Promises or commitments? Fifty shades of green at the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2026

“Green recovery” has become mainstream language at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, but what does green actually mean in practice? Looking back at URC 2026 in Gdańsk, the authors explore stronger civil society and municipal engagement alongside an increasingly pragmatic, business-oriented recovery agenda, and argue that environmental safeguards, social concerns and sustainable solutions need a much stronger place in the debate.