New Vision for ‘Green’ Transformation of Ukraine Expected – Ukraine Government

The Government of Ukraine and the European Commission plan to join forces to form a streamlined vision of Ukraine’s “green” transformation. The news was reported by Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna following a meeting with Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans.

Timmermans noted that the European Union (EU) would pay considerable attention to its own environmental standards in the process of Ukraine's postwar reconstruction. Stefanishyna stressed that it was important to start working together to develop a streamlined vision and a mechanism for “green” recovery without delay.

“It is important for us to continue to be an active partner of the EU in achieving the global goal of climate neutrality,” Stefanishyna said, adding that Ukraine, jointly with the EU, has to rethink the entire “green” agenda, given the scale of destruction inside the country.

The deputy PM stressed the need to attract new instruments, in particular 

financial ones from the EU, to help Ukraine implement required reforms and face post-war reconstruction challenges.

“By February 24, a lot had been done to start the “green” transformation of Ukraine. We have formed an ambitious, nationally determined contribution to the Paris Climate Agreement to reduce harmful emissions,” Stefanishyna said.

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“It was a product of consensus between all players. One of our greatest achievements, in my opinion, was the high level of business readiness for Ukraine’s implementation of policies within the European Green Deal,” she added.

Today, after the devastating blow that Russian aggression has caused to the Ukrainian economy, Ukrainian business is fighting for survival and needs support, Stefanishyna said.

“Business remains a crucial player in the “green” transformation of Ukraine. Thus, it is important to form a common understanding with the business community on the way forward,” the deputy PM asserted, adding that the streamlined vision of Ukraine’s “green” agenda will also help the country prepare for negotiations on EU membership, given the volume of legislation that the country has to apply. 

At the end of the meeting, Stefanishyna thanked Frans Timmermans for his support of Ukraine, in particular for his active position and efforts to toughen EU sanctions pressure on Russia.