The International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War has proposed that Ukraine include climate policy and green recovery in the powers of the current Deputy Prime Minister, as well as provide the necessary specialized staff.
Experts propose to appoint a senior official who will be responsible for green recovery and reconstruction, according to the Environmental Compact for Ukraine.
Currently, the post of Vice Prime Minister is held by Yulia Svyrydenko, who is also the Minister of Economy.
In addition, the agreement proposes alternative solutions, namely the creation of a new position for climate policy and green recovery, which will have the level of the Deputy Prime Minister.
It is noted that this is necessary for coordinated planning and implementation of the government's priorities for:
- ensuring energy- and resource-efficient restoration and reconstruction;
- reducing the use of fossil fuels;
- ensuring the principle "not to cause significant damage to the environment";
- active involvement of independent environmental experts and institutions, in particular from civil society and international organizations.
"A healthy, climate- and environment-friendly Ukraine will require significant changes in many sectors of the economy, just as other countries of the world are doing. Many of these structural investments and reforms will need to be resolved and, at least at the initial stage, launched even in conditions of war," the document says.
It is noted that for the sustainable development of Ukraine it is critically important that the country and its partners consider post-war recovery simultaneously with the requirements for greening the economy. Ukraine will need a fundamental change in its economic model, namely a transition from low energy efficiency, high levels of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
The document emphasized that these priorities are also confirmed by the European Commission. Ukraine is being urged to take advantage of the momentum from its accession to the EU to make this critical transition to an environmentally sustainable economic model. The political sector and business will need the resources to modernize and adapt, so clear accountability and strong leadership from government must be ensured.
"If everything is done properly, it will provide the confidence necessary to attract investors," the contract says.
It is worth noting that the agreement does not propose to strengthen the position of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources and transfer control over green reconstruction to the ministry. This may be due to the fact that the ministry, despite its ambitious statements and plans, is often criticized for its lack of political will and transparency, as well as the failure of reforms.
Earlier, EcoPolitic wrote, that the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War has developed and presented the Environmental Compact for Ukraine, which is a roadmap for holding Russia accountable and restoring the environment. The document has 30 recommendations for Ukraine and 20 for the international community.
As EcoPolitic previously reported, experts rated the work of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Ruslan Strilets in 2023 at 4 on a ten-point scale, in particular due to the lack of transparency and accountability of the ministry.
