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Circular economy, resource efficiency, and green chemistry
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The Global Greenchem Innovation and Network Programme in Ukraine

On April 29, 2021 an online consultation workshop was held in the framework of the preparatory phase of the UNIDO project “The Global Greenchem Innovation and Network Programme” (Greenchem) in Ukraine funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). This international project is prepared by UNIDO and Yale University with the support of the National Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Centres in Ukraine, Serbia, Peru, Indonesia, Jordan and Uganda. In Ukraine, the Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production Centre (RECP Centre) is involved in the preparation of this project with the support of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.

The objective of green chemistry is to reduce environmental pollution by changing the means the chemicals are produced and by developing new technologies that completely eliminate or significantly reduce the use and production of substances that are being harmful to humans or the environment.

The event aimed to familiarize all participants with the preparatory phase of the UNIDO Greenchem concept and its four components, but, above all, with its third component “GreenChemistry alternatives for POPs, mercury and micro-plastics for up-scale and replication”, as well as to present the current results of the preparatory phase of the UNIDO Greenchem project  in Ukraine.

The preparatory phase will include the collection of data on existing state policy, national legislative framework and planned legislative activities on management of chemicals, chemical wastes, POPs, mercury compounds, micro-plastics, assessment of capacity, technical capabilities, infrastructure, ongoing and planned projects on managing POPs, mercury compounds, and their compliance with the Stockholm Convention on POPs and the Minamata Convention.

The event brought together the representatives of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, industrial enterprises and organizations, associations, chemical industries and academia.

A lively discussion among the participants became the integral part of the event and Ms. Yuliia Morozova, deputy director of the department, head of the department for policy-making to prevent industrial pollution (the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine), reminded all participants about the recently adopted Presidential Decree. This Decree requires the approval of maximum permissible standards for POPs coming from stationary and mobile sources. “Therefore, all chemical industries are now in a very responsible situation. They must take this Decree as seriously as possible, because after its approval they will have to fulfill all its requirements”, reported Ms.Yuliia Morozova.

Ms. Kateryna Pershyna, Head of the Department for Chemical and Information Analysis at the Vernadskyi Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry at the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), has suggested the creation of a joint National Research Program on Green Chemistry at the NASU level, with co-funding from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

Green Chemistry touches virtually every business sector – food, energy, plastics, drugs, cosmetics, cleaning products, etc. and therefore it will always be essential in the development of national industry.

The search for and implementation of environmentally safe substitution for POPs at industrial enterprises in Ukraine, establishing a global green chemistry network to build capacity, technology transfer and creating an ecosystem for entrepreneurial innovation in the field of green chemistry will become the findings of the Greenchem project.

You can find the presentation materials via links (presentation 1 and presentation 2)

To boost further activities within the preparatory phase of the UNIDO Greenchem project in Ukraine, we kindly ask you to provide us with answers to the questions posted in the Google form via this link.

Please feel free to email your proposals and questions directly to RECP Centre’s chemical management experts Mr. Oleksandr Khokhotva (o.khokhotva@recpc.org) and Ms. Olena Tabachuk (o.tabachuk@recpc.org)