Natural resources

Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets, together with his colleagues from the International Working Group on the Environmental Consequences of War and its co-chair, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallström, presented the Environmental Compact for Ukraine to members of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management.

“Post-war recovery is possible only in unity. Our goal is to talk about the environment in times of war to the whole world and to be a good example in the international arena. To this end, a number of tools have already been created as part of the Point 8 of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Peace Formula, including the Environmental Compact, a handbook for green recovery. It contains 50 recommendations for Ukraine and the international community that embody a unified approach to assessing the environmental impact of the russian war in Ukraine, define approaches to compensation for damage, and suggestions for green recovery,” said Ruslan Strilets.

According to Ruslan Strilets, the recommendations presented in the Environmental Compact are cross-sectoral in nature. They involve many ministries and other agencies in the restoration. To implement them, a governmental interagency working group was set up on behalf of Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and has already held its first meeting. In the near future, a joint action plan should be developed.

The basis for the implementation of the recommendations is primarily the European integration reforms in the field of environmental protection, which the Ministry is working on together with MPs.

These include:

development of climate legislation;

reform of state environmental control;

prevention of industrial pollution;

implementation of the Emerald Network.

“These draft laws are already included in the Priority Action Plan of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine for 2024 and the Legislative Work Plan of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine for 2024. Therefore, we must make joint efforts to preserve and restore the Ukrainian environment. The key to post-war recovery is unity. Unity of the whole society and all branches of power. Unity with international partners. Our consolidation paves the way for a green future,” Ruslan Strilets emphasised.