The Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine once again became the center of a professional discussion on the issue of climate change and adaptation to it during Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. On January 29, 2026, the institution hosted the international event "Third Round Table of PROGRESS Project Partners in Ukraine – 2026." It was held under the project "Preparation of Eastern Partnership Countries for the European Green Deal" (PROGRESS), funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany (BMUKN) within its International Climate Initiative (IKI), and implemented in Ukraine by a consortium of organizations: the German government organization – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (lead); the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine; the project "Decarbonization and Climate Resilience in the EU Eastern Partnership" (EU4ClimateResilience). The participants focused on the agricultural sector and the development of climate-oriented practices, financial mechanisms for their implementation, and the dissemination of knowledge and education in horticulture and related agribusinesses.
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The regional PROGRESS project "Preparation of Eastern Partnership Countries for the European Green Deal" is part of new initiatives of the Energy and Climate Cluster of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ). Their goal is to mitigate the effects of climate change in the Eastern Partnership countries (Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine), facilitate their adaptation to new conditions, and ensure their sustainable development. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany (BMUKN). Its implementation period is 2024–2028.
This year's meeting was dedicated to presenting the key achievements of the PROGRESS project in Ukraine for 2025 and outlining plans for 2026 for key stakeholders. The main reports and discussions concerned improving national agricultural policy and legal frameworks for the development of climate-oriented and sustainable agriculture in Ukraine, green financing mechanisms and the development of green farming, the European Green Deal, capacity building, and opportunities for knowledge dissemination and awareness raising at the community and national levels. Equally important was establishing contacts and exchanging experiences among partners and project guests, as well as deepening partnerships with interested institutions – both international and national.
At the beginning of the event, its facilitator and head of the expert group of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine participating in the PROGRESS project in Ukraine, leading researcher of the Department of Energy Economics and Climate, Candidate of Technical Sciences Oleksandr Dyachuk, presented the purpose and main goals of the round table to the participants. The scientist reminded that the event was held despite the large-scale destruction of energy infrastructure in Kyiv and technological problems within the Institute itself, and all participants supported his expressed gratitude to both Kyiv and institute energy workers, and especially to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for this opportunity.
Opening the meeting, the director of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine, academician of the NAS of Ukraine Valeriy Heyets, emphasized the strategic importance of implementing new solutions and uniting efforts – at local, national, and international levels – to combat climate change and adapt to it, especially in the agri-food sector, which is important not only for the Ukrainian economy during the war but also for many countries and continents, ensuring their food security as well.
Next, the participants were addressed by: from Ukraine – head of the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Denys Rzhanov, and from Germany – First Secretary, Head of Energy and Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ukraine Maximilian Tonner. Welcoming the round table, they focused on the components of successful adaptation to climate change and the EU Green Deal. The key leitmotif of their speeches was the importance of transforming the intellectual achievements of the PROGRESS project into practical measures that will strengthen the Ukrainian agri-food complex against the global challenges of post-war recovery and climate change.
The key conclusions and results of the PROGRESS project in 2025 were presented by the program director of the PROGRESS/EU4ClimateResilience project Martina Kolb (GIZ). She emphasized that the past year was productive for the project, and the main credit for this belongs to the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine.
The round table worked in the format of thematic sessions covering key vectors of project implementation. The first session, moderated by climate change advisor of the EU4ClimateResilience project Yevheniya Zasyadko (GIZ), was dedicated to the public presentation and discussion of the results of the assessment of risks and vulnerability of Ukrainian agriculture to climate change.
The head of the Applied Climatology Laboratory of the Ukrainian Hydrometeorological Institute of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine and NAS of Ukraine, representative of the company "Egis" (consulting and engineering in energy efficiency, environmental management; civil construction, road and bridge construction; water, urban transport; ports, waterways, and energy) in Ukraine, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Svitlana Krakovska, presented the methodology for assessing risks and vulnerability for crop and livestock production due to climate change. The key expert of "Egis in Ukraine" on risks for livestock related to climate change, Lyudmyla Palamarchuk, shared assessments of risks and vulnerability for livestock and emphasized the problem of heat stress for animals, although, on the other hand, livestock, producing greenhouse gas emissions (due to manure formation, enteric fermentation, etc.), also contributes to climate change. The key expert of "Egis in Ukraine" on risks for crop production related to climate change, Oleksiy Kryvobok, reported on risks and vulnerabilities for crop production due to climate change: the main factors are changes in air temperature, increased frequency of droughts and extreme precipitation, decreased snowfall and snow cover, and increased wind speed.
