Ecological balance in the system of sustainable development

The globalization processes that have overtaken the world economy, aimed mainly at minimizing costs and maximizing profits, have contributed to the degradation of the natural, social and even spiritual environment. According to experts, further ensuring economic growth on a functioning basis can lead humanity to a disaster that doubts the fact of its future existence. This requires a necessary revision of the global world view, making it a priority to ensure its sustainable development. Sustainable social development is the result of the balance among three components. They are economic growth, social responsibility and environmental balance. Economic development involves the effective use of limited resources based on resource-saving technologies. Social development is human-oriented and preserves the stability of social-cultural systems. Ecological development provides for the integrity of biological and physical natural systems, the preservation of ecosystems’ lifetime. Experts say that if the existing production conditions are maintained, the resource component of production may be exhausted in the near future. Limited resources are not the only problem of humanity in the field of sustainable development. The prevailing technologies and social relations today are capable of leading humanity to an environmental disaster. The environmental situation in Russia today can be called critical without exaggeration. At the same time, it should be noted that there is a low level of public interest in environmental problems in Russia. Russian citizens entrust the solution of environmental problems to business and the state.