Position on the Climate Policy Priorities in Ukraine and the World before COP29

Kyiv
November 8, 2024

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.

Regarding Global Climate Policy Priorities

1. Climate finance:

1.1. We call for support for implementing the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) to ensure adequate funding for developing countries and to introduce additional financial obligations for the countries carrying out military aggression.

1.2. We support the expansion of the Loss and Damage Fund and increase in its financial capacity as a mechanism for providing climate-just funding to support countries that are most vulnerable to climate change effects.

1.3. We support the development of market and non-market mechanisms provided for in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement but with mandatory consideration of ensuring environmental integrity and additionality of projects, avoiding double counting of emission reductions by making specific adjustments, prioritizing only high-quality carbon credits, taking into account the rights and interests of local communities and indigenous peoples, and preventing greenwashing.

2. Phasing out of fossil fuels: it is important that the Parties agree on a complete phase-out of fossil fuels as the main way to achieve the Paris Agreement goals, as well as set timelines for the transition and refusal of fossil fuel subsidies.

3. The impact of war on climate, russia’s accountability and reporting: it is important to continue work on developing a solution for the accountability for greenhouse gas emissions related to international armed conflicts. In addition, we believe that Ukraine should continue to advocate for the inadmissibility of the inclusion of emissions (not related to military operations) from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and other temporarily occupied territories) to the Inventory on Greenhouse Gases Emissions and Absorption of the Russian Federation.

4. Ecosystems and biodiversity conservation: ecosystems’ conservation and restoration are an integral part of achieving the Paris Agreement goals. Herewith, it is important that ecosystems’ conservation and restoration are not used as the only way to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. This should happen simultaneously with a rapid phase-out of all fossil fuels and a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors.

Regarding the Priorities of Ukraine’s Climate Policy

1. Climate neutrality by 2050: we welcome Ukraine’s establishment of the goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 within the draft law “On the basic principles of state climate policy” and draw attention to the fact that Ukraine’s updated nationally determined contribution to the Paris Agreement in 2025 should also establish this goal. Herewith, ensuring its actual implementation — rather than documentary establishment — will become critically important in the coming years to restrain global warming at the rate of 1.5°C.

2. Preventing emissions during reconstruction: one of the key priorities in this area is the construction of new buildings according to the standards fostering the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (nearly-zero energy buildings, NZEB). In addition, it will be crucial to ensure the functioning of effective mechanisms for monitoring compliance with these standards, as well as coordination of state sectoral strategies, changes in standards, decisions on issuing activity permits, and regional development plans.

3. Strengthening Ukraine’s participation in global climate initiatives:

3.1. Development of decentralized small generation from renewable energy sources (RES) and energy storage systems should be state priorities. RES facilities are less vulnerable to russian attacks and have relatively short commissioning periods.

3.2. Ukraine should join the countries of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), an international coalition of governments and partners working together to promote the phase-out of oil and gas production.

3.3. Ukraine should continue to develop and implement its strategies to reduce methane emissions, as well as strengthen monitoring and reporting systems to meet international obligations in this area. Priority actions should include reducing methane emissions through the implementation of climate measures in oil and gas and coal sectors, and agriculture, as well as the establishment of a waste management system.

4. Carbon markets: to ensure the effectiveness of the future emissions trading system (ETS) in Ukraine, it is necessary to make it obligatory again and improve the system of monitoring, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gases. Besides, the future ETS in Ukraine should focus on achieving actual emission reductions rather than a formal sale of allowances.

5. Mobilizing “green” finance: given the high dependence of Ukrainian reconstruction on foreign aid, Ukraine should introduce powerful financial mechanisms and strengthen existing ones to contribute to decarbonization. Among such mechanisms are the tax on carbon dioxide and a new Fund for Decarbonization and Energy Efficient Transformation.

6. The problem of promoting false solutions to combat climate crisis: Ukraine, in its policy of achieving climate goals, should not focus its efforts and investments on the development of expensive and dubious technologies and solutions, such as the development of nuclear energy, geoengineering, technologies for capturing carbon from the atmosphere, and greenhouse gas offsetting schemes, but rather concentrate on the development of decentralized renewable energy sources and phasing out of fossil fuels.

7. Involvement in climate policy development: as Ukraine continues to develop a legal basis for the national climate policy, it is important to strengthen the mechanisms of public involvement in law-making processes. In addition, it is important to create tools that will better involve the local level in the process.