Establishment of JI Secretariat in Ukraine
| Address: 1 Klovsky uzviz Kyiv 01021, Ukraine Phones: +380 44 253 93 63 e-mail: Vasyl.Tolkachov@undp.org.ua Project Manager: Vasyl Tolkachov UNDP Programme Manager: Sergei Volkov |
WHAT IS THE SITUATION IN UKRAINE?
The most profound global threat facing humanity today is the prospect that our economic activities will result in global warming, with serious consequences for the earth’s entire ecosystem and for the way of life in rich and poor societies alike.
The international community is tackling this challenge through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) and the Kyoto Protocol to it (1997). The ultimate objective of the Convention is to achieve “stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system.
Quantity obligations to limit and reduce GHG emissions were defined in the Kyoto Protocol, which was agreed at the third session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-3) (Kyoto, December, 1997). According to the Protocol, Ukraine have to stabilize emissions at the level of 1990 by the period 2008-2012. Ukraine signed the Kyoto Protocol on 15 March 1999 and ratified it on 4 February 2004.
Flexible mechanisms which are defined in the Kyoto Protocol, in particular AIJ under the pilot phase are important economic instruments for fulfillment of the Convention’s objectives. Countries in transition can obtain financial resources to meet the commitments and to achieve sustainable development from industrialized nations where the cost for GHGs reduction is much higher. Ukraine has a unique possibility to participate in a new segment of world market as well as to involve additional financial, material, technical and intellectual resources which would help the economy’s recovering.Developing countries and countries in transition can benefit from international investments, increase their technical and managerial capacity, and hence contribute to the development.
In Ukraine, due to the absence of institutional potential no project has been registered as JI project and experience of Ukraine in this field is very limited. Currently there is no body, which is responsible to review, adopt and track JI projects to reduce GHG emissions. National criteria for evaluation of such projects have not been officially adopted. Therefore, certain urgent steps should be made immediately which would help to develop legal, technical and administrative elements for the establishment of JI Secretariat. Even the realization of some part of Ukraine’s JI potential will make a substantial contribution to the economical development of the country. Despite of early stage of JI development, it is obvious that market of JI investments would become highly competitive in future. For the successful competition Ukraine should create conditions attractive for potential investors, in particular:
clear and stable legal environment;
quick, simple and transparent procedure of project endorsement;
information on JI opportunities could be properly disseminated and widely available for potential project proponents;
the infrastructure for projects endorsement, monitoring and verification at central and local levels should be on place. Consultancy service on JI should be available for project proponents at any stage of project development.
Progress in the addressing of all of these issues will make clear signal to both potential investors and project proponents and contribute into JI investments attraction in Ukraine.WHAT ARE THE PROJECT GOALS AND EXPECTED RESULTS?
The project “Establishment of JI Secretariat in Ukraine” is aimed at the establishment of one of the important element of the national infrastructure – Joint Implementation Secretariat. The major outcomes expected are as following:Development of an operational manual and ‘organigram’/mapping out of JI project development and approval process (roles, responsibilities, and processes) in Ukraine;
Capacity building and training activities for JI secretariat stakeholders;
Creation and management of data base of potential JI projects;
Presentation of the JI Secretariat and database of potential JI projects.
At the end of the project UNDP will present the JI Secretariat (together with the Manual and ‘organigram’) and data base of the potential JI projects. The establishment of the JI Secretariat and data base will allow the Government of Ukraine to attract significant foreign investments through the JI projects into the economy of Ukraine which will positively affect its social and environmental components.HOW ARE WE DOING THIS?
The highly qualified specialists on climate change, which have the international recognition in the Secretariat of United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change and are experienced in the subject area, will be involved. National project team will be assisted by the international expert. The seminars/workshops will be organized with participation of all interested parties to discuss the JI activities in Ukraine, as well as the draft of the Manual and ’organigram’ to get the feedback.
WHO ARE OUR PARTNERS?
- Ministry of Environmental Protection of Ukraine
- State authorities, national scientific institutes, public and non-governmental organizations, donors.
