Together with German partners, we launch a new project for a just transformation of coal regions, green recovery of Ukraine and movement towards the EU: Svitlana Grynchuk
Today, the Power4JustTransition Programme, implemented in Ukraine by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, has officially started its work. As part of the official launch, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources signed a Memorandum of Understanding with German partners on the implementation of the international technical assistance project Energy for a Just Transformation.
According to Svitlana Grynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the project will help the Government of Ukraine to develop a strategic framework for a fair energy transformation and rebuild the energy system in line with European standards. The project will also work with communities to develop and implement local development plans and improve energy security, as well as attract investment for specific projects. The budget of the ITA project is EUR 26 million.
During the grand opening of the Power4JustTransition Programme, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal stressed that this day the Government was approving the State Target Programme for the Fair Transformation of Ukraine's Coal Regions until 2030. This is the first strategic document at the national level that will serve as a roadmap for both the authorities and international partners. The programme covers activities in 38 communities related to coal mining and thermal power generation.
The programme will focus on four key areas: support for local economies, development of decentralised and diversified energy, human capital and environmental sustainability. This document is also the result of close cooperation with German partners.
"The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources was one of the key authors of the State Target Programme, where we, together with communities, developed a pool of measures to overcome environmental consequences where possible, including comprehensive restoration of territories and industrial infrastructure in coal regions and creation of protected areas (improving air and water quality through revitalisation, reclamation, etc.) So, we have a lot of joint work ahead of us. We are grateful to our German partners for their continued support of Ukraine, both before the war and after russia's large-scale aggression. The start of today's cooperation is an additional opportunity for new development and restoration of Ukrainian communities and another step towards Ukraine's green recovery and integration with the EU," said Svitlana Grynchuk.