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EU4ENVIRONMENT SUPPORTS UKRAINIAN ENTERPRISES ON THE PATH TOWARDS GREEN PRODUCTION

 

 

 

With the support of UNIDO and the European Union (EU), Ukraine is making progress on the path towards industrial recovery, making it a green, resilient, and sustainable one.

Initiated with an online event (20 October 2022) on the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) methodology and its benefits for manufacturing enterprises, the conversation on green and sustainable production has quickly gained traction among Ukrainian manufacturers and producers. This is because now, more than ever, green initiatives and sound methodologies are needed to enable enterprises to effectively improve the sustainability of their supply chain and production processes. In this sense, a PEF study can provide valuable insights into the most impactful ingredients, processing steps, or life cycle stages of a product, making, therefore, the perfect starting point for the reduction of their environmental impact.

Everyone from Brussels and the European Union Member States is looking at the Ukrainian people with great admiration, as the EU candidacy of Ukraine further formalizes that, indeed, Ukraine is part of the EU family. Seeing the increasing opinions, documents, and analyses from think tanks, government entities and NGOs, one line that is becoming urgent is the need for the reconstruction of the economy – this has an apparent win-win situation, as it can be achieved as a green economy. In Ukraine’s path to its accession to the EU, the changes needed at the industry and company levels are strongly linked to the mindset of the EU regarding how economic growth should take place. In difficult times of energy crises and resource scarcity, a sustainable, circular, net-zero economy is the solution, said Mr. Gregory Tsouris, Counsellor, Green Deal, EU Delegation to Ukraine.

Despite the challenging times Ukraine is facing, 115 representatives from national organizations, industrial enterprises, local authorities and agencies, business associations, and NGOs from Ukraine tuned in for a three-hour discussion dedicated to the potential of PEF and the opportunities it presents for those industries wishing to market their products as environmentally preferable on the EU market and beyond. 

We are already discussing the issue of turning our manufacturing into an environmentally friendly one and are taking concrete steps towards a Circular Economy. This assures us once more that we are on the right path, the European one, and that our manufacturing is aligning itself with it as well. In the framework of EU4Environment and with the support of our international partners, we continue implementing these goals in line with the EU Green Deal. Moreover, a month ago, the Ministry created a specific department to continue the political, technical, and operational path towards a green and circular economy, said Mr. Yevheniy Fedorenko, Deputy Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

For companies trying to market their products as environmentally friendly, striking the right balance between market opportunities and market challenges can be difficult. The availability of wide variety of “green” or “eco” labels – each with its own methodological requirements, can result in additional costs or delays for the companies, and in confusion for the consumers. To address these issues, in 2013, the European Commission introduced the Product Environmental Footprint under the Single Market for Green Products initiative.

In the EU Eastern Partnership (EaP) region, including Ukraine, UNIDO is responsible for introducing the PEF methodology and engaging with the industrial sector. Here, we do not only speak with industries, but we initiate and promote platforms at national and global levels to help them with the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Promoting these goals and indicators, and translating them concretely, at the enterprise level, is one of our main goals. This is because, beyond the current difficulties, there is a global triple crisis that is affecting biodiversity, inducing climate change and escalating resource depletion. In this regard, working with industries on which products they bring onto the market gives us the opportunity to help make the industrial economy a circular one, said Ms. Tatiana Chernyavskaya, EU4Environment Project Manager, Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Unit, UNIDO.

In this sense, a PEF study can be used to improve the strategic planning of production by looking at materials, suppliers, and portfolios to inform customers and stakeholders of the environmental performance of products and their export potential to the dynamic market of the EU. This approach is particularly topical as it is supported by a strong and coherent product policy framework that will make sustainable products, services, and business models the norm rather than the exception. For more information about the introduction of the PEF methodology in Ukraine and the EaP region, please read the EU4Environment leaflet.

 

 


Contact
Ms. Tatiana Chernyavskaya, EU4Environment Programme Manager, Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency Unit, UNIDO
Email: t.chernyavskaya@unido.org
Mr. Andrii Vorfolomeiev, Director, Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Centre in Ukraine
Email: a.vorfolomeiev@recpc.org

 

About EU4Environment
The “European Union for Environment” (EU4Environment – Green Economy) Action helps the Eastern Partnership countries preserve their natural capital and increase people’s environmental well-being, by supporting environment-related action, demonstrating and unlocking opportunities for greener growth, and setting mechanisms to better manage environmental risks and impacts.

It is funded by the European Union and implemented by five Partner organizations – OECD, UNECE, UNEP, UNIDO, and the World Bank – over the 2019-2024 period, with a budget of ca EUR 20 million.

For more information, please visit www.eu4environment.org and here