Green Jobs And Post-War Reconstruction Of Ukraine
by Razom We Stand and the Resource and Analysis Center "Society and Environment"
The impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine is devastating; estimates suggest we lost 3.5 to 4.8 million jobs, while 4.5 million people sought refuge abroad. Yet, within the crisis lies a monumental opportunity for transformation. It's not just about restoring what we've lost; it's about rebuilding a greener, stronger Ukraine that beckons its people home with the possibility of employment, including decent pay for labour.
Rebuilding Ukraine on the principles of "better than before" and "greener than before" makes it possible to restore destroyed infrastructure, housing, and industry and give a chance for systemic rethinking and transformation of Ukraine. Support for green post-war recovery and development of the country can be closely linked to the creation of new jobs that are green in their content and content.
Given that more than 40% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure has been damaged over the past year due to Russian missile and drone attacks and the urgent need to secure new sources of sustainable and reliable energy supply, the recovery of Ukraine's energy and industry requires transformational changes.
For Ukraine's economic recovery, investments in renewable energy technologies provide a unique opportunity to strengthen energy security, create the basis for sustainable economic growth, and contribute to the fight against climate change and global decarbonisation goals.
To guarantee long-term energy security and peace in Europe, the EU, the US and Ukraine must work together with international partners to ensure that investments in renewable energy sources increase and become sufficient to eventually displace fossil fuel imports from Ukraine's energy mix, enable renewable energy exports and contribute to Europe's transformation into the world's first carbon-neutral continent.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the world will need to invest at least $5.7 trillion in renewable energy sources annually by 2030 to avoid catastrophic climate change and achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. This is five times more than was invested globally in 2021.
If Ukraine's post-war reconstruction is green, it could create more than 4.2 million additional jobs in five key sectors: transportation, energy, healthcare, education, and water. A green post-war recovery can fully compensate for the jobs we lost during the war.