Environmental Strategy 2030: Plastic Use Restriction, Animal Circus Ban, Forest Management Balance

Environmental Strategy 2030: Plastic Use Restriction, Animal Circus Ban, Forest Management Balance

On January 1, 2020, Law No. 2697 – VIII “On the Basic Principles (Strategy) of the State Environmental Policy of Ukraine for the Period up to the year 2030” comes into force. Accordingly, the year 2010 Law on Environmental Policy up to the year 2020 will expire.

The new law defines 5 strategic environmental objectives:

  1. To form ecological values and principles of sustainable consumption and production in society. In particular, it is envisaged to increase the level of public awareness regarding the value, benefits and instruments of sustainable consumption and production, the state and values of biodiversity and the measures to be implemented for its conservation, renewal and continuous use.
  2. To ensure the sustainable development of the natural resource potential of Ukraine. It is planned to introduce a balanced forest management. It is planned to reform the system of payments for the special use of natural resources, including natural resources with assimilative capacity. It is also planned to ban circuses from using wild animals and any other commercial activity of public nature, except for stationary zoos. The unjustified destruction of green spaces within cities during construction or other works, the illegal allocation to construction of land occupied by green spaces will cease. A system of green procurement will be introduced in Ukraine. Scientific research is planned for the exclusion zone and the unconditional (mandatory) resettlement zone. The stimulation of the development of waste management infrastructure will start.
  3. To ensure the integration of environmental policy in the decision-making process regarding the socio-economic development of Ukraine. A complete gradual cessation of discharge of untreated and insufficiently treated sewage into water and ensuring compliance of the degree of sewage treatment with the established norms and standards, as well as prevention of groundwater pollution, is planned. The limited use of individual plastic products in food industry will be progressively implemented. In addition, an environmental management system, voluntary environmental certification, product labeling, environmental auditing will be introduced.
  4. To reduce environmental risks in order to minimize their impact on ecosystems, socio-economic development and public health. It is planned to introduce a permanent system of waste management and hazardous chemicals, as well as to preserve the environment of Donbass.
  5. To improve and to develop the state system of environmental management. The provisions are to strengthen liability for environmental damage in accordance with the international obligations of Ukraine. Particular attention will be paid to the cyber defense of environmental information resources, systems and databases.

Objectives are to be achieved in 2 stages:

– by the year 2025, to implement European environmental norms and standards, to improve environmental accounting and control systems, to introduce incentive mechanisms to encourage energy efficiency of enterprises, to introduce electronic management, to increase the environmental awareness of society, and the like;

– by the year 2030, to develop an environmentally efficient partnership between the state, business entities and the public, to move on to sustainable low-carbon development, that will become an additional incentive for the socio-economic development of Ukraine.