Ukraine

About

Ukraine joined the CCAC in 2020 and highlighted a priority to address short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) in the agriculture, transport, cooling, waste, and energy sectors, including oil and gas and coal mining.  

The new ambitions of Ukraine to tackle SLCPs tie well into the national efforts on climate change mitigation. The updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) of July 2021 sets a target to achieve an economy-wide net domestic reduction of 65 % in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as compared to 1990. Ukraine’s NDC represents a progression of the previously communicated INDC of GHG emission levels not exceeding 60% of 1990 emissions in 2030. The current NDC covers all greenhouse gasses outside the Montreal Protocol from the energy, industry, agriculture, land use and forestry, and waste sectors. The associated report on updating NDC of 2020 suggests amongst other actions to improve waste management and to reduce methane from agriculture to achieve low climate impact pathways. To achieve such sustainable economic growth, Ukraine considers mitigation strategies such as cutting methane and nitrogen oxide from fossil fuel production, agriculture, and waste. It also proposes to scale up energy-saving technologies in the agriculture sector. The associated policy documents - Decree 179/2021 approving the National Economic Strategy until 2030 from 2021 and Ukraine 2050 Low Emission Development Strategy from 2017 - strive to decouple future economic and social growth from further greenhouse gas emissions. 

Ukraine’s objectives for the waste sector align well with the CCAC’s waste-related work. While Resolution 820-r on the approval of the National Waste Management Strategy for Ukraine until 2030 of 2017 addresses waste management challenges more generally, it also focuses on agricultural waste. Some of the targets that the strategy includes can simultaneously help to cut methane, for example, the use of agricultural waste biomass for energy generation or the use of vegetable waste for the production of animal feedstuffs. Ukraine’s agricultural policy generally aims to develop the sector efficiently and equitably while respecting environmental sustainability. The Concept of the State Target Program for the Development of the Agricultural Sector until 2022 (2019) proposes to enhance biodiversity with incentives for conservation and sustainable land use and to implement measures to combat land degradation and desertification.  

Ukraine aims to develop its renewable energy sources and enhance energy efficiency. Both help to significantly cut greenhouse gases, including methane emissions. The 2008 Amendment to the Law 555 – IV on Alternative Energy Sources, amended by Law 601 – VI (2003) defines a set of measures, such as coal mine methane capture and use and converting organic waste to energy. Promoting cleaner household energy, the 2017 Law on Energy Efficiency Fund (2095-VIII) establishes an Energy Efficiency Fund to introduce incentives and support measures for energy efficiency improvements and savings in buildings. The Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2035, approved by Resolution 605-r (2017) replies to the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set in Ukraine’s first NDC under the Paris Agreement and sets an economy-wide target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 against a 1990 baseline and a target to increase the share of renewables by 17% by 2030. Find out more about climate change policies in the Ukraine below.

Other Activities

General 

• Action Plan to Implement the State Policy on Climate Change until 2030 (2017): approves the first NDC and sets out government measures for related MRV activities, financial instruments, and public-private partnerships in climate change.  
• Ukraine 2050 - Low Carbon Development Strategy (LEDS) (2018): determines national stakeholders' agreed vision on decoupling further economic and social growth of the State and its social development from the growth in greenhouse gases emissions. The LEDS is an instrument for public administration and shaping of climate responsible behavior of both businesses and citizens, while at the international level, it supports a global target on stabilization of Greenhouse concentration in accordance with the scenario of global average temperature increase confinement to well below 2°С of preindustrial levels. 
• Presidential Decree No. 722/2019 validating Sustainable Development Goals of Ukraine until 2030 (2019): serves as a guideline for drafting all national programs, documents, normative legal acts, etc. until 2030 and encompasses all 17 SDGs.   
• Law of Ukraine on the Principles of Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification of greenhouse gas Emissions (2019): sets plans for industrial actors to monitor and report emissions in accordance with the EU ETS and non-ETS legislation, specifically the EU Directive 2003/87/EC. 
• Law of Ukraine "On Regulation of Ozone-Depleting and Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases" (2019). 
• Action Plan to implement the state policy on climate change until 2030 (2017): determines the main directions and tasks of Ukraine's climate policy, legal and institutional conditions for ensuring a gradual transition to low-carbon development, economic, energy, and environmental security and improving the welfare of citizens.  
• The strategy of the State Environmental Policy of Ukraine until 2030 (2019): sets out to achieve a healthy environment by following an ecosystems approach in all development objectives, in coherence with the basic right of every Ukrainian citizen to a clean and safe environment. Specifically, the main principles are to preserve the climate system, balance environmental and social development, integrate environmental requirements in development, and approval of planning at all governance levels and responsibility of executive authorities for the accessibility, timeliness, and accuracy of environmental information amongst others.  

Agriculture 

• Concept of the State Target Program for the Development of the Agricultural Sector until 2020 (2015): aims for the creation of organizational and economic conditions for effective socially oriented development of the agricultural sector. The main focus lies on a stable provision of high-quality and safe domestic agricultural commodities and industry with agricultural raw materials, the manufacturing of agricultural commodities with high added value, and on increasing the volume of agricultural products and foodstuffs on the world market. 
• Single and comprehensive Strategy and Action Plan for Agriculture and Rural Development in Ukraine 2015 – 2020 (2015): lays out 10 priorities to reform the sector, one out of which is ‘Environment and management of natural resources, including forestry and fishery'. Provides a long-term vision for the development of agriculture and rural areas.  

Transport  

• Law 1391 – VI on Promotion of Biological Fuels Production and Use (2009): objectives are to save fossil fuels, decrease energy import dependency and increase energy security, as well as to decrease the negative environmental impact of burning fossil fuels. Introduces a definition of biofuels and their types specify conditions for their commercial sales and utilization.  
• National Transport Strategy of Ukraine until 2030 (2018): aims to create an efficient transport complex in Ukraine, to make Ukraine a regional transport hub, to meet public transportation needs and to improve business conditions for maintaining competitiveness and efficiency of the national economy”. Strategies include the use of alternative fuels, green vehicles, partial refocusing of carriage service from road to the inland waterway, and rail transport to prioritize environmental protection.  

Energy

• Orders 260 and 261 on energy efficiency in buildings (2020): approve minimum requirements for energy efficiency in buildings and amend methodology for determining building energy efficiency.   
• Law 2118 – VIII on the energy efficiency of buildings (2017): requires government housing and renewable energy agencies to develop guidelines for training on energy efficiency and conservation in buildings. It sets technical regulations for energy efficiency, defines minimum energy efficiency requirements in buildings, and creates an energy efficiency certification scheme. 
• Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2035, approved by Resolution 605-r (2017): a binding document that focuses on energy security, efficiency, and competitiveness. It includes a target to halve energy consumption by 2030 and to increase production of local energy through alternative energy sources: 50% nuclear, 25% renewable, 13% hydropower, 12% thermal.  
• Law 2509 – IV on Combined Heat and Power (cogeneration) and Waste Energy Potential (2005): amended by Law 2592-VI, Code 2755-VI, Law 2856-VI, and Law 3610-VI of 07.07.2011. The legislative framework for improving energy efficiency in production processes, development, investment, and application of combined heat and power technologies, and improvement of reliability and security of supply. The law defines legal, economic, and organizational principles of business relations in energy as of cogeneration and the business relations in energy generation, transmission, and supply of electricity and heat from cogeneration plants.  
• National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency until 2030, approved by Resolution 1803-r (2021): establishes a national energy efficiency target and measures to achieve it in line with European approaches and Directive 2012/27/EC "On Energy Efficiency" and achieve a reduction in energy consumption in 2030.