One year into the Ukraine Facility Regulation, civil society is urging the EU to ensure this EUR 50 billion support mechanism truly supports Ukraine’s recovery, governance, and EU accession goals. The suggested steps will ensure the support mechanism drives meaningful reforms, sustainable development, and a just recovery while supporting Ukraine’s EU accession goals.

On November 11–22, 2024, the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Azerbaijan. This is the key international platform for agreements on countering the climate crisis and a basis for countries’ national policies. All 198 Parties to the UNFCCC, including Ukraine, participate in the conference to synchronize their climate policies and find solutions to curb the increase in average temperature at 1.5°C from the pre-industrial period under the Paris Agreement goals. This position by NGOs of the Ukrainian Climate Network presents a vision of the decisions that must be made at the international and national levels in Ukraine to achieve the Paris Agreement goals.

In this briefing to stakeholders engaged in the implementation of the Ukraine Facility and Ukraine’s accession process, civil organisations advocating for Ukraine’s sustainable recovery wish to underscore the lack of a robust participatory mechanism from DG NEAR, as required by established EU best practices for external action. This shortfall significantly undermines the ability of CSOs to fulfill their essential roles as watchdogs, experts, and conveners which are vital for ensuring transparency, accountability, and inclusiveness in the recovery process.

Ukrainian civil society organisations prepared a position regarding the Ministry of Environment’s concept note, which defines the scope of deviations from the rules of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). According to the organisations, the draft’s content does not fully align with the principles outlined in Reform 6 of the Ukraine Plan under the Ukraine Facility.

CEE Bankwatch reflects on the 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC2024), held in Berlin in June. Bringing together over 3,400 participants across four thematic dimensions, with the Recovery Forum as the centrepiece, the conference highlighted the critical role of municipalities in Ukraine’s recovery efforts. Key discussions revolved around the distribution of financial resources, strengthening capacity, and nurturing partnerships…

Energy security is not only a burning global issue, but a cornerstone of Ukraine’s future, and the recent Ukraine Reconstruction Conference (URC) in Berlin offered a glimpse into the possibilities for a renewable-powered Ukraine that could lead the way for Europe’s green transition. Read more in the article by Razom We Stand.

More than 30 Ukrainian and international non-governmental organisations have signed a letter to EU institusions and Ukrainian Parliament to preserve Ukraine’s ecologically valuable forests. The NGOs warn parliament members about the risks of adopting Draft Law #9516 and its implication regarding the EU Deforestation Regulation.

Has the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 played out favourably for the green agenda? Read the WWF's assessment.

Environment People Law on URC 2024 and the agenda for Ukraine recovery that should be based on the principles of sustainable development, cross-cutting environmental policy, compliance with environmental standards, and the principles of 'rebuilding greener than before.

Examine environmental harm through 25 case studies sourced from Ukraine incident database developed by the Conflict and Environment Observatory.

Making Ukraine´s recovery green and sustainable is a long term endeavor. There are also some short-term tasks that need urgent attention. Read a joint statement signed by 30+ civil society organisations for the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024.

Centre for Environmental Initiatives “Ecoaction”, NGO Ecoclub and CEE Bankwatch prepared a common position on the final text of the Ukraine Plan adopted by the government.

As the 2024 G7 Foreign Affairs Ministerial approaches on April 17-19 in Capri, Italy, a coalition of leading organisations is calling on G7 nations to demonstrate unwavering support for Ukraine by taking concrete actions to address the country's critical energy issues.

WWF welcomes environmental objectives of governmental Ukraine Plan but calls for rising ambitions in the future.

The European Union and G7 must tighten their grip on Russia’s key revenue streams from exports of fossil fuels, say 290 European, international and Ukrainian NGOs in a joint public appeal to leaders of the EU and G7. As the tragic anniversary of two years of war hits Ukraine, there is a clear need to ban Russian LNG gas imports and close all loopholes in existing sanctions to prevent further escalation of Russia’s aggression in Europe beyond Ukraine.