Ukraine recovery conference: Calls in Rome for Ukraine to lead Europe’s clean energy future

As the Ukraine Recovery Conference opens in Rome, Ukrainian climate campaign group Razom We Stand is calling on European leaders to make clean, decentralised renewable energy the heart of Ukraine’s reconstruction. This would transform the country into the first post-war nation rebuilt on renewables and set a powerful example for Europe and the world.

Ukraine has endured more than three years of brutal missile and drone attacks from Russia, which have devastated energy infrastructure and left millions vulnerable. Yet despite these challenges, Ukraine is already taking bold steps to transition to a resilient, modern, and renewable energy system.

Some recent examples include the Ukraine-Germany Energy Partnership, which takes advantage of plentiful wind and sun in Ukraine, the construction of seven major wind farms with up to 4 GW of capacity, and the Resilient Independent Solar Energy (RISE) program, which installs rooftop solar and battery systems in critical facilities across the country.

The European Union has pledged up to €50 billion to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction between 2024 and 2027 via the Ukraine Facility programme, with at least 20% dedicated to renewable energy. Razom We Stand urges that these funds be used to build a fully renewable energy system that is harder for Russia to target, strengthens Ukraine’s independence, and sets a global precedent for climate leadership in the face of war.

“The Ukraine Recovery Conference is a key moment not only for rebuilding what was destroyed, but for showing what is possible,” said Dr. Svitlana Romanko, founder and executive director of Razom We Stand, speaking in Rome. “By putting clean, decentralized renewables at the heart of reconstruction, Ukraine can become a global model for resilience and innovation. This is about energy security, economic opportunity, and a future free from fossil fuel dependence and petro-dictatorships. Europe has the resources and Ukraine has the strength and courage — together we can build a new energy future that inspires the world.”

Rebuilding Ukraine with renewable energy would create millions of jobs across multiple sectors, reduce Europe’s reliance on costly fossil fuel imports, and could save the EU around €2.8 trillion by 2050 while at the same time cutting emissions and strengthening Europe’s strategic independence.

Razom We Stand calls on EU leaders to match their financial commitments with clear political support for a renewable-led recovery and for European businesses to seize the opportunity to invest early in Ukraine’s clean energy transformation before American companies step in and take the lead, as they have with the critical raw minerals deal.

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