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23 December 2020, 14:43

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze: “Ukraine still has no answer — which way to move in each sector of greening”

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair of the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU, took part in the committee hearings on “The European Green Deal and other Commitments of Ukraine on Greening”. The event was organized by the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management and the subcommittee on climate change. The Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine presented the results of modeling the second Nationally Determined Contribution of Ukraine to the Paris Agreement.
The Paris Agreement is an international document on climate, which was adopted in December 2015. It aims to limit global warming to below 2°C and to continue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C. Ukraine ratified it in 2016. Ukraine’s renewed contribution plan should outline the level of gas emission reductions by 2030 and take into account the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. It shall be submitted to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change by the end of 2020.
The Ministry of Environmental Protection presented the results of modeling of greenhouse gas emissions in Ukraine in 4 scenarios:
-    basic, which does not provide for structural changes in the energy and economy of the country;
-    a reference or current policy scenario, which includes full implementation of current European legislation, including the Energy Strategy, the Waste Management Strategy, etc.;
-    a climate-neutral economy scenario that is fully in line with the Paris Agreement;
-    combined sensitivity scenario, in which Ukraine will be able to reach the ambitious goals by 2070, but at lower investment costs compared to previous scenarios.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze stressed that the strategies, presented by the Ministry, did not provide a clear answer to the question — which scenario Ukraine choose. “I have heard calculations of different options for how we will move, but as far as I understand — there are no decision on choosing a path today”, — the Chair of the Committee said.

The participants of the discussion stressed the importance of Ukraine’s compliance with its obligations under the European Green Deal. The Green Deal was officially presented by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on December 11, 2019. It aims to transform Europe into the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050. In addition to the EU, other countries have announced their ambitions to achieve climate neutrality — Korea, Canada and Japan — also by 2050, China — by 2060. Ukraine has also declared its interest in participating in this process.

The participants also noted that due to the greening, there is not only a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, but also a change in production processes, economic and social rules and the patterns of behaviour. “Any ambitious task we set ourselves will require serious investments and additional funds, and this can only be partially mobilized within Ukraine”, — the Committee Chair said, adding that Ukraine should count on both external non-refundable funds and loans and investment funds that would be needed in implementing the changes.

Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze also stressed that the Committee on Ukraine's Integration into the EU had already held hearings on Ukraine's participation in the European Green Deal on September 11. As a result of these hearings, a large list of recommendations was adopted and sent to the Government and ministries on the implementation of changes, taking into account Ukraine's commitments under the European Green Deal. According to the Chair, it is now important to coordinate the efforts of all the committees involved in ensuring Ukraine's participation in the European Green Deal and to make committees’ cooperation a platform for involving all sectors and key stakeholders. Such platforms are needed, in particular, to discuss the necessary legislation and form proposals for Ukraine's negotiating position.