Greenpeace Ukraine has endorsed the “Gdańsk Common Message” — a civil society manifesto that defines key benchmarks for a human-centric, transparent, and sustainable recovery of Ukraine. The document was initiated by the Build Ukraine Back Better coalition of non-governmental organizations.
Developed ahead of the 2026 Ukraine Recovery Conference, this document unites the positions of numerous Ukrainian and international NGOs. It is addressed to the government, international partners, and the Ukraine Donor Coordination Platform, demanding genuine participation for civil society as a strategic partner in the reconstruction process.
“We envision Ukraine’s recovery as human-centric, rooted in human rights, security, and justice as essential prerequisites for lasting peace in Europe. While the recovery must proceed even amidst ongoing hostilities, it can only fully function after the complete cessation of aggression, the provision of reliable security guarantees for Ukraine, protection, and the strengthening of societal and infrastructural resilience,” the NGOs’ statement reads.
Among other priorities, the document emphasizes strengthening energy resilience through the development of decentralized systems based on renewable energy sources (RES), which will ensure security and reliable access to critical services for communities. It also calls for adherence to EU environmental requirements and standards across all economic sectors (specifically environmental assessments and nature conservation) to ensure that the reconstruction accelerates Ukraine’s readiness for EU accession.
Greenpeace Ukraine has repeatedly emphasized that Ukraine’s future lies in renewable energy. This is thoroughly substantiated in our study, “Ukraine: Mapping energy opportunities,” which demonstrates ready-made solutions for a “green” relaunch of the Ukrainian energy system and proves that Ukraine possesses the potential to transition to RES.
Our experience with energy decentralization has become a unique case study in resilience. That is why our colleagues at Greenpeace Poland prepared a detailed report on Ukraine’s experience with energy decentralization: “Lessons from Ukraine on Energy Decentralization.” Even now, Ukraine is setting an example of how renewable energy saves lives and ensures community autonomy during crises.
We call on international partners to deploy targeted war-risk guarantee funds, invest in the modernization of distribution grids and interconnectors with the EU, and support municipal energy initiatives. This will grant communities real freedom in decision-making and allow the country to build back better than before.
