Civil Society at the Core of Ukraine’s Green Recovery

July 14, 2025

On the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome, Ukraine2Power joined a roundtable hosted by the Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Klimaschutz, Naturschutz und nukleare Sicherheit (BMUKN)(BMUKN).

Nataliia Fiebrig (co-founder & CEO) and Dr. Liudmyla Kvirenko (Communications) brought forward perspectives on decentralised energy, resilience through renewables, and the urgent need to invest in community-driven green solutions. We were particularly encouraged by the Ministry’s strong message: sustainability is not a luxury — it’s a foundation for Ukraine’s resilience, health, and prosperity.

Our key takeaways:
• Environmental Prioritization in Recovery
The German Ministry stressed that sustainability must be integrated from the outset of Ukraine’s reconstruction — not as an afterthought, but as a foundation for long-term resilience.

• Support for Civil Society-Led Roadmap
Over 40 Ukrainian and international CSOs developed a Green Recovery Roadmap, outlining key reforms across energy, transport, environment, economy, buildings, and governance, with a strong focus on decentralised renewables and environmental governance. Anna Ackermann

• Barriers to Green Recovery
Stakeholder research revealed major obstacles: lack of technical expertise, insufficient funding, limited political will, and uncoordinated policies. There’s also no shared understanding of what green recovery entails across stakeholders. Nataliya Andrusevych

• EIA and Environmental Oversight Under Threat
Environmental impact assessments (EIA) and strategic environmental assessments (SEA) have been weakened during wartime, with “experimental projects” bypassing safeguards and a lack of enforcement and public engagement. Valeriia Kolomiets

• Gender Equality and Workforce Gaps
The “Women in Solar” initiative highlighted significant gender gaps in Ukraine’s renewable energy sector. Many women are willing to enter the field but lack access to training, role models, and stable employment pathways. Yuliana Onishchuk

• Community Perception and Readiness
While green recovery is often seen as a policy issue, local communities view renewables as essential for survival. However, they need structured guidance and concessional funding to act on this readiness. Nataliia Fiebrig

• Green Recovery = EU Integration + Systemic Reform
CSOs emphasized that sustainable reconstruction is inseparable from Ukraine’s path toward EU membership and broader institutional reforms—including transparency, inclusion, and climate neutrality goals.

We thank BMUKN for creating space for open and meaningful exchange. At Ukraine2Power, we support municipalities in deploying renewable energy for critical infrastructure, ensuring sustainability and energy independence.

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