation system. The alternative to the fiscal regulation, which aims to develop the mechanisms to solve the problem of sustainable natural resources use was justified in the paper. One of such mechanisms is creation of joint infrastructure that involves both state and business institutions, and enables companies to pursue environmental protection activities.