Business programme 2025

The Arctic is a unique region that has been attracting more and more attention from the international community in recent years. Climate change is opening up new opportunities for the development of this hard-to-reach region of the planet, also known as the land of white silence. The growing interest in the Arctic is due to a complex set of geopolitical, economic, environmental, cultural, and other factors. The Arctic is taking on greater strategic, economic, resource, environmental, transport, and logistics importance. From its remote location on the globe, the Arctic is gradually turning into a centre of attraction with which many countries link their future development. Revived interest in the Arctic is clearly being seen among Asian countries, which have had sustainable economic growth in recent decades. During the session, the participants will discuss key aspects of international cooperation, including the development of the Northern Sea Route as a global transport artery, as well as how to attract foreign investment for Arctic projects and strengthen partnerships with non-Arctic countries to implement joint initiatives. How is transport infrastructure developing in the Arctic? Which investment projects are most in demand within Russia’s Arctic zone? What kind of international research centres are being built in the Arctic? What measures are being taken to preserve the region’s ecosystem and develop educational and cultural exchanges? How can we unlock the potential of Arctic tourism?

Amidst the new geopolitical and economic challenges, the Arctic’s importance as a macro-region of the future is growing. Effective international communication is crucial to maintaining peace and stability in the northern latitudes, ensuring a high quality of life, and protecting the region’s unique ecosystem. To this end, key goals include attracting young people, professionals, and responsible businesses to the Arctic, launching research projects and cultural programmes, and involving the global community in solving the environmental challenges of the Arctic that affect the entire planet. With new foundations for international public and business life taking shape, now is the time to promote and advance the potential of the Arctic by disseminating and exchanging knowledge, implementing educational programmes, and engaging in humanitarian cooperation with a priority focus on creating opportunities for people to realize their potential and a human-centred approach to the development of the macro-region. What are some of the existing mechanisms for humanitarian cooperation and the implementation of joint international projects in the Arctic? How is knowledge about the Arctic disseminated today? What information about the Arctic do people need most of all? What projects in culture, education, science, the creative industries, tourism, and the social agenda are under way in the Arctic and how should we tell the world about them? How can we develop economic and technological collaboration through humanitarian cooperation? How can we attract skilled workers from Russia and other countries to develop the macro-region? How can we unite and systematize the efforts of all parties involved in international Arctic activities to make the Arctic more popular?

Scientists estimate that permafrost thawing will cause more than RUB 7–10 trillion in damages to residential and industrial buildings and structures by 2050, and this does not include the linear infrastructure of oil and gas companies and future investments in development. Environmental risks are difficult to assess at this point since rising temperatures in the Arctic have a complex systemic effect on the planet’s climate. Russia needs to create an effective state system for the geotechnical monitoring of the condition of buildings and structures located in permafrost areas in order to predict the risks that could arise from its degradation. A system of preventive measures also needs to be developed to minimize possible damage. Who should be involved in creating a state system of geotechnical permafrost monitoring and how should areas of responsibility be distributed among the planners of this system? What aspects of developing a state geotechnical monitoring system should be regulated by legislation, and which agencies should create the legislative framework? Do new legislative acts need to be drafted or is it enough to make adjustments to existing legislation? What work is being carried out now, what are the interim results of the work on the draft law on geotechnical permafrost monitoring, and what steps will be taken in the future? What is the international community’s role in monitoring the state of permafrost and ensuring the reliability of infrastructure in the Arctic? What best permafrost monitoring practices that have been developed by corporations operating in the region can be replicated?

The Arctic is one of the most fragile ecosystems on the planet. The priority for Arctic development should be environmental conservation, ensuring a balance between economic activity, human presence, and the preservation of nature. Since 2018, Russia has been implementing the Ecology national project, aimed at improving environmental conditions and enhancing public health. In 2025, Russia launched the national project Environmental Well-Being, which includes six federal programmes: General Cleaning, Closed Cycle Economy, Water of Russia, Clean Air, Forest Conservation, and Preservation of Biodiversity and Development of Ecotourism. What achievements have been made under the Ecology national project? What are the government’s plans for the Environmental Well-Being project by 2030? What investment initiatives have businesses implemented, and how have they contributed to environmental improvements? What forms of cooperation between the state and businesses can enhance the effectiveness of environmental policies?

The enormous challenges of developing Russia’s Arctic zone and implementing major investment projects to extract minerals and improve the infrastructure of the Northern Sea Route require measures to ensure the sanitary and epidemiological safety of the population and create a favourable habitat and safe working conditions. Today, it is crucial to minimize health risks for both those who are just arriving in the Arctic as well as the Indigenous population living in the extreme climatic conditions of the North. This involves providing high-quality water supply in permafrost conditions, ensuring the disposal of municipal waste, supplying high-quality and safe food, and creating the conditions needed for people to manage and correct their diets, particularly among children, all of which are crucial to reducing the incidence of disease among the population. Maintaining the health of the working population amidst low temperatures and different daylight patterns, as well as the use of preventive measures, should be based on following a system of hygienic regulation as a component of public health management. The climate change and warming that have been seen in recent years, as well as the reduction in permafrost, are causing complications in the epidemiological and hygienic situation due to the pollution of soil and water sources.