Cooperation for Ukraine’s Climate and Biodiversity Future

The International Climate Initiative supports projects in Ukraine that help to build a, resilient, cost-efficient and sustainable energy infrastructure as well as biodiversity conservation and restoration in times of war.

On 5 March 2025, the IKI interface workshop “Ukraine’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) 2035: Investments in a Sustainable, Climate-Balanced, and Biodiverse Future” was held in Krakow. The city in Poland was chosen for the meeting between the Ukrainian and German partners because it lies halfway between the two countries. 

The workshop brought together representatives of the governments of Ukraine and Germany, experts, and IKI partners to discuss Ukraine’s climate policy, green recovery, and biodiversity conservation.

Ukraine’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) update

The key item on this year’s agenda was the NDC update which is due this year within UNFCCC’s global call to member states to submit their new NDCs before UNFCCC COP 30. This is the reason why this is one of the most important climate topics in Ukraine today. 

The NDCs serves as the main tool for implementing the Paris Agreement. In light of this, a central objective of this workshop was to provide an overview of the significance of updating Ukraine's NDC and analysing why it is crucial for Ukraine’s sustainable future. 

The key topics discussed at the event were: 

• How to strengthen the enabling environment to drive sector-wide transformation;
• decentralized renewable energy solutions in Ukraine for energy resilience, how biodiversity drives climate adaptation and mitigation and
• what are strategies for effective private sector participation in Ukraine’s green recovery.

Overall, the workshop highlighted very clearly that, for Ukraine, implementing the Paris Agreement is essential for both economic and climate stability, as well as for a successful European integration and that preserving biodiversity at the same time goes a long way towards supporting climate resilience and sustainable development. 

Other important aspects covered at the workshop were IKI´s prioritised field of action on energy transition, and how to engage private investors in green infrastructure, renewable energy, and biodiversity-friendly development to ensure a resilient and climate-positive recovery.

Working together for climate action and biodiversity conservation in times of war

The climate and biodiversity crisis are without doubt interlinked and addressed simultaneously within the framework of the IKI. The biodiversity in Ukraine is unique in Europe, which is attributable to the country's varied geography. The landscapes range from the Carpathian Mountains, (primeval) forests, (forest) steppes, pastures, (salt) meadows and marshlands to the coasts of the Black Sea. The country, which only amounts to six per cent of Europe's surface area, harbours 35 per cent of the continent's biodiversity. With this in mind, another focus of this workshop was to address the critical importance of biodiversity conservation within Ukraine's climate strategy and highlight how preserving biodiversity can support climate resilience and sustainable development goals.

The workshop offered space for representatives from the Ukrainian and German Ministries, as well as Zukunft-Umwelt-Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH’s IKI Office, to introduce the current IKI Strategy and other relevant updates, and to interact with and get to know the different actors in the organisations implementing the IKI’s projects.

Comments from German government representatives on the meeting in Krakow  

The German government representatives were deeply impressed by the great efforts Ukrainian partners and implementing organisations make under the most difficult circumstances of the Russian war of aggression, which has been ongoing for three years, to maintain the work of all projects and even expand the IKI’s activities in Ukraine. The German officials recognised the commendable continued efforts by Ukraine for climate and biodiversity action. 

Ukrainian partners expressed their sincere gratitude for the continuous reliable German support in this most difficult time. Project staff presented the work of their projects, e.g. demonstrating how decentralised renewable energy solutions with power storage can secure critical energy resilience for hospitals, schools, preschools and local administration offices.

Dr Philipp Behrens, Head of the IKI Division, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK): 

“We are happy to see that our Ukrainian partners are taking the NDC efforts very seriously and are working hard on the new NDC. The new NDC can show a clear way to a decentralised and decarbonised economy with renewables and a green reconstructed Ukraine. If private stakeholders are aware that there is a clear pathway towards a decarbonised Ukraine and a clear ambitious NDC with a sectoral approach, then all of these actors will know that they can invest in renewables and green jobs and they will help to create investment plans that the country needs.“ 

Jürgen Keinhorst, Head of the Regional Division for Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety, and Consumer Protection (BMUV):

“We are fully aware of the priorities Ukraine is facing in this current war situation. We believe in Ukraine and we believe in the future of Ukraine. In this regard, we initiated from the German side together with Ukraine the Platform for Action on the Green Recovery of Ukraine which is dealing with environment, climate and energy to pave the way for Ukraine into the future and to the EU accession.”

Elke Steinmetz, Head of Division for International Cooperation on Biodiversity, BMUV:

“We must commend the enthusiasm of Ukrainian partners, who despite the turmoil at home are working relentlessly to chip-in their own contributions towards achieving the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We are more committed than ever to supporting Ukraine in this endeavour. In this regard, the BMUV has opened a dedicated funding window for Ukraine to the tune of 1.5 Million Euros within the Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN II). Moreover, the ministry will be funding a new project with Ukraine Nature Conservation Group on mapping possible spheres for biodiversity action in Ukraine.”

Background information: IKI interface workshop

The annual interface workshop is designed to promote dialogue between the IKI projects in Ukraine and to facilitate exchange on current issues in the fields of climate action and biodiversity. This workshop, attended by 15 implementing organisations and nearly 70 participants from Ukraine and Germany, was organised by the GreenUkraine-Projekt, which serves as the IKI Interface Project for Ukraine. 

The event provides unique networking opportunities for institutions and organisations involved in the implementation of IKI-financed projects - bilateral, regional, and global - in Ukraine. Participants had the opportunity to highlight the work of the projects, discuss the insights and challenges related to their project activities, and identify synergies and established connections in their work.

Here you will find the overview page for the IKI priority country Ukraine. 

Here you will find the Strategy of the International Climate Initiative up to 2030. 

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