2023 for PAEW: Annual report of the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW)

2023: Річний звіт Асоціації професіоналів довкілля PAEW

Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW) – is Ukraine’s largest association of professionals dedicated to environmental safety, environmental management, sustainable development, and comprehensive eco-transformation across various sectors and industries, which reached a significant milestone in 2023 by expanding its scope to an international dimension. This evolution now encompasses not only Ukrainian experts but also involves a collaboration with international specialists, fostering a dynamic exchange of experiences and joint efforts in the pursuit of innovative solutions.

Participation in this professional union is voluntary. The organization operates as a membership-based association, with funding derived from the membership fees contributed by its participants.

The goal of our PAEW association is the recognition and integration of Ukrainian professionals into the international expert community.

Throughout the entire year of 2023, we dedicated our efforts to this task.

Liudmyla TSYGANOK, , President of PAEW

«We are not a product – we are a tool!

We have created an infrastructure for effective interaction and exchange of experience, personal and team growth, and the outcome depends on how each participant of PAEW utilizes the provided opportunities. PAEW is a network of experienced environmental practitioners, climatologists, lawyers, scientists, designers, and innovators. Assistance can always be found here! Because only together – we are strong!

The future depends on what we do today!»

PAEW in 2023:

What have we accomplished?

We prevented the cancellation of the ecological specialty at universities! This was achieved through the unwavering unity of scientists, business representatives, and the expert community.
We conducted over 60 training events, assisting more than 3,500 environmental specialists in understanding the changes in the environmental field.
We organized platforms for the exchange of experience on water resource conservation, mineral resource use, waste management for over 6,000 entrepreneurs, and over 480 communities in 2023.
With the participation of PAEW experts, more than 120 corporate training sessions were conducted for production and transportation companies throughout 2023.
We published 12 issues of the business and community magazine “Sustainability Leaders Guide” and several thematic editions.

We organized study tours to Germany, Austria, Luxembourg, Italy, and other countries for practitioners focusing on energy efficiency, environmental control, eco-modernization, energy modernization, and renewable energy sources.
We facilitated the employment of hundreds of experienced environmentalists, lawyers, and geologists.
We provided over 1,600 written and phone consultations through the Expert Support Service.
We implemented a pilot project for monitoring the state of water resources and more.

In 2023, PAEW Association members worked on key program objectives:

1. Promoting the professional growth and advanced training of environments specialists

In January 2023, three updated courses were conducted for representatives of enterprises – environmentalists and lawyers
The professional development course “Emissions from Enterprises: procedures for obtaining emission permits, documentation requirements, and inventory of pollutant emissions” was conducted in February
The exclusive course “Industrial Ecology and Risk Prevention-2023” with a state-certified diploma started in March and lasted throughout the entire year.
At the end of February, 32 participants upgraded their qualifications in the intensive course “Rules and Requirements for the Technical Operation of Gas Treatment Plants (GTP)”
One of the largest Chinese drilling companies in Ukraine, Xinjiang Beiken, underwent corporate training with the participation of PAEW experts.
In June and July, 16 selected professionals underwent training in the certification course for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) practitioners conducted by the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW)
Understanding the complexity of contemporary challenges, the necessity of comprehending specific international terminology, and the readiness to engage in international negotiations in the fields of sustainable development and European integration across all aspects of environmental activities, the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW), initiated by its associated member “CENTR Ltd,” launched a new SPECIAL PROJECT in July – the course «ENGLISH for Environmentalists»
WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ENTERPRISES: What challenges brought together over 130 practical experts in the SPECIAL COURSE?
EMISSION PERMIT-2023: a webinar on practical issues was conducted on the last day of summer