As noted by the chief expert of the Vegetable and Potato Growing Sector of the Crop Production Department of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Nataliya Voytiuk, the team of experts who worked on this study presented measures to reduce the impact of climate change consequences on livestock and crop production. She also outlined the main goals and objectives of this study: it was driven not only by institutional necessity but also by the practical needs of farmers.
The second session addressed issues of improving national policy and legal frameworks for the development of climate-oriented and sustainable agriculture in Ukraine.
Scientists from the Department of Forms and Methods of Management in the Agri-food Complex of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine – head of the department, Doctor of Economic Sciences Olena Shubravska, and leading researcher, Candidate of Economic Sciences Kateryna Prokopenko – reported on the results of research on water resource management and irrigation regulation in Ukraine. In particular, Olena Shubravska emphasized that in the context of the new paradigm – from exploitation to sustainable ecosystem – the key problems of water resource management for irrigation are the limitation and depletion of water supply sources, high levels of water pollution, significant losses, and inefficient use of water during irrigation. The researchers identified three strategic directions for water management policy in Ukraine: water resource management to restore natural balance; modernization of irrigation; harmonization with EU rules and standards.
Leading researcher of the Department of Forms and Methods of Management in the Agri-food Complex of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Economic Sciences Olga Popova based her report on recommendations for updating soil management policy and legislation in Ukraine and harmonizing it with EU standards, particularly the "Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions" (GAEC) policy for 2021–2027. "Healthy soils are in good chemical, biological, and physical condition, enabling them to provide ecosystem services vital for humans and the environment, such as safe, nutritious, and sufficient food, biomass, clean water, nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and habitat for biodiversity," the speaker noted.
Leading researcher of the Department of Trade and Industrial Policy of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the NAAS of Ukraine Tamara Ostashko dedicated her report to the state of digitalization in the agricultural sector. In particular, according to the scientist, key barriers for small and medium enterprises are infrastructure gaps, a deficit of technological skills, and limited access to financing. To overcome these obstacles, she proposed a set of strategic solutions: from expanding network coverage and creating digital agro-climatic maps to integration with the European TRACES system (Trade Control and Expert System – an online platform of the European Commission for certification and control of the import/transit of animals, food products, feed, and plants into the European Union) and implementing blockchain for organic product verification. The speaker especially emphasized stimulating digitalization through targeted grants, preferential lending to agricultural cooperatives, and large-scale educational programs on precision farming. The second, no less important, issue raised in Tamara Ostashko’s speech was the implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which prohibits the import into the EU of products whose production has led to deforestation or forest degradation. The scientist outlined the conditions for successful EUDR implementation in Ukraine and shared relevant recommendations.
Senior program manager of the OECD Krzysztof Michalek reported on improving national policy and legal frameworks for the development of climate-oriented and sustainable agriculture in Ukraine, focusing on the architecture of political dialogue and building an integrated regulatory framework. The speaker justified the need to optimize regulatory mechanisms aimed at forming effective climate-oriented state policy.
The discussion on the specifics of implementing the EUDR in Ukraine was actively joined by the head of the Service Systems Development Department in the Agricultural Sector of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Oleh Voytiuk. He emphasized that the ministry is very interested in the practical implementation of the presented PROGRESS project results and is ready for further cooperation both on the EUDR issue and in disseminating relevant information among key stakeholders, farmers, agribusinesses, and others.
During the second part of the second session, leading researcher of the Department of Trade and Industrial Policy, Candidate of Economic Sciences of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine Volodymyr Olefir spoke about strategic directions for greening the processing industry and improving waste management under climate change conditions. The scientist noted the need to transition to autonomous energy and water supply systems, form closed-loop raw material supply chains, and implement "green" technologies in horticultural product processing. The speaker paid special attention to decarbonization mechanisms of production, minimizing wastewater and industrial waste, which formed the basis for recommendations to modernize regulatory legislation to stimulate environmentally sustainable industry development.
