EVENT: Green Mind 2018

Date: 21 - 23 November 2018

What is GREEN MIND - 2018?

• It is 3 days of useful knowledge, business communication and successful business cases;
• 36 speakers, 8 events, 250 participants, 17 countries
• A unique opportunity to learn more and to be heard in the discussion of reform and strategic plans, learn about new trends and meet leading experts;
• The dialogue and professional discussion, which will enable attendees to get answers as quickly as possible to make effective management decisions;
• Opportunity to meet new partners and associates.

Background

Sustainable development issues affect almost all areas of the business - from competitiveness and relations with customers to the review of suppliers, from environmental impact assessment to the working environment, from the development of ethical business culture to the transparency of corporate governance structures.

The process of constant changes in business, in which the management systems, use of resources, investment, scientific and technological development, innovation and institutional changes are consistent with each other can be tough to achieve in harmony with sustainability. Businesses need to aim at improving the present and future potential of the company to meet its needs and achieve its strategic objectives, and meet its internal and external sustainability goals. The International Forum GREEN MIND is a project aimed at promoting sustainable businesses development around the world.

GREEN MIND (occurring annually since 2012) provides a unique platform for communication and partnerships among members of the business sector, government, science and the public in their common endeavour for sustainable development. The target audience is representatives CEB, local governments, expert organizations, heads, managers of companies and:
• technologists;
• management control systems;
• environmental specialists;
• marketers, specialists in the field of advertising and PR.

Workshops and Roundtables

1. Workshop on Communicating Product Sustainability Information

The event was held on the 22nd of November 2018. The main objective was to provide training on providing information on environmental friendliness of products during the International forum INNOVATION MARKET at the section "Ecology - GREEN MIND".

Participants were able to: 1. Increase their level of competence on the issues related to consumer information. 2. To get acquainted and establish relations with leading experts for further work. 3. Get competent answers to questions from experts, as well as new knowledge for the preparation of programs, reports and publications around consumer informatin 4. To exchange opinions and experiences with colleagues during the planned informal communication.

2. The system of monitoring, reporting and verification of greenhouse gas emissions in Ukraine 

The purpose of the event is to discuss and develop recommendations for the draft Law of Ukraine "On Prevention, Reduction and Control of Industrial Pollution" and the process of reforming the state regulation system in the field of industrial pollution.

During the discussion participants of the meeting drew attention to the following issues:

• Best available management technologies and techniques, technical regulation and standardization in this field
• Permitting system
• Suspension of cancellation and amendment of integrated permit
• Emissions monitoring and control of industrial pollution
• Economic incentives
• Conceptual principles of industrial pollution reduction

The concept of implementation of state policy in the field of industrial pollution was approved by the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine # 402 of 22.05.2019. Prior to the adoption, the draft Concept was publicly discussed, including with the participation of members of the public council, and received commendable feedback from representatives of the expert community, the public and industry. The concept is based on the main objectives of Directive 2010/75 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 November 2010 on industrial pollution (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control. Revised), the implementation of which is Ukraine's obligation under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. Its implementation is aimed at reducing, preventing and controlling emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere, discharges of sewage with concentrations of pollutants and monitoring operations in the field of waste management. The implementation of the Concept is foreseen in three stages (until 2028).

According to the participants of the meeting, for today, the priority task of the Government should be to develop a "roadmap" for the implementation of an already adopted Concept, which would contain a clear and consistent plan for the development of all necessary documents (from the Law to the standards), as well as the measures necessary for their proper provision. application. Following the meeting, the public council at the Ministry of Energy has asked the Ministry to inform about further steps in the implementation of the Concept and the state of preparation of the draft National Concept for the Strategy for Reduction of Industrial Pollution, and to clarify how the two documents will differ from each other. The aforementioned recommendations were also provided along with proposals for amendments to the draft Law.

3. Workshop on the Leading principles of Providing Product Sustainability Information

The main goal was to present the information on the results of the analysis of the markets of Ukraine and other countries on the impact of an environmental trend and the affects of strengthening of its potential.

The trainers of the workshop informed the participants about the following:

• Guidelines for Product Sustainability Information;
• Accessible ways to confirm the environmental characteristics and product benefits, in accordance with the requirements of international and national standards;
• Successful business cases of Ukrainian and foreign producers of environmental products.

Special attention was also paid to the issue of liability of users of environmental statements and ecolabelling in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine.

4. The presentation of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) national standards for transport facilities. 

Construction throughout the life cycle is associated with the use of non-renewable resources and the transformation of territories. As a result, such activities can have significant economic impacts and impacts on the environment and human health. It is suggested to establish a benchmark for the development and EIA Report based on indicators focused on improving the economic, environmental and social impacts of the planned activity, following the provisions of the international standard ISO 21929-1: 2015, which sets the baseline criteria for life cycle assessment of construction objects.

Developing standards was aimed at establishing clear criteria for the assessment and indicators of environmental impacts of roads, railways, bridges, hydro structures subject to EIA in accordance with the Law. Construction throughout the life cycle is associated with the use of non-renewable resources and the transformation of territories. As a result, such activities can have significant economic impacts and impacts on the environment and human health. We propose to establish a benchmark for the development and EIA Report based on indicators focused on improving the economic, environmental and social impacts of the planned activity, following the provisions of the international standard ISO 21929-1: 2015, which sets the baseline criteria for life cycle assessment of construction objects. In addition to environmental impacts, the developers have also paid attention to such criteria as energy efficiency, resource conservation (replacing natural materials with technogenic ones), impacts on social and technogenic environments. This approach is in line with the Strategic Objectives of the State Environmental Policy until 2030 and Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production.

The members of the working group presented the substantive part of DSTU, about the proposed criteria, assessment method and calculation example. These standards are approved at national level. They establish assessment criteria and indicators for the environmental impacts of transport structures, namely motorways and roads, runways, bridges, hydraulic structures, flyovers. The Standards define environmental impact assessments that will allow assessing the level of environmental impact of vehicles at all stages of the life cycle.

The standards are intended for: - economic entities, public authorities, local self-government bodies, which are the customers of the planned economic activity, including construction, reconstruction, technical re-equipment, expansion, re-profiling, liquidation (dismantling) of transport structures, other interference with a significant natural environment impact on the environment; - the central body of executive power, which ensures the formation and implementation of state policy in the field of environmental protection, which issues the conclusion of the environmental impact assessment (EIA); - regional, city administrations on ecology and natural resources, which issue an EIA conclusion; - expert commissions on EIA of transport structures; - entities providing preparation of reports on EIA of transport structures; - business entities carrying out project work; - entities providing post-project monitoring to identify any discrepancies and variations in the projected levels of impact and effectiveness of environmental pollution prevention and mitigation measures identified in the EIA conclusion.

If you are interested in the GREEN MIND FORUM activities, please send an email to Mrs. Halyna Buzan: galinabuzan@gmail.com