The article is devoted to the approaches to achieve sustainable development of the Arctic territories. Measuring sustainability is one of the important aspects in the formation of state and corporate policies. Sustainable development of the region requires to solve three issues: 1) to improve the quality of life of the population; 2) to reduce social inequality; 3) to reduce the anthropogenic pressure on ecosystems. The article analyzes two author’s methods: compiling a sustainable development rating of the Russian Federation’s regions, fully or partially included in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, and companies operating in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (Polar Index); development of a sustainable development rating for the regions and companies of the Barents Euro-Arctic Region (Barents-Polar Index). These studies will be useful to representatives of companies and the leadership of the Russian regions to move towards sustainable development based on the “green” economy.

Due to the possible inclusion of Kalevalsky National Municipal District, Segezhsky Municipal District and Kostomukshsky Urban Okrug of Republic of Karelia into the Arctic Zone of Russian Federation (AZRF), three monotowns may be added into AZRF: Segezha, Nadvoitsy and Kostomuksha. Obviously, these monotowns are entitled to receive additional benefits, preferences from the state. But what about the basic elements of a single-industry town, i.e. its town-forming enterprises? In order to answer this question, the authors investigate a population dynamics in monotowns of Republic of Karelia and analyze the economic stability of urban enterprises and their share in formation of population incomes. The research has been done towards the monotowns of the categories I, and II, as there are no monotowns of category III in Republic of Karelia. The article draws conclusions about the economic sustainability of Karelia’s urban enterprises for the period 2012-2018.

The relevance of the Blue Economy concept for the Arctic water spaces, the use of the Arctic aquatic potential for the sustainable development of the Russian Arctic are considered, in the context of the implementation of large projects for goods transportation along the Northern Sea Route. Factors are identified, which the development of year-round shipping in the waters of the northern seas and the beds of large Siberian rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean may depend on, as well as the causes which may prevent this. The main factors and tasks of creating transport and port infrastructure, building a modern fleet, environmentally sound organization of fisheries and tourism are revealed.