Esg Principles in Logistics Activities of Russian Companies: Problems of Implementation and Economic Benefits

In the current economic situation, characterized by unprecedented sanctions pressure and drastic changes in trade relations, Russian logistics companies are faced with the need to review traditional approaches to doing business. The importance of ESG principles for Russian entrepreneurs is significantly increasing in the context of geopolitical changes and the need to reorient to "friendly" markets. New challenges have led to a fundamental shift in Russia's foreign trade turnover from European markets to Asian markets, where the share of partner and neutral countries has increased from 40% to 63%. Paradoxically, these changes have increased the relevance of the ESG principles for the Russian logistics business, as the requirements for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region have proved to be no less stringent, and often even more stringent, than European standards. Logistics acts as the infrastructural framework of all production and sales processes and has a decisive impact on the carbon footprint of the entire supply chain. The ecological footprint of the company's entire business depends on the organization of routes, characteristics of vehicles, and energy sources used. In conditions when by 2050 Russia plans to reduce emissions in the transport industry by 40% compared to 2019 levels, logistics companies are becoming key participants in the decarbonization of the economy, and transportation is an essential component of supply chains for materials, components, raw materials to manufacturing plants and finished goods to consumers, making a significant contribution to the carbon footprint in the formation of the value chain of products.