Razom We Stand reached out to Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and Chair of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, Ihor Verner, to stress the critical importance of accounting for greenhouse gas emissions, emphasizing that this is essential for achieving climate goals and for post-war reconstruction efforts in Ukraine based on sustainable and environmentally friendly principles. By adopting them, Ukraine can guarantee its competitiveness in international markets while contributing to a greener and more sustainable world.
Razom We Stand stresses the importance of reporting greenhouse gas emissions, which is mandatory in many developed countries. Ukrainian businesses should also be responsible for accounting for their emissions. To achieve this, Razom We Stand proposes implementing the GHG Protocol, the most widely recognized and commonly used method of reporting greenhouse gas emissions by businesses and government agencies. To facilitate this, the Ukrainian government should record and publish greenhouse gas emission factors for different types of goods.
"Accurate calculation of greenhouse gas emissions from business activities requires appropriate emission factors for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, categorized by energy resource type, such as electricity and heat supply, as well as processing technology for various goods. Without these factors, businesses will be unable to track and report their greenhouse gas emissions, thus limiting their ability to develop effective decarbonization strategies. Given the new climate policies, this is particularly important in the context of the next few years at the EU level," says Olha Yevstihnieieva, Advocacy Manager at Razom We Stand.
Another essential topic, particularly during the post-war recovery phase when a significant number of buildings were destroyed, is the establishment of a standardized government database to evaluate the life cycle of building materials. This should include the construction process, transportation, energy usage, and recycling procedures, as highlighted in the appeal.
The German government's Okobaudat database, which operates as an open data portal managed by the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development, and Construction, is an excellent example of such a database. The database provides free information on the recyclability of various goods, including cement, metals, and chemical products used in building construction, energy, and transportation. It also includes relevant data such as the date and manager of each entry.
The Lipasto calculation system is another example that demonstrates the potential for creating such databases. It is currently used in Finland to calculate transport emissions and energy consumption, covering various modes of transport such as road, rail, water, and air. The creation of similar databases on connected emissions, which already exist in several European countries, could significantly contribute to Ukraine's green post-war reconstruction efforts, helping save resources and enabling the implementation of cutting-edge technologies across various sectors of the economy.
Read the full text of the appeal here.
