Perceptions and priorities of Ukrainian citizens regarding sustainable energy and the environment

Perceptions and priorities of Ukrainian citizens regarding sustainable energy and the environment

September 8, 2020

Analytical report on two waves of a nationwide sociological survey

A key factor in implementing the green agenda in daily life is its understanding and acceptance in Ukrainian society. In this regard, it is important to study the attitudes and perceptions of society on a number of issues related to the environment and sustainable energy in Ukraine. In particular, which environmental problems concern the population, what steps are expected from the state to protect the environment, what is the vision of the balance between the needs of economic growth and environmental protection, and who are the major actors in addressing environmental issues, and the main obstacles to doing so? It is also important to understand how actively citizens themselves are ready to implement eco-practices in their daily lives, and how often they already do so. A particular valuable feature of this study is the ability to track the dynamics of the perceptions of the Ukrainian population on these issues, changes in human behaviour, as well as providing a vision for development over the next five years.

The report summarizes results of two waves of a national sociological survey conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology in December 2018 and February 2020 for the United Nations Development Program.

This publication was prepared as a part of the UNDP project “Support to the Parliament of Ukraine on sustainable energy and environment,” with financial support from Sweden. Separate chapters are prepared with the support of UNDP project “Efficient Solutions for Cooperation in the Development Sector for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals,” which is funded by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, and the UNDP project “Plastic Waste Management at the Local Level,” which has financial support from the joint New World Programme of the Coca-Cola Foundation and Global Water Challenge.