Even though Russia’s war still rages on, reconstruction of Ukraine is already being planned. Economic recovery and physical rebuilding will comprise many steps and should cover short-, medium- and long-term planning to the greatest extent possible. Follow the ongoing discussions on how to rebuild Ukraine better, greener and more resilient.
Economic Review in November. How much have we harvested this year, and what will happen next year?
22 November, 16:00 – 17:30 CET / 17:00 – 18:30 Kyiv time
Organisers: Centre for Economic Strategy (CES), German Economic Team (GET)
During the discussion, experts will present an overview of the main fields of Ukraine’s economy, as well as make a particular focus on the agricultural sector. Last year, it accounted for 40% of the country’s total exports. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the agricultural sector has suffered more than 7 billion dollars in direct losses.
A notable blow to farmers was the temporary blockade of sea routes, which undermined export opportunities. Partly, this problem was solved by “grain agreements” regarding the export of grain. However, they do not enable export to reach the volumes of the pre-war years. Currently, the harvest is coming to an end. Thus, the issue of sales is becoming even more urgent.
Promoting circularity in rebuilding Ukrainian cities
25 November, 14:00 – 16:30 CET / 15:00 – 17:30 Kyiv time
Organiser: UNECE
The goal of the workshop is to discuss challenges, international practices, solutions and best examples to ensure circularity when rebuilding Ukrainian cities, focusing on the city of Kharkiv. It will provide practical solutions and support the regional exchange of experiences and good practices in countries of the UNECE region on promoting rebuilding Ukrainian cities using circular economy principles after the war.
Speakers include representatives of the cities of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv, Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, Ministry of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine, United Nations agencies and international organizations, and Ukrainian and international NGOs and businesses.
Expert Talk «Green recovery of Ukraine for EU decarbonization»
25 November, 15:00 – 17:00 CET / 16:00 – 18:00 Kyiv time
Organiser: European Business Association
On its eurointegration path, Ukraine has never refused from its environmental and climate agenda regardless of the economic consequences of pandemic and the catastrophe of war. Despite the difficulties of wartime, a significant number of industrial enterprises are determined to continue implementation of EU environmental standards.
The EBA Committee on Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Development and Global Business for Ukraine are organizing an expert meeting with speakers from the EU and Ukraine in support of examining the ways of Ukraine’s green recovery and the role it may play in realization of the EU climate policy.
During the open discussion, we will consider in more detail the current state of environmental policies in the EU and their inclusion in the post-war reconstruction plan of Ukraine on the way to EU membership. At the event the developments of the EBA Industrial Ecology and Sustainable Development Committee, set out in the annual policy paper “Deregulation of environmental legislation during the war and reforms for European integration” will also be presented.
Read main takeaways from the event here.
Supporting Ukraine economic reconstruction: Financial Instruments from Poland and Europe
28 November, 8:00 – 18:30 CET
Organsers: ZPP, UkraineInvest, National Investment Council of Ukraine, Union of Ukrainian Entrepreneurs (SUP)
According to the August 2022 World Bank Rapid Damage and Need Assessment Report (RDNA), rebuilding infrastructure and restoring the economy of Ukraine may tally staggering 352 billion US dollars. This figure presents a formidable challenge to Ukraine’s international partners in the West. As overlapping energy, climate and military crises are likely to overwhelm the EU budget in the next few years, it will be up to individual governments and financial institutions of EU countries to foot the bill.
Poland is well positioned to play a leading role in this process, in partnership with other EU Member States and EU institutional investors. The Polish financial institutions have well-tested instruments used in modernizing the country’s infrastructure and industrial sector, while the Polish business offers a thorough understanding of Ukrainian economic realities and leverages close cultural ties.
The purpose of this event is to unveil Poland’s potential to the Ukrainian financial and business sector, to discuss opportunities and challenges of investing in reconstruction and recovery, to establish direct business contacts.
Kyiv Investment Forum 2022
28 November, 9:00 – 20:00 CET
Organiser: Kyiv City Administration
This year the Forum will focus its discussion on the resilience of Kyiv in light of the horrific war started by the Russian attacks. It will focus on the ways of rebuilding and strengthening the Kyiv metropolitan area in line with digitization, technological solutions and social economic integration that contributes to the broader public good, faster restoration of Ukraine, sustainable and equitable economic system for further EU integration. The topics of social and technological economic recovery of Ukraine and its capital region will be discussed at an event of such magnitude for the first time.
