Kyiv, 30 June 2025 – Over 180 representatives of the Government of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada, international development partners, and civil society organizations today participated in the first public presentation of the Draft Law "On the Foundations of Green Recovery in Ukraine." 

The event was hosted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine and the Government of Sweden.

Developed with expert support from UNDP, the draft law aims to embed environmental and climate priorities into Ukraine’s recovery from the war and guide the country’s transition toward a green economy.

Opening the event, Svitlana Grynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, emphasized the law’s role in steering recovery towards long-term sustainability: “Firstly, the draft law will establish unified terminology, which will bring clarity and understanding of what ‘green recovery’ means,” Grynchuk said. “Secondly, it will allow investment to be attracted thanks to the implementation of the EU Green Taxonomy, which will facilitate the process of evaluating and selecting Ukrainian projects for international investors.”

Martin Åberg, Ambassador of Sweden to Ukraine, reaffirmed Sweden’s ongoing commitment to Ukraine’s green, inclusive, and resilient recovery: “Sweden views this law as an important tool to unlock international financing and investor confidence,” Åberg said. “As co-chair of the Sectoral Working Group on Environment, Climate and Green Transition, I also see this draft law as a foundation for more effective coordination of donor support.”

Olena Kryvoruchkina, Deputy Chair of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management, stressed the law’s transformative vision: “This legislation sets out a new logic for Ukraine's recovery, based on the EU's green principles and the foundations of sustainable development,” Kryvoruchkina said. “Its goal is not simply to rebuild what was destroyed, but to create energy-efficient and safe infrastructure – avoiding outdated practices inherited from the past. It will allow for targeted use of both domestic and international resources to support forward-looking, environmentally sound solutions.”

Roman Shakhmatenko, Team Leader for UNDP Ukraine’s Energy and Environment Portfolio, noted: “The development of this draft law is a major step toward a sustainable future. UNDP is proud to support Ukraine in delivering key reforms and building a clear, transparent legal framework for investors – embedding the principle of ‘building back better’ into national recovery efforts.”

Shakhmatenko added that UNDP’s work on the draft law builds on prior support. In 2024, UNDP prepared the "Green Recovery of Ukraine: Guidelines and Tools for Decision Makers" analytical report, and together with Sweden supported parliamentary hearings on Green Recovery.

The draft law outlines the principles of sustainable recovery, introduces criteria for green investment, and calls for the creation of a national green taxonomy aligned with EU standards. During the event, the Save Dnipro NGO also presented the Green Recovery Platform, an online tool for public monitoring of green recovery initiatives and progress.

Media enquiries:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications; e-mail: yuliia.samus@undp.org