Waste Management under new regulations: an online course for enterprise professionals took place on September 21, bringing together 50 responsible individuals from business entities to update their knowledge and generate proposals. Among the participants were companies from the energy, agro, and municipal sectors, chemical and oil processing industries, wood processing, pharmaceutical production, and others
Corporate training on waste management was conducted for specialists of «Ukrzaliznytsia»
The open webinar for PAEW members on «ESG and CSRD: How the transformation of sustainability reporting will affect business in Ukraine» gathered 65 participants on live stream and aroused the interest of more than 140 participants registered to receive the recording.
Representatives of various sectors – banking, public, private – shared their views on mandatory measures to adapt to the new realities, and proposed priority actions to prepare for the implementation of European sustainability information disclosure requirements.
Waste accounting, classification, management plans: more than 50 specialists from enterprises completed a regular training course in December
Due to the project «Bureau of Environmental Engineering», 4470 specialists strengthened their knowledge by working on 10 modules. 189 specialists registered for the All-Ukrainian test on industrial ecology and risk prevention in 2023, of which 78 participants successfully completed the tasks
At the end of the year, we held a special immersive training for PAEW members «CBAM: who is affected and how should Ukrainian businesses act now?». The event brought together 50 representatives of companies to explain the prospects and procedures for Ukrainian enterprises in the context of the EU carbon adjustment, and to talk about two forms of the same mechanism – transitional and full-scale

PAEW Expert Training Centre for Environments invites to study in 2024

2. Consulting and expert assistance to businesses and communities

High-level forum «Forests of Ukraine: European Integration, War, Climate Change and Modern Reforms» was held on 21-22 February 2023 by UNDP in Ukraine in partnership with the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme in Kyiv and developed a Resolution
International environmental standards at the enterprise and environmental management systems – unnecessary costs or a step towards sustainable development? The discussion on this issue took place on the last day of winter at the initiative of the members of the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW)
The III Annual Forum «Agro-Industrial Complex 2023: War, European Integration, Environmental and Climate Challenges» was held online on 23 February
The sectoral forum «ECOTRANSFORMATION OF SUBSURFACE USE-2023: Legislation, Solutions, Best Practices» took place on 27 April 2023 in Lviv, where solutions were developed together with key market participants to accelerate the subsoil use reform
The Annual Congress of Environmentalists that took place on 29 June in Kyiv addressed more than 30 different issues critical for sustainable recovery and balanced development and developed a RESOLUTION. The Congress brought together several hundred environmental experts from all over Ukraine in a live format and online (ecologists, engineers, lawyers, specialists of environmental departments). More than 200 community experts also joined the work of this professional platform to summarise the results of the first half of the year and develop effective solutions to accelerate reforms
Water for Business and Communities Forum: 160 environmental and water management practitioners worked on applied water management issues in September
The practical conference «Business and Waste Management Reform: Hot Issues 2023» gathered 120 participants from various sectors in October
The roundtable «Reforming the Environmental Control System in Ukraine-2023» brought together more than 200 experts who were convinced that the Concept of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources is not able to resolve the environmental control crisis. Preventing non-state solutions is one of the Association’s challenges

In January-February, more than 1600 companies received free assistance in preparing environmental documents
During the year, the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World received 142 reports from business entities regarding bureaucratic red tape and delays in the issuance of permits by the licensing authorities. Our experts helped to overcome artificial obstacles to economic activity. Contact us
We regularly advise on topical issues throughout the year, for example, what mistakes should representatives of the state supervisory (control) authority and company representatives avoid during inspections?
Helped more than 180 companies justify environmental expenditures for 2024
We have been training specialists throughout 2023 to prepare EIA reports in accordance with European standards
We helped to defend the interests of fair business in courts.
Provided over 1,600 written and telephone consultations upon requests to the Expert Assistance Service. Some answers are here

3. Creating professional publications that simplify work and prevent mistakes

12 issues of the monthly magazine «Sustainability leaders guide» for the year (in print and electronic format, 80 pp each). See the contents of the issues here
Guide with examples of documents + video tutorial «Environmental reporting» (released in January 2023)
A video collection of the best training programmes on ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY and RESPONSIBILITY FOR BUSINESS (formed in January 2023)
NEW GUIDE «Environmental documentation in samples and forms» (June). Only current documentation templates for 2023 and 2024
A special issue of «TOP-100 WOMEN: GREEN HEART LEADER» was presented in June — 100 women leaders working to preserve and overcome the consequences of environmental destruction, to restore the economy, taking into account the best practices of sustainable development
We created the ECOtransformation digital platform, which already contains proven solutions from PAEW experts and will help environmentalists around the clock in 2023 and 2024

