Aiming to rebuild better, Ukraine faces a massive task to adopt EU environmental laws. Can policymakers link green goals to clear economic gains.
The implementation of the European Union’s environmental legislation remains a difficult but achievable task for Ukraine, provided it combines environmental goals with economic benefits and a transparent development strategy.
At the international environmental forum “Environment for Ukraine,” the EU Ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Maternova, emphasized that implementing European environmental legislation is a “huge task.” She noted that convincing governments and partners to invest mainly for environmental reasons is not easy.
Colossal Task of Adapting the EU’s Environmental Legislation
“It must have economic sense. So integrating environmental policy into the economic sphere is the only way to really move things forward.”
– Katarina Maternova
As an example, she cited the experience of work in Ukraine during the tenure of Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, when the European Commission pushed for increased energy efficiency in buildings and the introduction of standards in this area.
According to her, economic calculations indicated that by adopting European energy efficiency standards Ukraine could do without imports of Russian gas. It was this economic idea that convinced the Ukrainian politicians of that time to pass the relevant laws and create the Energy Efficiency Fund. Today the results are evident: the number of buildings renovated to European energy efficiency standards has grown in Ukraine, the EU ambassador emphasized.
Maternova stressed that adapting the EU’s environmental and climate legislation is truly the most challenging area for Ukraine.
“I don’t want to use the word ‘positive’ when talking about the war, but one consequence is that many of the most environmentally harmful enterprises have been destroyed. And when I speak with the government, civil society, or travel around Ukraine, everyone agrees that reconstruction should be done on the principle of ‘better than before,’ and that a green economy is a necessity.”
– Katarina Maternova
In addition, Maternova noted that adapting over 200 EU environmental directives and regulations will be a colossal task, and alongside this the need for substantial investments for the transition to a green economy and energy-efficient solutions will grow.
“But I am optimistic that this can be reconciled with the approach of rebuilding better than before. We support these efforts with our programs and projects, help advocate for legislation, but real implementation will require close cooperation for years to come,” concluded Maternova.
According to Ukrainian metallurgical companies, due to the EU’s CBAM (Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism), some European clients cancel orders for steel sourced from Ukraine. Despite these difficulties, the task remains ambitious but feasible with joint reconstruction efforts and sustained partnership from the EU.
Coordinated efforts by the state, business, and international partners can provide Ukraine with a path to implementing European environmental standards and forming a green economy that will strengthen energy efficiency and promote sustainable development for the country in the years to come.