EBA experts propose to adjust the deadlines in the ETS Implementation Plan in Ukraine

EBA experts propose to adjust the deadlines in the ETS Implementation Plan in Ukraine shutterstock
Hanna Velyka

They turned to the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine with proposals for changes in this document 

The restart of the greenhouse gas monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system should begin in 2025 and provide for at least 3 years of full operation before the start of the pilot phase of the greenhouse gas emissions trading system (ETS) in Ukraine.

The European Business Association (EBA) published this and other recommendations on its website.

They believe that the 2024-2025 timeframe for preparing an analytical report is “too ambitious due to the complexity of research and consultations.” Therefore, the experts proposed to postpone some of the activities envisaged by the Plan to 2025 and to engage specialists with relevant experience.

What action plan do experts see?

The EBA recommends the following timeframe for the gradual implementation of the ETS:

  1. Relaunch of the MRV – starting in 2025, with at least 3 years of full operation before the start of the pilot phase.
  2. Development of the regulatory framework – a process that will take place in parallel with the first phase and, according to the Committee's companies, may take 2-3 years.
  3. The pilot phase of the ETS will start in 2028.
  4. Full ETS phase – starting from 2031, provided that at least 3 years after the termination or lifting of martial law and at least three years after the launch of the pilot phase.

The EBA experts emphasized that the pilot phase of the ETS will be an important step in improving the system, as it will provide additional information for its development. In their opinion, during the preparation, it is necessary to identify those regulations that should be adopted before its launch, as well as those that can be finalized after its completion.

Experts emphasized the importance of preparing the economy to join the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). They believe that this requires strengthening interagency cooperation and adapting management platforms, as well as identifying the system administrator, which could be one of the ministries or a newly created institution.

Earlier, EcoPolitics reported that Ukraine plans to launch the pilot phase of the national greenhouse gas emissions trading system in 2028, and its full-fledged operation will begin no earlier than 3 years after the termination or lifting of martial law.

In November, we reported that parliamentarians supported the draft law No. 12131, which provides for the resumption of monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions in Ukraine.

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