About UCO
Currently UCO operates as a part of the “Capacities for Climate Action (C4CA)”, a bilateral component of the regional “Capacity Development for Climate Policy in the countries of Southeastern and Eastern Europe, Southern Caucasus and Central Asia, Phase III”. C4CA is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and co-funded by the EU.
Background
Ukraine faces multiple economic and political challenges aggravated by the pandemic and the ongoing war. The country’s economic recovery should be based on sustainability principles, particularly climate action, in line with the requirements of the EU accession and the related emission reduction target embedded in the NDC as well as in the future National Energy and Climate Plan. To be able to reach all goals Ukraine needs to improve administrative capacities and credibility of the Ukrainian private and public sector to get access to international finance and implement green transition and recovery, which will create green jobs, increase GDP and significantly improve quality of life and prospects of Ukrainian citizens.
Despite this challenging domestic context, climate action is on the Ukrainian political agenda.
Mission
The Ukrainian Climate Office strives to become a leading hub for education, policy advocacy, and innovation in Ukraine, dedicated to mitigating climate change, adapting to its impacts, and promoting sustainable development. At the same time UCO will be an independent entity for the diverse multilateral environment in Ukraine that can contribute to strengthening the climate policy capacity, and will be a repository on green initiatives, projects, analysis, events on green topics within Ukraine.
Vision
It is our ambition to work towards this future by becoming a leading actor within the diverse multi-stakeholder climate policy environment of Ukraine. By uniting scientific expertise, civil society engagement and government authorities, we strive for a joint-forces approach to create a green future of Ukraine.
Areas of operation
In order to contribute to Ukraine’s green and climate-resilient recovery, sustainable development, and active participation in global climate efforts, the work of the Ukrainian Climate office focuses on six key areas. Through is work, it fosters partnerships, knowledge sharing, and capacity building essential for addressing the complex challenges posed by climate change. Those six key areas are described below:
Climate Governance and Policy Advancement
Acting as a think tank, the Ukrainian Climate Office supports the Ukrainian Government with the development and refining of climate policies, strategies and legislation. Where possible, it emphasizes the importance of mainstreaming climate into sectoral policies. Also, it provides support to stakeholders under the framework of the Ukraine Facility, e.g. related to green investments. Moreover, it intends to monitor and evaluate the implementation of climate policies related to EU accession process and provide recommendations for improvement.
Capacity Development and training
The Ukrainian Climate Office aims to provide training and capacity-development programs for government officials and civil servants to enhance their understanding of climate science, policies and practices, especially for onboarding new governmental staff (across ministries). Moreover, it supports educational institutions in developing a climate curriculum to foster a climate-literate society. To this end, it collaborates with international experts and institutions to bring cutting-edge knowledge and expertise to Ukraine.
Advisory Services for other stakeholders
The Ukrainian Climate Office provides advice to regional and local authorities for the development of sound, sustainable and climate-friendly projects and the elaboration and submission of project proposals. In the private sector, UCO provides advisory services to businesses on planning high-quality, sustainable and climate-friendly projects. It promotes partnerships between research institutions, start-ups, and technology providers, also within EU funded programmes. Thus, it supports innovation and entrepreneurship in climate-related sectors and fosters a green recovery and economy.
Moreover, the UCO intends to become a knowledge hub by gathering cutting-edge research on climate change impacts, adaptation, mitigation, and policy effectiveness.
Government Advocacy on the International Stage and International Cooperation
To support Ukraine’s participation in the international climate change efforts, the Ukrainian Climate Office supports policy makers in understanding the commitments under the Paris Agreement and provides trainings to strengthen their negotiating capacities. Moreover, it supports processes connected to coordination of implementation of the Paris Agreement and its articles and topics related to commitments under the UNFCCC.
Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration
By collecting and maintaining up-to-date information on climate stakeholders, donor-funded projects, analytical research, and other initiatives, the Ukrainian Climate Office intends to become a leading repository for climate policy. It endorses multi-stakeholder cooperation among representatives of the government, academia, civil society, businesses and local communities.
Moreover, it coordinates donor activities on climate change-related issues and stimulates the attraction of external financing for Ukraine.
Climate Communication and Public Awareness
To raise public awareness and mobilize support for climate action, the Ukrainian Climate Office plans to develop effective and well-founded climate communication concepts, providing target group-oriented and reliable climate information to the public. To this end, it intends to engage with media representatives to promote accurate and responsible reporting on climate issues.
Moreover, the UCO plans to organise public events, forums and conferences to raise awareness, discuss current climate trends, encourage knowledge sharing and joint climate action. Also, it supports civil society and youth actors in conducting climate related advocacy campaigns.