The team of experts from the Department of Energy Economics and Climate of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine (senior researcher, Candidate of Economic Sciences Serhiy Kyryzyuk, leading researcher, Candidate of Technical Sciences Oleksandr Dyachuk, head of the department, Candidate of Economic Sciences Roman Podolets, and researcher Andriy Semenyuk) presented comprehensive recommendations for the development of renewable energy sources in the agricultural sector, emphasizing the strategic role of energy autonomy for modern horticulture. The study, based on the successful experience of the EU, substantiates the implementation of technologies such as the production of "green" ammonia, biogas, and the use of autonomous power systems for independent energy supply of irrigation and digital monitoring. As the authors emphasized, integrating renewable energy sources is a key tool for decarbonizing the industry, which simultaneously minimizes economic risks from rising energy prices and guarantees round-the-clock stability of remote management systems in distant farms.
The third session, aimed at familiarizing participants with the current state and prospective measures in the development of green financing mechanisms in Ukrainian agriculture, began with a report by key experts of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine on green financing – employees of the Department of Monetary and Credit Relations: head of the department, Doctor of Economic Sciences Yevhen Bublik, senior researcher, Candidate of Economic Sciences Yuliya Shapoval, and leading researcher, Candidate of Economic Sciences Svitlana Brus. In their report, they presented key priorities and recommendations regarding green financing policy for climate-resilient agriculture. "Despite significant progress, to develop green financing in Ukraine, a number of significant obstacles must be overcome, among which one of the key remains the absence of an approved national green taxonomy and a system of green criteria. This complicates the formation of internal financial instruments and attracting external financing. Overcoming these problems strengthens the institutional capacity of the state to develop and promptly implement relevant regulatory innovations. This can be facilitated by creating an Interagency Coordination Commission on Green Finance. Subsequently, this will create institutional prerequisites for expanding the range of targeted sectoral support programs for green financing not only in agriculture but also in the economy as a whole," noted Yevhen Bublik while presenting the research results.
Developing the topic of the third session of the round table, PROGRESS project advisor in Ukraine Artem Sadomov (GIZ-Ukraine) and leading researcher of the Department of Energy Economics and Climate of the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine, Candidate of Economic Sciences Halyna Trypolska, spoke about the results of a comprehensive study conducted under the PROGRESS project on selecting best practices for adapting horticulture to climate change. Applying the "Technology Needs Assessment" (TNA) approach and processing expert conclusions from scientific institutions, educational establishments, international organizations, and agribusiness, the authors formed a list of priority technologies and practices for growing and processing horticultural products (nuts, apples, raspberries, garden strawberries). The practical result of this analytical work will be the launch of a pilot financial product "Green Farming in Horticulture" to stimulate farmers to implement climate-resilient and environmentally oriented practices and solutions.
The concept of the pilot financial mechanism "Green Farming in Horticulture," developed jointly with representatives of the Entrepreneurship Development Fund (since February 2026 officially named the National Development Institution), was presented by its representatives Vitaliy Ulyantsev and Olena Redka. They spoke about pilot green financing of horticultural projects with grant support from the PROGRESS project. Ukrainian banks (JSC "Oschadbank" and JSC "CreditWest Bank") and the Partial Credit Guarantee Fund in Agriculture will participate in implementing these pilot projects.
This greatly interested the round table participants. Representatives of partner organizations took part in the discussion, including the head of the Partial Credit Guarantee Fund in Agriculture Oleh Prykhodko and deputy head of the Client Relations Department of JSC "CreditWest Bank" Volodymyr Tauzakov, who confirmed the prospects of the proposed pilot financing mechanism, drawing attention to its potential strengths. The directions of current regulatory initiatives already being developed in the field of institutional environment development for green finance circulation, including prospects for implementing green taxonomy, were outlined by the deputy head of the Systemic Risk Analysis Department of the Financial Stability Department of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Danylenko and green finance expert of the Green Transition Office of the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine Dmytro Sych. Representatives of the financial services market – advisor to the National Association of Banks of Ukraine Ruslan Hrytsenko, head of sustainable development at JSC "Credit Dnipro Bank" Vyacheslav Ivanenko, president of the Public Union "Ukrainian Capital Markets Association" Serhiy Moskvin, advisor on bioeconomy sector of the European Investment Bank Andriy Fedoseyev, and advisor of the international initiative "Smarter Finance for EU" Viktoriya Petrovych – spoke about current developments regarding market instruments and ESG criteria implementation (ESG – Environmental, Social, Governance: standards describing a company's impact on the environment, society, and governance quality) in financial institutions' activities, as well as noted existing challenges and ways to overcome them.
