Andrii Kitura: "Green Transition Is Not an Expense, But an Opportunity for Ukrainian Business"
At the event "European Vector of Ukrainian Business: Adaptation to Climate Standards," held on May 6 in Kyiv as part of the launch of the fourth cohort of the Climate Ambition Accelerator 2025 program, the Head of the Green Transition Office at the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine and the Development Director of DiXi Group delivered speeches.
The meeting brought together representatives of the UN Global Compact in Ukraine, the British Embassy, DiXi Group think tank, the private sector, and industry associations, who jointly sought ways to adapt Ukrainian business to European climate standards.
In his speech, Andrii Kitura emphasized the transformation of the approach to climate policy in Ukraine: "I believe that one of Ukraine's greatest achievements today is that we are gradually transforming the mindset of our policy makers, explaining that green transition or climate change is not an expense, but an opportunity for our business," Kitura stressed.
He noted that the main task of the Green Transition Office is to unite the efforts of key stakeholders in the Government of Ukraine for the country's green transformation, as until recently these issues were not perceived as priorities.
The Office Head outlined the main areas of activity, particularly the analysis of emission reduction options: "We are working on analyzing financially attractive, technically feasible options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in various sectors of Ukraine's economy," Kitura reported. The Office has already completed research for the agricultural sector and cement industry, and plans to focus on metallurgy this year. The results include a list of technical solutions, assessment of capital and operational expenses, and the cost of emission reduction.
Kitura paid special attention to the development of a "green platform" — a tool that will unite all available sources of "green" financing. According to him, they plan to create an online resource with a complete list of available funding sources for Ukrainian businesses and communities. The platform will provide information about grants, concessional loans, loans, and financing programs from Ukrainian and international banks.
A significant challenge remains the coordination of the National Energy and Climate Plan implementation. As the Office Head explained, this cross-cutting document combines more than 140 different sectoral measures, and its implementation requires more than 40 billion dollars by 2030. Due to Ukraine's limited internal resources, the Office focuses on demonstrating realistic government plans and specific investment projects to international partners.
The Green Transition Office is also working on educational initiatives. Andrii Kitura noted the need to train government officials in using green criteria when selecting public projects, as well as preparing special courses for middle management of large companies in cooperation with one of Ukraine's key business schools.
Participants agreed that for Ukrainian business, climate responsibility is becoming not just an environmental issue, but also a strategic economic one. Implementing European standards opens new opportunities for attracting investments, strengthening positions in global markets, and building a sustainable economy in the process of Ukraine's post-war recovery.
The Green Transition Office is an independent advisory body under the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine that helps to implement reforms in the field of green transition, energy and climate policy of Ukraine. The Green Transition Office operates with the financial support of the UK International Development and is implemented by Dixi Group.
Published on