The scale of waste formation from coal-fired generation is significant and tends to grow steadily in the context of the global use of coal for power production. This paper covers the problems and current opportunities for recycling coal fly ash waste from coal generation from the position of a stakeholder approach, namely, identification of the main participants and determination of the effects for economic agents in coal fly ash recycling projects. Based on the method of economic modeling and the empirical assessment of project efficiency, this paper presents alternative patterns of stakeholder interaction in the process of implementing coal fly ash recycling projects, estimates the effects of using coal fly ash, and identifies conflicting interests between stakeholders. It is shown that the reason behind the low interest of the Russian private sector in the processing of coal fly ash is the lack of stimulating market mechanisms for manufacturers and consumers of ash products, the high risks of implementing recycling projects based on clean coal technologies, and low environmental payments for commercial companies.

One of the trends in sustainable economic development is the transition to circular business models, which aim to optimize goods and material flows by taking into account their cyclical nature at all production stages. Adapting circular business models to mining and mineral processing operations can serve as an impetus for mining companies to upgrade and move to a new level of technological sophistication. This article attempts to develop a conceptual framework for circular business models factoring in the nature of production chains in coal mining, power generation, and metal production to reduce production costs, expand the product range, improve sustainable development indicators, and deliver growth in company value. This article is based on desk studies that were aimed at analyzing the efficiency of circular models, organizing data on experience in rational resource use in the mining industry, and transforming basic circular models into adapted ones for the environment in which coal companies operate. This study developed a conceptual framework of options for the implementation and evaluation of circular business models using an interdisciplinary approach and taking into account the specific features of coal companies and the principle of a resource being valuable throughout its whole life cycle. The proposed conceptual framework of circular business models can be used by Russian coal companies to design corporate strategies and long-term development plans.

Using Murmansk Region, one of Russia’s largest mining regions, as a case study, this paper examines the environmental safety challenges arising in the storage of mining and mineral processing waste (MMPW). It was found that MMPW causes environmental damage even after the deposit’s exhaustion. While being stored, the MMPW composition experiences a major change in the process properties of the recoverable minerals. As a consequence, the potential value of the MMPW as a mineral resource falls. Imperfections of the regulatory framework, leading to a higher unit cost of recovery and a reduced profitability of MMPW processing, are demonstrated. Potential amendments to the Russian laws are proposed in order to make MMPW processing commercially more viable.

National energy efficiency is a key driver for the sustainable development of society. However, the conditions for increasing energy efficiency vary widely around the world and depend on numerous controllable and uncontrollable factors. Existing indicators for assessing energy efficiency typically focus on individual factors, neglecting the complex interplay of socioeconomic, environmental, technological, and other factors that influence energy efficiency. This limitation hampers the quality of assessments. The goal of this study is to develop and apply a comprehensive methodological approach for assessing the influence of key factors on energy efficiency across different countries. The approach utilizes factor analysis methods to identify correlations between indicators and energy-efficiency factors. The study’s findings offer a model for assessing energy efficiency that enables a more profound and comprehensive analysis of the multifactorial impact experienced by national economies in various energy-efficiency domains and areas.

As it is predicted that there will be a decrease in production at the oil and gas facilities that are currently operating, it becomes necessary to start developing new oil and gas fields. This results in changes to the state’s policy regarding the participation of private companies in the development and implementation of oil and gas offshore exploration and production new projects. Access to unique fields can be provided to the most socially responsible companies. The purpose of this study is to present the author’s methodology for assessing the dynamics of corporate sustainability. The methodology is based on the assessment of individual, well-founded indicators of sustainable development of companies. The proposed methodology takes into account factors in areas such as occupational health and safety, environmental protection and economic efficiency and identifies two performance indicators. The first indicator is an aggregated index for three groups of factors to assess company ratings relative to the performance of the best company. The second indicator is an assessment of the dynamics within the company relative to the previous values of indicators of corporate social responsibility. The research results obtained using the proposed methodology show that oil and gas companies differ significantly in terms of corporate sustainability. The developed methodology for assessing corporate sustainability is of practical importance and can be used by companies in the analysis and planning of operating and investment activities that ensure the achievement of goals of corporate social responsibility.

The concept of sustainable development (SD) is aimed at ensuring public well-being for the present and future generations. Hundreds of methods have been proposed for assessing and comparing the sustainable development of countries and analyzing their contribution to the future of the world. When applied to resource-based economies (RBEs), assessment tools do not take into account the value and impact of mineral resources on SD indicators. The purpose of the study is to reveal the limitations of applying some tools by taking into consideration the specific features of RBEs. Research methods include a correlation analysis between gross national income (GNI) per capita and aggregated indices (the Sustainable Society Index (SSI), the Human Development Index (HDI), and the Environmental Performance Index (EPI)), a comparative analysis of these indices and mining companies’ performance indicators. Object Eurasian RBEs were selected, but Norway was analyzed separately from the sample. The results of the study show that correlations between GNI per capita and SD indicators are heterogeneous. There is no statistically significant correlation between GNI per capita and SSI, a strong correlation with HDI, and a weak correlation with EPI. The EPI and SSI structures do not reflect the specific features of RBEs.