The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine announced its intention to develop a program for adapting the agricultural sector to the climate policy of the European Green Course by 2026. This plan will be aimed at implementing ecological practices in agriculture and ensuring the resilience of the agricultural sector to climate change.
This was reported to the Ministry of Environment on Tuesday following the discussion with farmers regarding the implementation of the European Green Course.
As noted by the ministry, in May 2024 the government approved the Strategy for the Formation and Implementation of State Policy in the Field of Climate Change for the period until 2035 and approved the operational plan of measures for its implementation in 2024-2026.
According to this plan, in 2025, a study on the assessment of the risks of agriculture to climate change will be completed, and by 2026, a program document on the adaptation of the agricultural sector will be developed
Also, in her words, "climate policy can provide financial incentives, such as subsidies for green practices, research grants, and tax breaks, which help reduce the costs of green practices and promote investments in sustainable development."
Kireeva also emphasized the importance of climate policy implementation for the agro-industrial sector:
- Adapting to climate change: The policy helps farms adapt through new crops and agronomic practices.
- Improving resource efficiency: the policy encourages innovative technologies to reduce consumption of water, energy and other resources.
- Ensuring food security: contributes to the stability of agro-food systems in the face of climate change.
- Financial support and incentives: policies can include subsidies, grants and tax incentives for green practices, as well as attracting international finance.
- Responsibility and reputation: The policy helps companies improve their reputation by demonstrating environmental responsibility.
As noted by the Ministry of Environment, the main principles of the European Green Course include ecologically sustainable development, preservation of biodiversity, improvement of water and soil quality, reduction of air pollution, energy transition to renewable energy sources, improvement of energy efficiency, innovation, circular economy and expansion of nature conservation areas. The goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 through changes in energy, transport, industry and agriculture.
