CONCEPTUAL ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL-PROBLEMS OF ECONOMIC-POLICY IN THE FORMER USSR

Since the late 1980s the economy of the former USSR has experienced an overall recession caused by natural scarcities and intensified struct ural contradictions. Accelerated energy production growth with sharply falling investment efficiency in reproduction processes of the energy complex, and an economy overburdened with energy squandering equipmen t and technologies have aggravated the situation in the energy sector. Rejuvenating the Soviet economy and orienting it to social programmes is closely connected to the new concept of energy development. There is no constructive alternative to energy conservation which must ensur e stabilization of overall energy production in the.former USSR over a period of not less than five to seven years. Attempts to maintain the environmental balance of long-term economic development have failed. Radical improvement in the ecological situation can be achieved only b y rebuilding the economy. The specific features considered here indica te that energy and the environment are active and important elements o f current economic policies.