Stressful Factors of Sustainable Development of the Russian Coal Industry

Abstract

Achieving sustainable development of the coal industry is of strategic importance for ensuring national security. The purpose of the article is to identify stress factors for the sustainable development of the coal industry associated with the current objective trends in the Russian and world economies. The hypothesis of the study is the assumption that understanding the stress factors for the sustainable development of the coal industry makes it possible to form industrial policy directions to prevent the development or minimize the consequences of existing negative trends that weaken the industry's potential in the long term. The novelty of the study is expressed in the approach to the analysis of sustainable development factors, since most researchers do not separate risk factors and stress factors. When describing stress factors, the following groups were identified: financial, human, technological, political, and environmental. In the study of stress factors, a context-oriented approach was used. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the main stress factors for the sustainable development of the Russian coal industry are associated not only with the implementation of decarbonization programs for world economies, but also with a number of intra-system problems in the development of the industry. Among the latter, the problems of reducing domestic consumption of coal, increasing freight rates for rail transportation, a high degree of import dependence of coal mining against the background of a low level of innovative potential of domestic engineering, the presence of personnel problems in coal mining, etc. The Russian government's Program 2035 does not take into account a number of stress factors caused by the current trends in the development of interconnected and related industries and areas of activity. Proceeding from this, measures aimed at increasing the sustainability of the development of the coal industry are proposed. The conclusion is made about the need to identify and assess stress factors in the formation of industrial policy directions. The practical results of the study can be used to develop measures to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the coal industry and the choice of tools to respond to risks provoked by stress factors.