4. Facilitating human resources provision of leading business entities in various industries with specialists of the appropriate professional level

Retained the speciality «ecologist» – In August, the professional environmental and scientific community was quite shocked and outraged by the draft of a new list of fields of knowledge and specialties in which higher and professional higher education is provided, which was published on 08 August 2023 on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The committee meeting was attended by the entire national elite of environmental education and science (more than 70 leaders and representatives of higher education institutions that train professional environmentalists), as well as environmentalists from leading industrial and energy companies (Interpipe, DTEK, Ukrenergo, Zakhidnadraservice) and environmental business, public associations (182 participants in total).

5. Promoting applied environmental education and conducting motivational activities to raise the prestige of the profession

Initiated and implemented the Grant Programme «Promoting Applied Education of Future Specialists in Sustainable Development and Environmental Safety» for 10 Ukrainian universities
A grant programme for the ELEML certification course in environmental law and management was held. Anyone who fulfilled the conditions of the project could apply for participation – to be an employed environmental practitioner (at an enterprise, in an environmental inspection, environmental department, in public associations), to have 2 years of experience in environmental professions, and to provide an accompanying motivation letter (more than 550 applications were submitted)
In December, the IV Annual Student Motivational Forum-2023 «Environmental Specialists: Green Reconstruction of Ukraine and International Trends» was held, initiated by the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW), which gathered more than 360 live participants and 696 registered participants – successful environmental practitioners from various fields, professors from more than 40 universities that train environmental specialists and students – future agents of green transformation

6. Promoting international exchange of experience in energy efficiency, eco-transformation of business, climate policy, ESG, etc:

In March 2023, the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW) and the Luxembourg-Ukraine Chamber of Commerce (LUCC A.s.b.l.) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to help accelerate the green transition, provide a platform for support and exchange of information, knowledge and experience between our members – the business community in both countries, and in March, a joint Ukrainian-Luxembourg conference «Energy Efficiency in Industry and Agriculture» took place, which was attended by leading Luxembourg businesses such as Luxlait, De Verband, Kiowatt, Ceratizit, Moulins de Kleinbettingen, Accumalux, SES, etc, as well as leaders of Ukrainian enterprises and organisations, such as VITAGRO, Ukrzaliznytsia, Zakhidnadraservice, Slovianski Shpalery, Nadragidroburmash, Sumymistobud, Kulykivske Moloko, etc.
PAEW brings together eco-leaders from Ukraine and the US and on 17 May, at the initiative of the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World PAEW an online meeting of Ukrainian specialists and American colleagues took place
In March, we facilitated the exchange of experience among industrial enterprises in the field of energy efficiency in Luxembourg
Study tour to Germany on energy efficiency issues
Participation in an international exhibition in Italy
The Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW) held a training week in Vienna at the invitation of the Umweltbundesamt, the Austrian Environment Agency, which provides advisory services in a wide range of areas, mainly in the areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, air quality, water quality and resources, biodiversity, genetically modified organisms, nature conservation, waste and resource management, chemicals, environmental legal advice, and data management, including monitoring and reporting
We addressed an OPEN LETTER in June: the crime of ecocide committed by russia must be punished by international law to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), the UN, peacekeeping, environmental and all organisations, governments and peoples of the planet Earth
We conducted an online webinar with the participation of British experts on «ESG as a sustainable solution for the energy transition and the resource industry» on 2 June 2023. The event brought together more than 100 interested participants (industrial enterprises, financial institutions, banks, investment and innovation departments from different parts of Ukraine, etc.)
On 11 July, we organised a digital exchange of experience on «How to develop a competency framework for evironmentalists to raise the standards of professional practice». The event brought together more than fifty environmental professionals online. The invited British expert Dr Mark Nason, Head of Professional Practice, told how the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) has developed a competency framework for environmental scientists and managers in the UK, and how this framework is used by the Institute to accredit activities, assign membership levels, develop industry standards and plan training for its members
In September, the Association of Environmental Professionals PAEW initiated a working visit to Vienna to accumulate the best solutions, study European experience, engage Austrian companies and organisations in joint green initiatives, promote energy transformation of all sectors of Ukraine’s economy and create an effective system of encouraging energy efficiency not only in the municipal sector, but also in industry. From 12 to 15 September, PAEW members and experts were developing solutions to accelerate changes and strengthen Ukraine’s energy independence
On 29 September, the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW), with the support of the Embassy of the Netherlands, held a national-level practical event to raise environmental awareness through action

