SUSTAINABLE RESTORATION

Sustainable development is one of the key principles of Ukraine's restoration, which was, in particular, approved by the Lugano Declaration and signed by our country's key partners and allies. The Declaration envisages restoration in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Ukraine's restoration is guided by the principle of "build back better" to increase the resilience of the country and its communities and stay on track to join the European Union.

Developing sustainable and future-oriented restoration projects will help modernize and green Ukraine's economy while considering financial, social, and environmental impacts. Integrating the most relevant aspects of sustainable development for Ukraine into the DREAM ecosystem will facilitate the creation and increase in the number of such projects.

Principles of sustainable restoration:

Eco-friendly approach

A working subgroup on sustainable building design, led by the NGO ReThink, is trying to define what precisely green construction and urban redevelopment entail, focusing on adapting key international standards and certification systems to the Ukrainian context. The goal is to create a basic sustainability guide to circular economy principles, ecological design, sustainable urbanism, and green materials and energy solutions.

In addition, we aim to offer free, relevant guidelines to improve the quality of life of communities and access to funds for project initiators.

The adapted guidelines are scheduled to be integrated into the DREAM ecosystem in May 2024, after being integrated into the New European Bauhaus (NEB) program in April 2024.

Energy efficiency

Improving energy efficiency is strategically important not only for low-carbon development and more reliable energy supply but also for increasing Ukraine's energy resilience and independence.

Currently, all restoration and new construction projects must comply with the current Building Codes in Ukraine, including energy efficiency. Ukraine is already adopting the European practice of constructing buildings that consume minimal energy and aims to decarbonize the national building stock by 2050 fully. By 2025, Ukraine will have amended its policies and Building Codes to accelerate the transition to the latest European standard - Nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB) and at least partial use of renewable energy sources.

Inclusiveness

In addition to environmental sustainability, Ukraine's restoration efforts must align with social sustainability principles. This is important not only in terms of economic inclusion but also in terms of the social reintegration of wounded veterans and people with disabilities. In addition, the inclusiveness component of the New European Bauhaus should also be integrated into DREAM at the stage of project screening and pre-selection.

Tools for sustainable restoration:

Best practices

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) offers a cutting-edge vision of living in Europe based on inclusivity, unity, aesthetics, environmental sustainability, and a circular economy. This initiative of the President of the European Commission has not only brought together thousands of architects, urban designers, solution providers, civic activists, and policymakers to develop best practices for designing sustainable and future-proof built environments but has also found recognition among Ukrainians. The NEB has been perceived as an essential tool for building a better Ukraine at the governmental and civil society levels.
In April 2024, a subgroup led by the NGO ReThink (the first official partner of the New European Bauhaus in Ukraine) will integrate the environmental sustainability part of the NEB label into its urban space guidelines. The aesthetics and inclusivity components will also be used to evaluate DREAM projects at a later stage.

Relevant solutions

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is reviewing the international framework for sustainable development, focusing on infrastructure restoration and the construction sector in particular. In addition to the analytical review, consultations with local experts will be held. The goal is to gather country-specific knowledge and issues and use this information to propose a sustainable development framework focusing on the areas most relevant to Ukraine.
Through this work, IISD aims to inform stakeholders about existing international frameworks and requirements and provide recommendations for incorporating key aspects of sustainability into the infrastructure, construction, and implementation of projects in the DREAM. The results of this work will be presented in March 2024.

Training and experience exchange

The Ministry for Communities, Territories, and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine strives to ensure the effective restoration of Ukraine by providing tools for learning, sharing, and replicating successful practices. The team collects information, technical documentation, and successful cases from communities across Ukraine implementing projects with sustainable development elements. These cases will be disseminated and popularized through the DREAM as examples for project initiators who plan to build back better but do not have relevant guidelines.
The Ministry for Restoration of Ukraine, in collaboration with the NGO Rethink, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Open Contracting Partnership, and supported by the RISE Ukraine Coalition, among other partners, is taking the initiative to integrate the essential aspects of sustainable development for Ukraine into the DREAM ecosystem.