Gordienko A. V., Beschastna D. O., Ivanova T. V.

Oles Honchar Dnipropetrovsk National University

THE «GREEN» BUSINESS IN UKRAINE

Today, when humanity has almost exhausted natural resources and finally begun to think about the environment, the so-called «green» business has become more important than ever. Introduction of such business was contributed by polluted environment of Ukraine and its degradation, as well as our country joining the Kyoto Protocol. Indeed, the burden on the environment is by 4-5 times higher than in other countries. The degree of pollution in Ukraine is one of the highest in the post-Soviet society.

According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine in 2011, emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere reached 6,877.3 thousand tons, carbon dioxide emissions – 236 million tons, of water pollution – 1612 million cubic meters. Currently, the Ukrainian industrial enterprises are interested in the concept of «green economy» and implement measures to reduce emissions of harmful substances into the environment.

The main purpose of the «green» business is making a profit from the sale of environmental goods and services, production and delivery of which involves the use of techniques and technologies that minimize the integral environmentally destructive impact on the environment and their use promotes environmentally friendly living conditions for consumers and environmental consciousness of society.

The main problems of green business is the lack of adequate funding, absence legal framework and standards, inappropriate modern requirements for energy systems, lack of automated systems, inefficient state intervention in the market, contradicting instruments of state environmental and economic policies.

To solve these problems, developed some programs have been developed, such as: in March 2010, the State Target Economic Program Energy Efficiency for 2010–2015 was approved, which envisages objectives and measures to reduce energy intensity by 20% compared to 2008, reducing Ukraine's dependence on imported energy, the decrease of 20% of natural gas consumption by 15–20% of the natural resources (water, minerals, air) by reducing the consumption of fuel and energy resources, reducing energy production costs by 10% and non – 25% reduction to 20% energy transportation, storage and distribution facilities etc. Also, on the 27th of April of 2011, the Government approved changes to the above mentioned program to promote energy production from renewable energy sources and alternative fuels. In particular, it is planned that in 2015 the share of «clean» energy in the energy balance of Ukraine will be not less than 10%.

Among the state targeted programs aimed at developing the «green economy», it is worth mentioning the following national programs: «Drinking Water of Ukraine» for 2006–2020, Program Reform and Development of Housing in 2009 -2014, Program of National Ecological Network in Ukraine for 2000–2015, Radioactive Waste Management Program, Program of Cessation of Production and Use of Ozone-Depleting Substances for 2004–2030 and others. Not all programs are carried out in fully, due to lack of funding and bureaucracy, significant loss of large industrial enterprises whose owners are not paying attention and saving resources to implement environmental innovations.

An example of «green» business is project INTERPIPE STEEL, which involves replacing energy – intensive, outdated, environmentally «dirty» hearth production for progressive electric melting method of producing steel. Thus, it provides an annual increase in payments to budgetary and extra-budgetary funds of 150 million, reducing consumption of natural gas in Dnipropetrovsk region of 87 million cubic meters per year, reducing total emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere by more than 2.5 times, creating over 600 new jobs.

That is, institutional reforms and development of conceptual and strategic basis, coordination and cooperation with the business sector, the possibility of a breakthrough innovation of the economy, transformation laws stimulating the development of a model «green economy», creating a public mentality toward active «green» growth, international cooperation and coordination, development and approval at the state level, the doctrine of «green economy» as a policy document are necessary for the development of «green» business.