Participants of the Climate Forum in 2019, photo credit 350.org

Geen dictaat maar overleg: regering moet lokale gemeenschappen bij klimaatbeleid betrekken

Lokale gemeenschappen (en ngo's) weten beter dan de regering hoe ze milieubeleid vorm kunnen geven. Laten zij het voortouw nemen bij de energietransitie in Oekraïne.
Ukraine, Eastern Europe

Story by Illia Yeremenko. Translated by Jan Messchendorp
Published on January 23, 2021.

This story is also available in GB ar fr it kr ru tr ua



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Vorig jaar waren er twee verkiezingen in Oekraïne.[1] Ook heeft de nieuwe regering het milieubeleid gewijzigd. Het Ministerie van Energie en de Kolensector en het Ministerie van Milieubescherming werden samengevoegd tot het “Ministerie van Energie en Milieubescherming”. Vervolgens kwam de nieuwe minister van Energie en Milieu met een “Green New Deal” voor Oekraïne op de proppen.[2] Het idee juich ik beslist toe. Maar op basis van mijn ervaring met lokale autoriteiten durf ik de volgende stelling aan: het nieuwe beleid moet veel uitgebreider worden besproken met belanghebbenden op alle niveaus, waaronder op lokaal niveau. Pas daarna kan dit beleid zijn definitieve vorm krijgen.

In 2010, toen ik nog studeerde, meldde ik me als vrijwilliger aan bij een ngo op milieugebied. Als eerste kreeg ik opdracht onderzoek te doen naar energie-efficiëntieprojecten in het district Manevychi, een kleine gemeenschap in het noorden van Oekraïne. In de gesprekken met medewerkers van het districtsbestuur merkte ik hoe gemotiveerd ze waren. Ze wilden het comfort van de burgers vergroten door de openbare voorzieningen efficiënter te maken. Misschien zijn niet alle ambtenaren zo gemotiveerd, maar degenen die ik heb ontmoet, hadden echt de intentie om het leven van hun medeburgers te verbeteren. Dit geldt vooral binnen kleine gemeenschappen, waar ambtenaren de behoeften van hun vrienden en buren vertegenwoordigen. Daarom geloof ik dat lokale gemeenschappen, en niet de federale overheid, het voortouw moeten nemen bij de “nieuwe groene transformatie”.

Dat is iets wat de nationale autoriteiten moeten leren! In mijn huidige functie bij de milieu-ngo bezie ik het nationale beleid vanuit het perspectief van lokale ambtenaren. De regering maakt plannen maar bespreekt die niet met de lokale gemeenschappen. Door gebrek aan overleg levert de praktische uitvoering van die plannen soms problemen op. Zo verstrekt de overheid energiesubsidies aan gezinnen met een laag inkomen, maar die ontmoedigen mensen juist om zuinig met energie om te gaan. Om voor subsidie in aanmerking te komen, moet een huishouden per jaar een bepaalde hoeveelheid gas verbruiken. Als het verbruik lager is, raakt men de subsidie weer kwijt. Op die manier worden mensen ertoe aangezet meer aardgas te gebruiken. Dat noem ik een perverse prikkel.

Op een dag zat ik samen met collega's in een café. We bespraken hoe we de kloof tussen nationaal en lokaal beleid kleiner konden maken. Dat leidde tot het grootste evenement dat ik ooit heb georganiseerd: het forum over “Klimaatambities van steden”, in 2019. Vertegenwoordigers van 50 lokale autoriteiten kwamen daar bij elkaar, waaronder de burgemeesters van 7 steden. Er werd een verklaring opgesteld die door 21 gemeenten werd ondertekend. In deze verklaring wordt de staat opgeroepen meer aandacht aan lokale ontwikkelingen te schenken, vooral op het gebied van groene energie en klimaat. Dit was het grootste en meest invloedrijke energie-evenement dat maatschappelijke organisaties in Oekraïne ooit hebben opgezet.

Veel deelnemers schaarden zich achter het idee van betere samenwerking tussen de lokale en nationale overheid, en van de “nieuwe groene transformatie” in het algemeen.

Ik was erg trots op wat we hebben bereikt.

Als maatschappelijke organisaties steunen we lokale autoriteiten die in actie willen komen voor het klimaat. Als de regering ons voorbeeld zou volgen, zou de nieuwe groene economie in een mum van tijd een feit zijn.


[1] Lees hier en hier over de verkiezingen.

[2] Zie de publicatie van de ministerraad (alleen in het Oekraïens). Download het concept voor meer informatie.


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Illia Yeremenko

Illia Yeremenko

Illia (31) works for the NGO Ecoclub of Ukraine and has been chairing the Ukrainian Climate Network for the last four  years. Ecoclub is based in Rivne, western Ukraine, but its operations cover the whole country and, to a limited extent, engage other eastern European countries (Georgia, Moldova). Illia joined the organization as a student eight years ago. From the very beginning his work was closely related to local authorities. Illia designed and carried out educational and awareness-raising programs for local officials, and participated at countless round tables and meetings to help them in strategizing. He believes that local communities are the force that brings prosperity to any nation.

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