Top European and Ukrainian government officials, most prominent representatives of public and private sectors will meet to discuss the challenges Kyiv is facing at the moment as well as its post-war recovery within three key areas: resilience, innovation and sustainability.
The Forum will unite global financial institutions and private investors to work on efficient multi-sector investment tools to deal with the consequences of the war and develop a plan for recovery and modernization of Kyiv metropolis.
High-Level Conference on ‘RebuildUkraine’ & Civil Dialogue
29 November, 9:30 – 13:15 CET
Organisers: Civil Society Europe, European Environmental Bureau
The first aim of the conference is to discuss Ukrainian and EU civil society’s role in the ‘RebuildUkraine’ platform through an exchange between, on the one hand, EU and Ukrainian civil society organisations, and on the other, EU institutions.
This first half of the conference will involve a high-level panel debate, followed by open discussions. EU and Ukrainian civil society organisations and representatives of the EU institutions will discuss Ukrainian and EU civil society’s role in the ‘RebuildUkraine’ reconstruction platform. The discussion will build on CSE and the EEB’s joint statement urging the European Commission to guarantee a meaningful role for civil society in ‘RebuildUkraine’.
The second aim of the conference is to develop a roadmap to strengthen civil dialogue at the EU level. The discussion will build on CSE’s previous work on civil dialogue, including a letter sent to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola in January 2022 as well as CSE and the European Civic Forum’s recent call for an EU Civil Society Strategy in the Commission’s 2023 work programme.
This second half dedicated to civil dialogue will involve two workshops, each of which will be chaired and moderated by a representative of various EU institutions. The first workshop will be dedicated to fostering and structuring participation in civil dialogue, while the second one will focus on supporting civil society organisations’ engagement in the design and monitoring of EU funds at the EU level.
International colloquium – Russian aggression against Ukraine: Environmental consequences (event in French and Ukrainian)
December 1, 8:45 – 17:30 CET
Organiser: La Rochelle University, France
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has considerable environmental impacts for Ukraine, for Europe and for humanity. The environmental consequences of this armed conflict show the dependence of our societies on environmental protection in a context of global ecological emergency.
This international conference aims to take a provisional evaluation of the degradation of environment in Ukraine with officials and scientists. It will present the law of armed conflict applicable to the protection of the environment and will outline the prospects for international responsibility in this topic-area.
The symposium proposes to address three main themes: (1) The state of the damage to environment in Ukraine; (2) Multidimensional ecological solidarity: geopolitical and legal consequences; (3) Territorial integrity and ecological solidarity: consequences for the marine environment.
Watch the conference livestream here.
Good environmental governance in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine
December 1, 10:00 – 12:30 CET
Organisers: Centrul Naţional de Mediu, Research-Intellectual Club “Dialogue of Generations” and Resource and Analysis Center “Society and Environment”
What is the progress in reaching good environmental governance in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine? How the russian aggression against Ukraine is affecting the compliance with the good environmental governance principles? What are recommendations for main stakeholders how to reinforce the good environmental governance in the three EaP countries? How the good environmental governance can help in ensuring green post-war reconstruction in the EaP region?
The online round table aims at presenting main conclusions of the Good Environmental Governance Assessment in Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine, as well as at discussing recommendations to reinforce the good environmental governance in the three Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries.
Representatives of the public authorities, the EU, non-governmental organizations, and experts from the EaP countries are invited.
Second Ukrainian Energy Security Dialogue
December 1, 15:00 – 18:00 CET / 16:00 – 19:00 Kyiv time
Organisers: DiXi Group, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Ukraine, International Renaissance Foundation and Ukrainian Energy
The event is a new annual meeting format that unites Ukrainian, European, and American stakeholders to discuss energy security issues of Ukraine and the region.
