Based on the analysis of strategic documents and other regulatory legal acts, the authors of the article attempt to consider a number of issues of the state environmental policy of the Russian Federation designed to contribute to the implementation of the UN sustainable development goals in the field of environmental management. The opinion is expressed that a successful environmental policy in the implementation of the UN sustainable development goals is possible only with a systematic approach to the implementation of environmental legislation. The authors analyze the measures, undertaken by the Russian Federation in the use and protection of forests and water resources, in terms of their effectiveness and draw a number of conclusions.