7. Promoting the development of a public environmental monitoring system

The project «Integrated Online Monitoring System for Water Arteries in Chernihiv Oblast» was implemented in 2023 by the World Data Center for Geoinformatics and Sustainable Development and the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme with financial support from the Government of Sweden.

Watch a video about the completed project here

See more details

8. Promoting the transformation of environmental awareness and training environmental journalists

The training course for local journalists «Eco-journalism without waste» gathered more than 100 participants and lasted from 13 March to 7 April. 3 modules, 18 thematic sessions, and 20 expert trainers consolidated the efforts of masters of words and investigative journalism to learn the basics of applied ecology, international and national legislation, and the basics of solving acute environmental issues.

Experts from the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW) were eager to share their experience and transfer knowledge on EIA and biodiversity, air and water protection, environmental control, environmental finance, etc.

9. Promoting quality interaction and finding solutions on PAEW’s platforms for greening subsoil use, water protection, agroecology, etc.

High-level forum «Forests of Ukraine: European Integration, War, Climate Change and Modern Reforms» was held on 21-22 February 2023 by UNDP in Ukraine in partnership with the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme in Kyiv and developed a Resolution
International environmental standards at the enterprise and environmental management systems – unnecessary costs or a step towards sustainable development? The discussion on this issue took place on the last day of winter at the initiative of the members of the Professional Association of Environmentalists of the World (PAEW)
The III Annual Forum «Agro-Industrial Complex 2023: War, European Integration, Environmental and Climate Challenges» was held online on 23 February
The sectoral forum «ECOTRANSFORMATION OF SUBSURFACE USE-2023: Legislation, Solutions, Best Practices» took place on 27 April 2023 in Lviv, where solutions were developed together with key market participants to accelerate the subsoil use reform
The Annual Congress of Environmentalists that took place on 29 June in Kyiv addressed more than 30 different issues critical for sustainable recovery and balanced development and developed a RESOLUTION. The Congress brought together several hundred environmental experts from all over Ukraine in a live format and online (ecologists, engineers, lawyers, specialists of environmental departments). More than 200 community experts also joined the work of this professional platform to summarise the results of the first half of the year and develop effective solutions to accelerate reforms
Water for Business and Communities Forum: 160 environmental and water management practitioners worked on applied water management issues in September
The practical conference «Business and Waste Management Reform: Hot Issues 2023» gathered 120 participants from various sectors in October
The roundtable «Reforming the Environmental Control System in Ukraine-2023» brought together more than 200 experts who were convinced that the Concept of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources is not able to resolve the environmental control crisis. Preventing non-state solutions is one of the Association’s challenges

Promoting employment of environmentalists – leading manufacturing companies, subsoil use enterprises, design organisations, and international projects have received recommendations from PAEW for the most professional and proven specialists.

ESG League. In July, the PAEW Association established the National ESG League.

Ukraine, which has long been committed to a carbon neutrality policy, needs to develop its own new generation of national personnel with knowledge of ESG. Companies that are actively involved in the ESG agenda become a catalyst for positive environmental change. A company’s long-term success depends on how it is positioned in terms of environmental sustainability and the conditions it creates for its employees and customers. As part of this activity, it will be possible to identify regional ESG champions and outsiders, which will allow us to see a detailed and accurate picture across Ukraine. Businesses that have been transforming with PAEW for a long time are ready to unite and implement ESG principles on a voluntary basis, which is a sign of a strong bottom-up initiative. To support this initiative, the ESG League will hold various events involving best practitioners, youth, creative communities, academics, financial institutions and businesses

Thank you for the year of 2023 together! With faith in our cause and Victory!

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