Ukraine and UNIDO set priorities for further cooperation on green industrial recovery
The Ministry of Economy and Environment of Ukraine and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) have identified priority areas for further cooperation on climate policy and the circular economy.
The issues were discussed at a working meeting between Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi and UNIDO Senior Coordinator for Ukraine Stefan Sikars, who coordinates the implementation of the Green Industrial Recovery Programme for Ukraine for 2024–2028. Olha Yushkevych, Director of the Ministry's International Cooperation Department, also took part.
The sides focused mainly on new initiatives under cooperation with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) aimed at supporting Ukraine's green and sustainable industrial recovery.
"Ukraine needs practical solutions today that will help modernise industry, improve energy efficiency and introduce modern climate policy. These are the projects on which we focus our cooperation with international partners. We are grateful to UNIDO for its systematic support and its readiness to work together on projects that meet these priorities," said Oleksandr Krasnolutskyi.
During the meeting, the Ministry presented priority areas for future cooperation with UNIDO. These include assessing and cleaning up mercury-contaminated sites, introducing energy-efficient cooling technologies, and establishing a system for the collection, reclamation, reuse and environmentally sound management of refrigerants, among others.
A separate focus was the prospects for cooperation under the new Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding cycle. The Ukrainian side outlined priority areas for future climate policy projects that will help Ukraine meet its international commitments, align its legislation with European Union law and introduce modern environmental solutions.
The meeting also covered the implementation of UNIDO's ongoing GEF-funded projects in Ukraine, as well as further engagement during the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP31).
The sides agreed to continue coordinating their joint work on preparing new projects to support Ukraine's green industrial recovery and the implementation of environmental reforms.
Background
UNIDO (the United Nations Industrial Development Organization) is one of Ukraine's key international partners in green industrial recovery, the development of the circular economy, climate policy, hazardous waste management and chemical safety. The organisation is implementing a number of projects in Ukraine with the support of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the European Union and other international partners.