During the event, participants will discuss the following topics:
– International Perspective on Energy Security in Ukraine and Key Global Issues
– Energy Resilience of Ukraine
Among the speakers: Herman HALUSHCHENKO, Minister of Energy of Ukraine; Mechthild WOERSDOERFER, Deputy Director-General for Energy of the European Commission (DG ENER); Torsten WOELLERT, Minister Counsellor – Energy, EU Delegation to Ukraine; Mary Burce WARLICK, Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency; Joachim VANZETTA, Chairman of the Board ENTSO-E; Volodymyr KUDRYTSKY, Chairman of the Management Board of NPC Ukrenergo.
Workshop on the Reconstruction of Ukraine as part of the GLO Global Conference 2022
December 1, 16:30 – 18:30 CET
Organiser: Central European University
The destruction and death toll that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has inflicted on the country is immense. One day, however, the war will be over. To offer Ukraine a positive prospect of effective, encompassing, and inclusive reconstruction that will not only recreate the status quo ante but will enable the country to upgrade for better, a salient roadmap is needed.
One of the first contributions to this effort was the CEPR blueprint on the reconstruction of Ukraine. Following up on this effort, the CEPR has put together a group of scientists around the world, with two lead authors on each chapter – one from the EU and one from Ukraine (although most chapters have more than two authors) – to provide a salient blueprint for the reconstruction. CEU and GLO have contributed several experts to this endeavor and will now hold a workshop on the reconstruction of Ukraine covering several chapters broadly related to labor issues, including healthcare, education, labour market, business environment and EU Enlargement.
Ukraine’s economy: stabilisation, rebuilding and the role of the EBRD
7 December, 10:00 – 12:00 CET
Organiser: European Bank for Reconstruction and Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Nearly nine months after the Russian invasion, the war has seriously affected Ukraine’s economy, which is facing daunting tasks. Macroeconomic and financial sector stability are essential for the continued functioning of the economy and maintaining the war effort. Supporting and stimulating the real economy are the key elements of its economic sustainability.
These tasks require collective efforts and coordination among the country’s policymakers, businesses and international community, including the EBRD. The main objective of this half-day workshop is to bring together representatives of key stakeholders to discuss optimal policies and necessary investments to help the process of Ukraine’s stabilisation and rebuilding.
Participants: Odile Renaud Basso, President, EBRD; Tymofiy Mylovanov, President, Kyiv School of Economics; Torbjörn Becker, Professor of economics, Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics – SITE and CEPR; Beata Javorcik, Chief Economist, EBRD; Alain Pilloux, Vice President Banking, EBRD; Oleg Ustenko, Advisor to the President of Ukraine; Oleksandr Kubrakov, Minister of Infrastructure; Volodymyr Kudritskyi, CEO of Ukrenergo; Oleksiy Chernyshov, CEO of Naftogaz; Matteo Patrone, MD, EEC Region, EBRD.
Rebuilding Ukraine: Principles and policies
8 December
Organisers: CEPR & VideoVox Economics
Overview of the new book that offers a comprehensive analysis of what Ukraine should become after the war and what tools policymakers can use to fulfill these goals. It provides perspectives from leading scholars and practitioners: each chapter of the book covers a specific sector, but there is a natural overlap across the chapters because Ukraine’s reconstruction should be a comprehensive transformation of the country. With such a complex task, it is important to have a clear vision of the goals. The leitmotif of this book is clear: reconstruction is not about rebuilding Ukraine to the pre-war state, it is about a deep modernization of the country. All critical elements of the economy and society will have to leapfrog and undergo reforms to help Ukraine escape the post-Soviet legacy and become a full-fledged democracy with a modern economy, strong institutions, and a powerful defence sector.
Conference “Strengthening the Involvement of Civil Society in Ukraine’s Green Reconstruction”
9 December, 10:00 – 14:00 CET
Organisers: Austausch e.V., NGO Ecoclub
In July 2022, the Ukraine’s Recovery Plan was formulated and published at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano. The plan assigns a rather declarative role to civil society participation in the reconstruction process. On the contrary, we believe that civil society should play a meaningful and operational role in Ukraine’s recovery. To ensure sustainable and climate-friendly development, civil society must actively be engaged. Furthermore, precisely this is already demanded by 159 European and Ukrainian civil society organisations.
