The Government of Ukraine has endorsed a strategy to make Ukraine a more environmentally safe and climate-resilient country, ready to meet unavoidable climate change impacts by 2030, developed with the support of the EU4Climate project financed by the EU and implemented by UNDP under a Decree of the President of Ukraine and the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine of 14 September 2020.
The strategy focuses on essential steps to assess climate change impact on society, economy and the environment in Ukraine as well as adapting sectoral and local policies and making better use of climate data.
The Environmental Security and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Ukraine until 2030 will also contribute to implementing Ukraine’s international obligations under the Paris Agreement.
The strategy sets the framework for adaptation action in Ukraine, focusing on essential steps to assess climate impacts on society, economy and nature, integrating adaptation in sectoral and local policies, and ensuring the better use of climate data. It defines ten vulnerable sectors and natural components –biodiversity; water resources; energy; public health; fisheries; agriculture and soils; forestry; cities and territorial communities; transport and infrastructure; coastal areas, and tourism. By 2024, these sectors are to undergo an analysis of their climate vulnerability and the risks they face. Following this research, it will be evident where adaptation measures are most vital and which steps should be prioritized in the sectoral adaptation plans.
Ambassador Matti Maasikas, Head of the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said Ukraine’s new strategy would help Europe achieve its goal of becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050.
“In June 2021 a new EU strategy on adaptation to climate change was adopted,” Maasikas noted. “Today, we see how important it is to build a climate-resilient society in the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. And an operational adaptation strategy is essential for Europe to achieve the goal of being the first climate-neutral continent in 2050. While climate impacts know no borders, we congratulate Ukraine’s Environmental Security and Climate Adaptation Strategy, which will contribute to building a continent, prepared to face climate change.”
The strategy was developed by over 150 members of the Climate Change Adaptation Working Group from ministries, academia, civil society, think tanks and businesses from November 2020 to February 2021. The next vital step in implementing the strategy is to help ministries conduct climate risks and vulnerability analysis, and for local communities to integrate climate factors into their strategic planning documents.
Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of UkraineRoman Abramovsky said the strategy was the first achievement in the long task of adapting Ukraine to the coming changes in the climate.
“We thank the EU and UNDP for being a dedicated partner in setting up an integrated climate adaptation policy in Ukraine,” Abramovsky said. “We hope this strategy will support our achievement of the environment-related SDGs, strengthen our adaptation capacity and the resilience of our social, economic and environmental systems to climate change, and improve education and outreach for climate change mitigation, disaster risk reduction and early warning. There is much work to do, but together we have done the groundwork for future efforts”.
The Strategy’s Action Plan sets out required changes to legislation, including incorporating climate adaptation in local economic and social development strategies, an environmental assessment process, and an environmental impact assessment process. Adaptation planning should become an integral part of daily planning for local authorities, communities, and businesses.
UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine Dafina Gercheva welcomed the endorsement of the strategy, saying it would prepare Ukraine better for the consequences of climate change on human health, economic sectors and the environment.
“This year’s IPCC report on climate change was nothing less than a code red for humanity’, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said,” Gercheva said. “And the alarm bells are also ringing for Ukraine: extreme floods, severe droughts, forest fires, storms, hurricanes, heat waves will become more frequent and cost more in terms of human lives and resources. The official number for financial losses to the Ukrainian economy in 2020 from forest fires and floods alone exceeded UAH 26 billion. A compelling adaptation strategy is vital today for Ukraine to stay on the path to achieving Sustainable Development Goals.”
Background information
EU4Climate helps governments in the six EU Eastern Partner countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine) take action against climate change and move towards a low-emissions and climate-resilient economy. Funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNDP, EU4Climate supports countries in implementing the Paris Agreement and improving climate policies and legislation with an ambition of limiting climate change impact on citizens’ lives and making them more resilient to it.
The Environmental Security and Climate Change Adaptation Strategy of Ukraine as well as the Action Plan can be downloaded here.
Media enquires
Yuliia Samus, UNDP Communications Team Leader, yuliia.samus@undp.org