Organisers: German Platform for Reconstruction of Ukraine, Build Ukraine Back Better Platform
Format: online
As Russia’s war continues to inflict profound social and economic damage, Ukraine also faces the urgent challenge of safeguarding communities from pollution and environmental hazards, and of ensuring that environmental considerations inform emergency measures and recovery efforts.
This first webinar in the joint series by the Build Ukraine Back Better Platform and the German Platform for the Reconstruction of Ukraine will explore how environmental institutions, legislation, data transparency, and international cooperation can shape a recovery that safeguards both people and nature.
Bringing together Ukrainian and international experts, the discussion will examine the short- and long‑term ecological consequences of the war—moving beyond headline numbers to real field observations and the lived experience of communities and environmental professionals. Panelists will reflect on how to balance environmental protection with wartime economic and social needs, steps made to hold Russia accountable for environmental damage, and will identify the risks of weakened oversight or shortcuts in legislation in Ukraine.
The session will also address the role of Germany and the international community in supporting environmentally responsible reconstruction, including how international organisations decide to engage in Ukraine and what forms of partnership are most effective.
Participants will gain a practical, policy‑relevant understanding of how Ukraine’s environmental recovery can align with EU standards, strengthen governance, and ensure that reconstruction protects the country’s natural heritage for generations to come.
Speakers:
Nataliya Andrusevych, Chair of the Governing Board, Resource and Analysis Center "Society and Environment"
Anastasiia Drapaliuk, Director of the Nature Fund of Ukraine, Expert at the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group
Lennard de Klerk, Lead author of Warbon: Initiative on GHG accounting of war
André Fabian, Project Manager, International Climate and Biodiversity Policy, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH