Accepting national challenges as a way to gaining public confidence. Paving its difficult way to democracy and market economy, Russia is meeting certain social and environmental challenges that harbor threats to the whole of Russian society. Foreign companies operating in Russia therefore face a number of key sustainability issues:

• Poverty may be considered as the major challenge for Russian society. Companies should provide job security and ensure the well-being of their employees. A well-developed policy of corporate social responsibility targeted at the needy, and especially children, in the different Russian regions will gain public recognition.
• There is a lack of investment in those sectors of the Russian economy that do not deal with the extraction of natural resources. The transfer of modern and energy-saving technologies to these sectors is vital.
• The disparity in regional development is one of the most important challenges for Russia’s integrity. Appropriate geo-graphical location of production facilities could provide a new impetus for balanced development in stagnating regions.
• The fight against climate change will assume increasing importance in the coming decades. Positive trends in environmental protection should be secured by introducing advanced environmental management practices. Companies should focus on reducing carbon dioxide emissions through joint implementation projects.