Building a Green Economy is like building a home.
You must first select a location to lay down bricks and mortar. In the same way, countries can choose to test policies like installing new electric car charging points in a specific region before introducing them across the country.
When building a house, you would not install a door or windows on their own. Equally, a Green Economy requires an integrated approach. Legislation in favour of renewable energy for example can provide a signal that triggers private sector investment. Yet you also need regulatory standards to help ensure the energy producers play by the same rules, and an information campaign to encourage consumers to buy the energy.
Journalists attending the media workshop led by UN Environment with support from the Ministry of Ecology of Ukraine in Kiev not only learnt about the theoretical basis to a Green Economy. They also had a hands-on opportunity to meet pioneers leading the transition from Ukraine and question high-level decision-makers.
The event, organised under the European Union’s Greening Economies in the Eastern Neighborhood (EaP GREEN) project, took place in Ukraine’s Ministry of Ecology on 7 November 2017. It was moderated by Ms. Gladskikh, editor of the economic on-line journal delo.ua.
Investing in nature
“Most Ukrainians don’t understand the very perilous situation Ukraine’s environment is in today,” the country’s Ecology Minister’s press secretary Ms Hymych told journalists when opening the workshop.
“Without care for the environment there can be no economic development,” Ms Hymych, underlined, calling on the media to be the government’s “allies” in raising awareness among the general public.
UN Environment’s lead expert on Green Economy Fulai Sheng then unpacked the topic, describing care for the environment under a Green Economy as investing in nature.
Take agriculture. You cannot grow food from polluted soil – you must invest in organic fertiliser, Mr Sheng stressed. Farmers must also be trained to ditch chemical pesticides. Consumers must meanwhile be encouraged to eat organic, not only in Ukraine but also in the European Union and elsewhere. Governments can not only introduce legislation but - as one of the biggest food purchasers - also introduce organic food into public places such as school canteens.
Journalists heard further practical examples of what a Green Economy can mean for the waste management and construction industries following similar 360-degree thinking. When pursuing its transition, Ukraine should seize its strengths of being highly advanced in terms of IT and engineering, said Mr Sheng.
The media may instinctively feel like focusing on stories covering issues such as corruption, yet a Green Economy is related to all aspects of our lives and also merits attention, reminded Krzysztof Michalak, Senior Programme Manager at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.
As part of the wide-ranging results delivered under EaP GREEN, Ukraine’s Parliament has adopted a law on strategic environment assessment, Mr Michalak explained. Organic producers in the country have also been given a foot-up by helping them to attend trade fairs where supplier contracts worth 15 million euro have been signed, he highlighted.
Belarus and Moldova have meanwhile adopted national green economy action plans, while Armenia, Georgia and Moldova have launched policy and regulatory reform to green small and medium enterprises, Mr Michalak detailed.
Living examples
Once legislation and policies are in place, what can a Green Economy then look like on the ground?
The journalists met Sergey from Hempire, a business turning waste from Ukrainian cannabis production into insulating and fire-proof material for roof, floors and walls. The material is as solid as concrete and even blocks wifi signal, he explained. In addition, the hemp-based, natural and safe walls absorb carbon monoxide and CO2 over time, with 1 hectare of cannabis absorbing up to 10 tonnes of the greenhouse gas each year, Sergey underlined.
Yulia Gerbut from Passivdom meanwhile laid out plans to print homes in 7-D that are fully powered by solar panels on its roof. The house frame, which is made of carbon, glass fibre and other materials, is six times stronger and lighter than steel, said Julia, who is now taking millions of orders for the homes.
Such inventions seem to be products for an elite, one journalists commented. Yet such an approach saves money over time, Julia responded, citing how Passivdom home-owners will be able to make their investment back without having heating bills. Due to their insulating efficiency, Hempire homes also see their heating bills reduced and earn back their initial investment in 5-7 years, Sergey claimed.
Costs can be saved over a similar timeframe with transport too, a representative from the Elektrocars non-governmental organisation explained. Electric vehicles will soon be available for 11,000 euro and will be able to drive 5000 kilometres on 1.8 litres of fuel, he explained. Under Ukrainian legislation, electric car owners can use electricity at home to recharge for free until 2025, he added.
At one point, a loud whirring could be heard over one of the speakers as an old air conditioning unit seemingly stuttered into action, bringing us back to where we currently stand with the transition.
Green path ahead?
The media workshop coincided with Ukraine signing-up to the Batumi Initiative on Green Economy (BIG-E) – providing the chance for journalists to put their questions to high-level government officials.
The BIG-E, first launched in the Georgian city in June 2016, has seen over 35 countries and organizations commit to concrete actions such as switching to emissions-free transport and investment in renewables. Ukraine has pledged to pursue three Green Economy actions in the coming years - sustainable public procurement, low carbon development and resource efficient and cleaner production in manufacturing and other economic sectors.
Kiev joined the initiative “to ensure our economic development takes place in an eco-friendly way,” stated the country’s Deputy Minister for Ecology, Mr Mykola Kuzio. The media were then able to quiz him on what investments this should now involve, for example.
Further progress on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement can meanwhile help deliver a Green Economy, said Ms. Astrid Ladefoged, Deputy Head of the European Commission’s Environment Directorate. “It is no coincidence that the European Union is organising a circular economy conference in Ukraine,” she added in encouragement.
Media are part of the transition
The Kiev workshop is the latest in a series organised by UN Environment and recognises the role the media has in the Green Economy transition.
In October, a major study on public attitudes to climate change was published by Professor Bruggerman in Germany.
Shockingly, it found that after the Paris Agreement on climate change was portrayed to be a success, Germans reacted by generally feeling soothed and reassured. Despite a wealth of articles on the topic, many people had not paid attention to them. For those that did, many said they are no longer very alarmed about climate change, do not particularly support their country taking the lead with policy measures to combat it, and do not plan to significantly change their lives.
Yet we know that even if the pledges made by countries under the Paris Agreement are realised, we will still be on track for over 3 degrees of global warming by the end of the century. This would mean facing the worst effects of floods, fires, loss of species and loss of lives.
Peoples’ perceptions may be influenced by the tone of decision makers, but also by the media. Journalists’ creativity for mobilising and inspiring others - whether by illustrating how a Green Economy relates to people’s lives, or by challenging a politician to take a more long-term view - is therefore essential for everyone in society.
The media not only shares information but can also ask questions, hold people to account and inspire new ways of thinking. This is vital for any country’s transition to a Green Economy.
The European Union’s-funded EaP GREEN Project is carried out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, UN Environment, the UN Economic Commission for Europe and the UN Industrial Development Organisation. It assists Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine in their transition towards a Green Economy.
To view the workshop programme click here and for more information write to mark.grassi@un.org or rie.tsutsumi @un.org
