Lutsk, Ukraine, 4 August 2025 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), has held a practical workshop dedicated to discussing the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) protocol for assessing greenhouse gas fluxes in peatlands.

The event brought together scientists, environmental specialists, the staff of protected area institutions, and representatives of the relevant government agencies.

The practical session was conducted on drained peatland sites in Volyn and Rivne regions. Participants were introduced to the GEST approach for assessing greenhouse gas fluxes and to methods for measuring carbon dioxide emissions from soils.

Tetiana Tevkun, the head of the Environmental Protection Project Cluster at UNDP Ukraine, emphasized that reinstating mandatory measurement, reporting, and verification was essential in order to develop the national greenhouse gas emissions trading system.

“Such initiatives not only bring us closer to achieving our national climate goals but also strengthen Ukraine’s position on its path toward European integration,” Tevkun said. “(Ukraine) is implementing tools that have already proven effective in Europe, and is gradually building a modern environmental monitoring system.”

Svitlana Krakovska, the head of the team in Ukraine developing the methodology for Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas fluxes in peatlands at international environment consultancy Egis, added that the draft methodology will help Ukraine shape an effective climate policy.

“During the development of the methodology, we collected and analysed all existing approaches to emissions monitoring,” Krakovska said. “Particular attention was paid to the experience of neighbouring countries, where peatlands cover large areas. As a result, we recommend using the GEST approach for monitoring, as it combines accuracy with practicality. It allows for indirect emission assessments without requiring overly complex field measurements.”

“Implementing this method can enable Ukraine to generate data for national reporting, reduce uncertainty in assessments, and establish a reliable foundation for climate decision-making,” Krakovska added

Ihor Onopchuk, the deputy director of the Ukrainian National Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Centre, emphasized the practical value of the event: “The practical part of the workshop provided a clear demonstration of how the draft methodology works in the field,” he said. 

“Obtaining accurate and reliable data is the first step toward effective greenhouse gas emissions management. All subsequent efforts to reduce emissions begin with information. The more precise our measurements are, the more reliably we can assess the situation and set priorities.”

The practical workshop was organized under the UNDP-GEF “Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine” project. The draft methodology was developed by experts in Ukraine from Egis Group, an international company that specializes in environmental and engineering consulting.

Background:

UNDP’s “Promoting Sustainable Livestock Management and Ecosystem Conservation in Northern Ukraine” project, which is supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is being implemented from 2022 to 2026 across seven regions of Ukraine: Volyn, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Vinnytsia, and Chernihiv. The project aims to develop a sustainable food system model for northern Ukraine, support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, promote sustainable land use, and preserve endangered plant and animal species.

Media inquiries: 

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy, yuliia.samus@undp.org