Experts and participants discuss balancing economic growth and protecting the environment, ways to achieve decarbonisation, and finding effective measures to adapt to climate change

Kyiv, Ukraine, 21 October 2021 – Sixty environmental experts and 360 participants, attending both in person and online, have gathered for the National Eco-Business Forum "Green Economy: How to Achieve Balance", which started today in Kyiv.

Over two days, forum attendees will discuss current environmental trends, the state and prospects for the eco-transformation and revitalisation of coal-mining regions, and the implementation of current regional and national eco-strategies.

The forum will cover sectors of the country's economy such as mining, electricity, metallurgy, food industry, transport, agriculture, housing (water utilities, waste utilities, etc.), as well as the public sector.

UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Dafina Gercheva, in her video address to forum participants, noted that the transition to a green economy was a central element of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. Although some progress has been made in harmonising Ukraine's regulatory framework with EU law, much remains to be done to catch the green wave and make the leap to a green economy, she said.

"According to the UNDP Human Development Report 2020, those countries that forge new, more sustainable paths will be stronger, more resilient, and much more prosperous than they could have ever imagined before the COVID-19 pandemic," Gercheva said. “We’re implementing a wide range of environmental initiatives in Ukraine. In particular, we’re making many efforts to protect the environment, reduce risks, and manage natural disasters in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. UNDP supports the efforts of local communities to improve the management of household and industrial waste, by establishing an open dialogue between industry, business, government and civil society."

Gercheva also stressed that reducing waste or ensuring its proper recycling is an essential component of Ukraine's development process, which determines the quality of life and opportunities for self-sufficiency, as well as the transition to a vibrant green and sustainable economy.

In her introductory speech, President of the Professional Association of Ecologists of Ukraine Liudmyla Tsyhanok called for all to focus their attention and efforts on strengthening the institutional capacity for reform in Ukraine.

"Today, there are misunderstandings between environmental ecologists and practical ecologists,” Tsyhanok said. “The former create legislative acts based solely on theoretical principles, while the latter face difficulties in applying the developed regulatory framework in practice. As a result, some environmental laws are behind the times, while others are significantly ahead of European legislation, without considering the realities on the ground in Ukraine. Each initiative must be linked to fact, and be supported by detailed implementation plans and funding sources."

The All-Ukrainian Eco-Business Forum "Green Economy: How to Achieve Balance" was organised by the Professional Association of Environmentalists of Ukraine and the National Centre for Sustainable Development, in partnership with UNDP under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, which is funded by the governments of Denmark, Sweden and Switzerland.

Following the two days of discussions, the forum’s conclusions will be summarized in a resolution.

You can watch a livestream of the eco forum on YouTube channel via this link.

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Twelve international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

Media enquiries

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org