The draft law "On the Basic Principles of the State Climate Policy" defines only long-term goals, which may harm the legal obligation to achieve medium-term goals.
Zoriana Kozak, an analyst at the Society and Environment Resource and Analysis Center, warned of a possible conflict, as medium-term goals should be regulated by the Cabinet of Ministers' Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategy, according to the RAC's Facebook page.
Kozak explained that the Cabinet of Ministers can approve the low-carbon development strategy by an order (an act on organizational and administrative and other current issues) or a resolution (a regulatory act).
"If this will be an order, then the legal obligation of medium-term goals is questionable," she emphasized.
According to her, this conflict could be avoided if the draft law defined both long-term and medium-term goals.
Kozak added that the draft law defines:
- basic principles and system of state climate policy;
- formation and achievement of its goals;
- implementation of climate planning;
- the main principles of monitoring the implementation of state climate policy.
"One of the key issues of the draft law is the establishment of climate goals of state policy. The value of this particular law would be to establish legally binding climate obligations of Ukraine, which the European Commission drew attention to," she said.
Document developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources and announced the start of public discussion. Proposals and comments to it can be sent until March 5.
As EcoPolitic reported earlier, The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources developed a draft Strategy for the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of climate change for the period up to 2035 and announced its discussion.
