Environmental policy formation in the context of contemporary challenges

In a changing world, environmental policy, particularly state environmental policy, is undergoing significant changes due to the emergence of new or the mainstreaming of pre-existing challenges. The author of the article understands the state environmental policy as a socio-legal phenomenon, including a system of ideas, views, concepts on achieving sustainable development, expressed in political and legal documents, and policy implementers’ practical activities. Research methods: empirical methods of description, comparison, interpretation; theoretical methods of formal and dialectical logic; specific scientific methods: legal-dogmatic and interpretation of legal norms. The conclusion is substantiated that policy change is carried out by changing the views of policy actors, the subsequent expression of these views in the political and legal documents that formalize them and policy implementers’ practical activities. The economic and political sanctions imposed on Russia, economic problems caused by these sanctions, climate change, digital transformation of all spheres of modern society may be included in the current challenges to environmental policy. These challenges are understood by policy makers, their response to them is reflected in the planning and implementation of adequate political, economic and legal measures. At the same time, not all aspects of contemporary challenges are understood in scientific and theoretical terms, and, therefore, the response to them is not yet reflected in the documents and practical activities of the state.