How can local initiatives be more involved in the reconstruction process? Which paths have already been uncovered in Ukraine for this purpose? And what pitfalls are likely to be encountered?
The online conference will present European and Ukrainian experiences of structural change and socio-ecological transformation and discuss the challenge of shaping sustainable development processes. Representatives from environmental NGOs, scientists and representatives from the state and politics will share their experiences in this field. The aim of this conference is to establish dialogue between political and civil society and to lay out the necessary steps for Green Reconstruction during and after the war in Ukraine.
The Russia-Ukraine war: an inflection point for sustainable energy transitions
12 December, 16:00 – 17:00 CET
Organiser: The Foundation for European Progressive Studies, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
This expert webinar that aims to discuss the geopolitics of the EU energy transition and launch FEPS’s new Policy Brief titled “The Russia-Ukraine war: an inflection point for sustainable energy transitions” written by Dr. Caroline Kuzemko, Reader in International Political Economy at the University of Warwick.
During the presentation of the research key findings, Dr. Caroline Kuzemko will try to answer the following points:
– How the current shift in EU/national energy policies will impact the deal and transition
– How the war will impact energy markets and geopolitics: what consequences for leading suppliers and importers
– Possible consequences for climate change mitigation and adaptation
Conference on civilian resilience and financing Ukraine reconstruction
13 December, Paris
Organiser: Government of France and Government of Ukraine
France is organising a conference in Paris on support for Ukraine’s civilian resilence, in the presence of multilateral donors and stakeholders wishing to take action alongside it. Its aim will be to identify practical responses to address the winter emergency. Special emphasis will be put on the supply of essential equipment and the rebuilding of critical infrastructure, in particular energy infrastructure. It will also seek to establish a working method and create a network bringing together Ukraine and the donors to ensure consistency between Ukraine’s needs and the international community’s support capabilities.
Beyond war ecologies: Green ways forward for Ukraine
14 December, 15:30 – 17:00
Organiser: SIPRI
The Russian war in Ukraine constitutes a now well-acknowledged ecological, as well as geopolitical and humanitarian, catastrophe. Negative impacts to the environment include toxic remnants and pollutants from the use of military weapons and equipment; direct damage from the war to water, soil and forests; and additional contamination from the shelling of hundreds of toxic and hazardous facilities. Resources poured into managing war efforts in Ukraine have also redirected government attention from tasks related to environmental governance and climate action, which poses additional risks for the country, region and wider global sustainable developmental agenda. However, redressing these negative environmental impacts and moving forward to rebuild after them also present a range of opportunities.
The webinar brings together a distinguished expert panel to discuss green ways forward for Ukraine. The aim of the webinar is to raise awareness about the ecological dimensions of the war in Ukraine and create a better understanding of the broader context for restituting environmental crimes or damage. The discussion will also highlight ongoing and potential ways that external actors are assisting or can assist Ukraine in rebuilding in a green, sustainable manner.
Pathways to Grid Resilience
16 December, 16:30 – 17:30
Organiser: Greencubator
The international support for Ukraine’s energy recovery from partners across the globe gives hope for rebuilding Ukrainian energy infrastructure. And one of the key questions here: should we build back or build better?
Speakers: Farid Safarov, Ministry of Energy; Danny Kennedy, New Energy Nexus; Torsten Wollert, EU Delegation in Ukraine; Vadym Utkin, DTEK; Roman Zinchenko, Greencubator.
How Ukraine’s economy survived through 2022?
19 December, 14:00 – 15:10 CET
Organiser: Centre for Economic Strategy and German Economic Team
Since March, the CES has been preparing monthly economic reviews. In this review, the latest in 2022, we record the most important changes in the economy since the beginning of the war. Notes for the previous months are available here.
During the discussion, experts will present an annual overview of the main areas of Ukraine’s economy, including human capital issues, and invited guests will outline their views on this difficult year from the standpoint of the three state institutions, which are the most important for the economy of Ukraine – the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Finance and the National Bank.
Speakers: Robert Kirchner, Deputy Head of GET; Serhiy Marchenko, Minister of Finance of Ukraine; Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, trade representative of Ukraine; Andrii Pyshny, Head of the National Bank of Ukraine.