The five Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova (hereinafter Moldova) and Ukraine – are at the strategically important crossroads of Western Asia and Europe. They host a variety of geographic and climatic profiles and possess rich endowments of natural resources. This includes endemic biodiversity and ecosystems crucial for the region’s development and the population’s well-being. With its untapped potential in renewable energy, including solar, wind, and hydropower, the region holds a promising future. Despite some countries being among the world’s most water-stressed, the potential for sustainable energy production is a beacon of hope.
The EaP countries continue to face challenges stemming from the legacy of the Soviet era. Oversized and outdated infrastructure, inefficient water management practices, and obsolete technologies, especially in the mining and metallurgical sectors, consume excessive amounts of materials and energy, resulting in significant unabated pollution. These challenges are combined with new pressures from intensified transport, increased household waste, and extensive use of fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture.
Despite these challenges, the five EaP countries have demonstrated commendable commitment and progress in advancing the transition to a green economy. They have adopted national green growth and sustainable development strategies, enhanced relevant policy instruments, and strengthened the institutional framework to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. This ongoing effort is a testament to their determination and should serve as a motivation for further action.
Advancing towards greener growth is one of the key goals within the Eastern Partnership. Launched in 2009, the EaP is a strategic and ambitious partnership based on common values and rules, mutual interests and commitments, and shared ownership and responsibility. It aims to strengthen and deepen the political and economic relations between the EU, its Member States and the partner countries, as well as support sustainable reform processes in the Eastern Partnership countries. Climate and environmental resilience are among the five priority goals identified for the post-2020 EaP agenda (European Commission, European External Action Service, 2020). The Economic and Investment Plan (EIP), a crucial component of our collective efforts, is primarily based on flagship initiatives for each partner country. This plan supports the recovery process and signifies the shared commitment to the transition to a green economy in the Eastern Partnership.
This publication aims to respond to this growing interest in green growth indicators and comparable environmental data in the EaP region by offering an innovative and interactive tool to policymakers and experts to monitor the green transition and increase the visibility of the EaP countries in the OECD-wide work. It can facilitate benchmarking with countries with similar environmental pressures, monitor progress and inspire policy reform. Furthermore, it can facilitate progress on the path of European integration, especially in the countries with EU candidate status.
EU4Environment stands in solidarity with the people of Ukraine. Data used in this publication does not consider the severe impact of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022. Therefore, the data for Ukraine provided herein dates from 2021.
In line with the Council Conclusions of 12 October 2020 and in light of Belarus’s involvement in the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, recognised in the European Council Conclusions of February 2022, the EU has stopped engaging with representatives of Belarus public bodies and state-owned enterprises. The data provided in this webbook, therefore, does not include Belarus.