In the regions, some of which are considered potential combat zones, their environmental protection programs are also being implemented. In Chernihiv region, wartime environmental concerns are addressed with the same level of care as in rear regions: the majority of eco-tax funds are spent on the reconstruction and modernization of sewage system equipment, as well as on waste management.
EcoPolitic continues its series of articles on the use of environmental tax funds in the regions of Ukraine. In this text, we will review how the funds from polluting enterprises were utilized in the northern border area.
Regional-level environmental program
The current program for environmental protection in Chernihiv region was adopted before the full-scale invasion – in February 2021. It covers activities from 2021 to 2027 and has already undergone dozens of amendments. Therefore, we decided to examine the actual implementation of the program’s measures for the previous year.
In 2025, the top most expensive activities by expenditure were as follows:
- UAH 1.2 million – reconstruction of the gravity-flow sewer collector system in the village of Progres;
- UAH 1 million – provision of environmentally safe collection and disposal of unusable plant protection chemicals within the Varva village council;
- UAH 953,200 – development of a land management project for organizing and establishing boundaries of territories and sites of the nature reserve fund within the Kulykivka village council;
- UAH 922,700 – arrangement of container sites for household waste collection in the territory of the Kyiinka rural council;
- UAH 792,000 – provision of environmentally safe collection and disposal of unusable plant protection chemicals within the Sukhopolovyanska rural council;
- UAH 660,000 – provision of environmentally safe collection and disposal of unusable plant protection chemicals within the Lynovytsia village council;
- UAH 600,000 – adjustment of the regional waste management plan;
- UAH 449,500 – preparation of project and estimate documentation for the construction of sewage treatment facilities and sewage networks outside the village of Sosnytsia;
- UAH 446,400 – purchase of equipment for wastewater disinfection at treatment plants in the city of Semenivka;
- UAH 416,900 – purchase of containers for household waste collection in the territory of the Ripky village council;
- UAH 395,000 – purchase of containers for the arrangement of sites for separate household waste collection in the city of Horodnia;
- UAH 297,500 – development of a land management project for organizing and establishing boundaries of territories and objects of the nature reserve fund within the Sukhopolovyanska rural council.
Additionally, UAH 200,000 was spent on environmental and educational activities. Last year, the region allocated nearly UAH 1.5 million for the development of a feasibility study for the reclamation of industrial waste accumulation ponds in Chernihiv. However, these expenditures were not executed during the reporting year.
In total, out of the allocated 15.4 million UAH for eco-program measures, about 10.3 million UAH was actually spent. Budget appropriations from the special fund amounted to over 10.3 million UAH.
It should be noted that a number of communities where measures worth hundreds of thousands of hryvnias were implemented have been classified as territories of possible hostilities. In particular, the Semenivka municipal community has held this status since December 2024, while the Horodnia community – since June 2022.
Environmental care in smaller communities
In the environmental protection program of the Kozelets community, the special fund’s proceeds gained from environmental pollution are designated as the main source of funding.
Overall, the village council has planned five measures for 2025–2027 totaling almost 2.6 million UAH. The most expensive is the purchase of pumping equipment to replace worn and outdated units, with a planned expenditure of 1.2 million UAH over three years. Another 600,000 UAH is earmarked for the elimination of unauthorized dumps and, in general, for resolving waste-related issues. 300,000 UAH is budgeted for the purchase of trash bins and containers, 150,000 UAH – for greening of settlements, and 15,000 UAH – for measuring water quality indicators.
In the city of Horodnia, the proceeds of the eco-tax special fund also serve as the primary resource for implementing the local eco-program. In total, 300,000 UAH is planned to be spent on its measures over 2026–2028. However, the cost of individual measures is not specified.
The environmental protection program in Horodnia covers the following areas:
- Protection and rational use of water resources. This concerns the restoration of the hydrological regime of rivers and improvement of water bodies.
- Protection and rational use of natural plant resources. Here, the council added the elimination of windfall consequences, removal of hazardous trees, and landscaping of territories.
- Preservation of the natural reserve fund. Under this prominent title, only the construction and reconstruction of roads, paths, and fencing in parks are included.
- Rational use and storage of industrial and household waste.
- Science, information, and education.
In the eco-program of the Novobilouska rural territorial community for 2025–2027, no specific measures are outlined at all. At the same time, the Nizhyn city council, in its environmental protection program for 2026, limited itself to a general list of tasks and activities in the fifth section of the document. The only concrete items here are the necessity of conducting “Plant a Tree” and “Environment Day” campaigns to increase the number of green spaces.