The moderator of the fourth session, head of the PROGRESS project in Ukraine Dmytro Berezovskyi, introduced local partners involved in the PROGRESS project implementation and local partners in the regions. During this session, local partners presented their strategic plans and priority steps to strengthen the institutional, informational, and educational capacity of the project. The speeches focused on integrating new expert solutions into the overall PROGRESS roadmap and coordinating joint actions to achieve the project's climate and economic goals in 2026.
In particular, participants were acquainted with the vision of regional and local needs for the development of climate-oriented and sustainable agriculture proposed by the acting head of the Cherkasy Regional Council Roman Sushchenko.
The Vice-Rector of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor Serhiy Kvasha, presented the "GREEN-HORT" project aimed at integrating scientific knowledge and educational methodologies into the practical activities of agricultural market participants, which will be supported by the PROGRESS project. The goal of this initiative is to strengthen the capacity of authorities and agricultural producers (farmers) by implementing sustainable economic and climate practices with a particular emphasis on digitalization and expanding the rights of female farmers. The key outcome of the activity is to develop specialized training packages for teachers and trainers and implement innovative mutual learning methodologies focusing on green financing and climate-resilient practices and technologies for growing priority crops – nuts, apples, and berries.
Specialists from the Institute of Plant Protection of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences of Ukraine – deputy director of the institution, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Anna Tkalenko, and senior researcher of the Plant Forecasting and Quarantine Laboratory, Candidate of Agricultural Sciences Oleh Vovkotrub – revealed the concept of integrated protection of fruit and berry crops to minimize pesticide use, which they are to implement within the PROGRESS project. The report was based on a comprehensive approach: from in-depth assessment of agronomic background and phytosanitary field monitoring to selecting varieties resistant to abiotic stresses and pathogens.
Senior researcher of the Department of Environmental Protection Technologies and Radiation Safety of the Center for Information-Analytical and Technical Support of Nuclear Energy Facilities Monitoring of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Theodoziya Yatsyshyn, director of the Directorate for European Integration of the Public Organization "International Development Foundation," Candidate of Legal Sciences Anastasiya Bartsitska, and director of the Directorate for Policy Development of this organization, Candidate of Legal Sciences Andriy Izovita, presented the communication platform strategy "Green Talk" for spreading knowledge about sustainable agricultural production. Their activities under the PROGRESS project focus on national and local educational campaigns, including the initiative "Green Talk: Living Stories of Sustainable Agricultural Production." The main goal is to transform the consciousness of target groups and practically motivate them to implement climate-oriented practices, thereby integrating Ukrainian agribusiness into the green economic space.
The final, fifth, session of the event with the participation of the head of the PROGRESS project in Ukraine Dmytro Berezovskyi was devoted to strategic planning of the project's activities for 2026. The key planned milestones are the launch of the pilot financial mechanism "Green Farming in Horticulture," a specialized training module for the banking sector, and a large-scale trainer preparation program to teach farmers climate-adapted practices in the sectors of nut, apple, and berry cultivation. Dmytro Berezovskyi paid special attention to practical implementation: demonstration projects and a series of training visits to model farms in Ternopil, Zakarpattia, and Kyiv regions are planned. Information support will cover national and local promotional campaigns ("Sustainable Agricultural Production Weeks," ECO-TV), as well as digitalization of training programs on IT platforms. These initiatives sparked lively discussion among specialists from educational, scientific, financial sectors, farmers, and business representatives.
The event concluded with an active networking session "Climate Change and Green Transition Projects in Ukraine". In particular, the head of the H2-diplo office in Kyiv (H2-diplo – Decarbonization Diplomacy) Yulianna Waimann outlined the key directions of the initiative to promote green ammonia and fertilizer production technology, which already has synergy with the PROGRESS project. During lively discussions, participants discussed potential synergy between various international initiatives, exchanged practical experience, and established new partnership contacts for joint implementation of green economy principles and climate resilience of the Ukrainian agri-sector, which can and should spread at least among the Eastern Partnership countries.
P.S. About previous events:
- the first round table in 2024;
- presentation of the "EU4ClimateResilience" project and the national PROGRESS conference;
- the second round table in 2025.
Information from the Institute of Economics and Forecasting of the NAS of Ukraine
