Recently the government of Ukraine has concluded the public consultations on updates to the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) by 2030.
The draft plan already includes many measures that will help enhance the country’s energy security and climate action. It emphasises the development of distributed energy generation and energy efficiency, which will also ensure energy security in times of war. The document also mentions the need to preserve peatlands and properly manage manure.
However, some aspects of the Plan still need improvement:
1. There is no defined mechanism for a regular review of the methodology and contributions’ percentage needed for the future decommissioning of nuclear units
Most Ukrainian nuclear units have already exceeded their operational lifespan. The needed funds must be accumulated in advance, so these expenses don’t burden Ukrainians when the decommissioning time comes. The NECP already mentions the need to accumulate those funds. However, mechanisms for reviewing the amount of contributions are not yet established.
2. Adoption of the National Target Program for Land Use and Protection is delayed until the end of martial law
Balanced land use helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase their absorption. Adopting such a program is essential for forming a unified strategic vision of protecting soil health. We believe the Program should be developed now for Ukraine-controlled territories without waiting for the war’s end, and expanded later.
3. Unrealistic expectations from carbon capture and storage technologies
The current NECP includes the use of carbon capture and storage technologies. However, applying these technologies is economically unfeasible, and their effectiveness is unproven. Factual emission reductions are significantly lower than estimates. Transitioning to renewable energy and implementing energy efficiency measures remain more reliable, cleaner, and cheaper ways to cut emissions.
You can find the full list of Ecoaction’s proposals for the updated NECP draft in the document:
Ecoaction_NECP comments (PDF)