Authors

Iryna Fyshchuk¹; Thomas Sattich¹;  ¹ University of Stavanger, Norway

Discussion

The war in Ukraine has been raging for more than 1000 days now. With this study, we want to highlight possibilities for the country’s reconstruction after the war. In particular, we want to contribute to a literature discussing the green reconstruction of post-war Ukraine, that is future reconstruction efforts guided by the goal of sustainability. Our motivation for engaging with this topic is twofold. Firstly, various publications emphasize that Ukraine is suitable for an approach to reconstruction guided by sustainability, yet the information on this topic is scattered. Secondly, green reconstruction appears suited to integrate the country of Ukraine in wider international efforts such as various EU policies (e.g. the European Green Deal) and the UN 2030 Agenda (i.e. the Sustainable Development Goals). This study will, therefore, first review the available literature on the theme of green reconstruction of Ukraine. Thereby, the study will provide the basis for examining possibilities for the country’s reconstruction after the war. Furthermore, our goal is to create a roadmap that connects the existing potential of Ukraine for achieving green reconstruction with international support structures. To reduce complexity, our focus is on the skills needed for achieving sustainability. Humans are the main actors behind development; major efforts such as the reconstruction of Ukraine therefore have to begin with their abilities. The literature on green skills is well established (both academic and policy, e.g. OECD and EU), and hence provides various starting points for analysing the case of Ukraine. For example, following the literature, digital skills offer pathways to achieving sustainability. At the same time, the war has highlighted Ukraine’s potential in the field of digital technologies, particularly the use of drones and other high tech equipment. What is more, international programs for reconstruction and investments exist and could build on these strengths. However, the impact of the war on Ukrainian society is unprecedented, and presents strong challenges for post-war Ukraine, for example in terms of rebuilding education systems. Developing a skills-based approach for green reconstruction will have to take this into account. Therefore, establishing the haves of Ukraine can only be a first starting point. In addition to that, we aim at highlighting the country’s needs in terms of skills and their future development. The underlying assumption is that green reconstruction of Ukraine becomes more likely, effective, and efficient if support from third parties such as the EU is aligned with both the haves and needs of Ukrainian post-war society. The resulting roadmap will, hence, provide information for workforce planning in the reconstruction effort. As such, it connects to other case studies on countries in severe crisis situations.