Ukraine’s reconstruction should prioritise a distributed, low-carbon energy system

Issue paper    |    16 June 2023

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Ukraine aims to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy sources and safely decommission its nuclear power plants by 2050. To achieve these goals, future investments in the energy sector must be underpinned by a policy of zero tolerance toward fossil fuels.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been focusing on the urgent needs of Ukraine’s energy system in the wake of Russia’s invasion, but after more than a year of war, the ‘greening’ of the emergency response must now begin in earnest. In this issue paper, we argue that the EBRD should support Ukraine’s EU aspirations, provide financial instruments for renewable energy, ready the grid for distributed production and ensure construction standards are met.