Verkhovna Rada and the government have decided to achieve climate neutrality by 2050: what does it mean?
9 October 2024 09:54
On 8 October, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted the government’s draft law No. 11310 “On the Basic Principles of State Climate Policy”. It should become the framework climate law for Ukraine, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“In the law, we set a goal to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. We also defined the architecture of climate governance in Ukraine, financial instruments for achieving climate goals, and took into account the goals of the state climate policy in post-war recovery programmes,”
– said Svitlana Hrynchuk, Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine.
The document is also a European integration document, which means that it contains provisions that Ukraine must implement in its domestic legislation in order to join the EU. Climate neutrality by 2050 is one of these provisions, as this is the goal of the EU itself.
According to the Ministry of Environment, the document contains:
- strategic planning and practical steps to achieve climate neutrality;
- cross-sectoral climate policy;
- monitoring of actions and steps to implement climate policy;
- systemic climate change forecasting;
- fulfilment of Ukraine’s international obligations.
If the law is signed by the President of Ukraine, it will mean that our country will commit to becoming a climate-neutral country by 2050.
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Climate neutrality
Climate neutrality, carbon neutrality, net zero emissions are terms that refer to a state where greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activity and their removal are in balance. This applies to all greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. To achieve climate neutrality, it is necessary to significantly reduce emissions, in particular by switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Many companies and countries offset their remaining emissions by purchasing carbon credits.
In recent years, zero emissions have become the main focus of climate action. As of November 2023, more than 145 countries have announced or are considering climate neutrality targets, covering almost 90% of global emissions. This covers 92% of global GDP and 89% of the world’s population. At the same time, most claims of climate neutrality are questionable due to the lack of regulation and the need for further innovation to decarbonise.
The terms “zero emissions”, “carbon neutrality” and “climate neutrality” are often used synonymously, but there may be differences between them. For example, some carbon neutrality certification standards allow for the significant use of carbon offsets, while zero emissions standards require a reduction of more than 90% and only a small proportion is allowed to be offset.
The European Union plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and become climate neutral by 2050.
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