The paper deals with the environmental element of the concept of sustainable development. The purpose of the paper is to explore the issue of municipal solid waste management in the Russian Federation and in Sverdlovskaya Oblast. More specifically, it examines the context for successful implementation of the National Ecology Project and the garbage reform against a background of public pressure. There is a need for an integrated approach to broaden the public ‘green’ outlook by engaging educational institutions, business organizations, and mass media. To maintain an ecological balance is in itself a way to ensure sustainable development of territories. The authors believe that environmental education may significantly contribute to raising awareness among consumers and producers for the purpose of sustainable development, and serve as a possible measure of preventing public discontent.

Investment activity plays a significant role in achieving the strategic goals of the development of society, and has a significant impact on the state of the environmental and economic system. Recently, quite often, the interests of various groups related to the preservation of the environment come into conflict with the need for economic development, and hence the impossibility of investing in this development. In this case, potential or real investors lose the money invested. The purpose of the research is to consider the features of environmental and social risks of implementing investment projects, to consider the features of social and environmental risks and to show the need to take into account social and environmental risks for the implementation of investment projects, as well as suggest ways to minimize them. It is shown that the effectiveness of the implementation of investment projects and the reduction of possible losses of investors can be achieved by real consideration of social and environmental risks. Some instruments to reduce the risks of implementing investment projects are proposed.