Ukraine has presented the report on the decarbonization of the energy sector by 2050 and the preliminary version of the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the period 2025-2030 during the panel discussion “Ukraine's path to Net Zero - 2030 and 2050 goals”. The panel discussion took place on December 5 within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 28.

Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Oleksii Sobolev, Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets took part in the event.

During his speech, Oleksii Sobolev presented the preliminary work as part of the development of NECP, the main goals of the Plan and the results of the first simulations for the Plan.

“By 2030, we expect that renewable energy sources will make up 27% in final energy consumption, methane emissions will reduce by 30%, and we will phase out the use of coal by 2035. Currently, we are still discussing other ambitious goals and will be happy to present them in the first draft NECP in December 2023 - January 2024,” Oleksii Sobolev said about the goals and plans for the drafting of the Plan.

Herman Halushchenko, Minister of Energy of Ukraine, presented the Clean Energy Roadmap: From Reconstruction to Decarbonization in Ukraine report, which presented plans to reduce emissions until 2050. The head of the Ministry of Energy also reminded that within the framework of COP28, Ukraine and more than 20 other countries joined the declaration on joining efforts to triple the use of nuclear energy in the world. Herman Halushchenko emphasized the importance of these intentions for Ukraine, where nuclear generation, even after the occupation of the largest nuclear power plant - Zaporizhzhia NPP - continues to produce more than 55% of the country’s electricity.

“But the events at the ZNPP may cast doubt on our global intentions. Any nuclear incident at the plant will stop the renaissance of nuclear power that we all strive for. Therefore, the world should increase the pressure on russia as soon as possible and force the implementation of the IAEA resolutions regarding the de-occupation of the ZNPP and its transfer to Ukrainian personnel,” Herman Halushchenko emphasized in his speech.

Ruslan Strilets, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, shared the key components of the climate policy development in Ukraine.

“The green recovery of Ukraine and the achievement of Net Zero should be based on the climate policy, which is an integral component of all policies and sectoral reconstruction plans. That is why the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources is working on climate legislation today, which will create a basis for climate governance,” Ruslan Strilets said.

US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt expressed his sincere support for Ukraine and ideas for the development of our country in the field of energy.

“When Europe will have to fill the hole that arose as a result of abandoning russian energy sources, the use of Ukraine’s resources - wind, sun, atomic energy, as well as the most important minerals and metallurgy - could unlock Ukraine’s potential,” Geoffrey Pyatt emphasized.

Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, expressed support for climate and energy reforms of Ukraine.

“We support the “build back better” approach and want to help you in this. We always support everything that is done for reforms and welcome the development of NECP,” Maroš Šefčovič said.

During his speech, Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, emphasized that the main goal of working with Ukraine is to increase the stability of the Ukrainian energy system, increase its decentralization and carry out digitalization, and the most important thing is that the more Ukraine is integrated into the EU, the higher sustainability of our energy system is.

Charles J. Cormier, Regional Director for Infrastructure for Europe and Central Asia, said that Ukraine will need large investments to reform the energy sector and can become an energy hub in the future.

Artur Lorkowski, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat, positively assessed the process of development of NECP and the speed of reforms in the energy sector.

The event is organized by the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine in cooperation with DiXi Group think tank with the support of UK AID and Net Zero World.

NECP is a strategic document aimed at harmonizing environmental, energy and economic policies to ensure the sustainable development of Ukraine for the period 2025-2030.