On Tuesday, January 19, the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal chaired a meeting of the Interdepartmental Working Group to coordinate the activities to eliminate the effects of climate change within the scope of the European Commission’s initiatives European Green Deal.

The video conference was attended by members of the Government, MPs, representatives of the President's Office, the National Security and Defense Council, the experts and businesses.

The participants of the meeting discussed the formation of the Ukrainian green course on the basis of the European Green Deal and presented the priorities in its core areas.

According to the acting Minister of Energy Yurii Vitrenko, the green course is a global trend that is gaining momentum, so Ukraine has no right to delay.

"The principal condition for Ukraine's joining the Green Deal is: the state must ensure the honesty of key players in energy markets. Lacking competitive and transparent markets as well as effective mechanisms to protect vulnerable consumers, we will not become part of Europe," noted Yurii Vitrenko.

Acting Minister of Energy also voiced the basic principles of the strategy for the development of the Ukrainian energy sector:

• energy security, which is part of national security;

• market economy, which is interconnected with European integration;

• sustainable development related to the protection of vulnerable consumers.

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Roman Abramovskyy noted that the green course is, first of all, green economy development and improving the quality of life of Ukrainians.

"Introduction of innovations, modernization and greening of industry, creation of new jobs in the field of waste processing and recycling, increasing of afforestation and preservation of natural ecosystems," said Roman Abramovskyy.

The core objective of the European Green Deal is a sustainable green transition to a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture Ihor Petrashko, for his part, stressed that achieving climate neutrality in 2050 is a truly realistic target for Ukraine.

"If we analyze the strategy of the European Green Deal, as well as EU policy documents on the circular economy and agriculture (Farm to Fork), we will see that a number of elements of these policies are already being implemented in Ukraine," stressed Ihor Petrashko.

In his opinion, Ukraine needs to set the right framework for climate transformation and conduct a dialogue with the EU, taking into account previous achievements and the fact that Ukraine is an ally in achieving climate goals on the continent.

Opportunities and challenges of Ukraine's energy sector in the framework of EU GREEN DEAL

Key facts regarding EGD from the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture 

Долучення України до ініціативи "Європейський зелений курс"