Green Jobs for Veterans: New Opportunities for Ukraine’s Recovery

Hanna Zamazeeva: “Ukraine has more than 1,500,000 veterans — people with unique experience, strong leadership qualities, and the ability to act in the most challenging conditions. It is precisely their potential that will be needed for Ukraine’s recovery. Our veterans represent a significant human resource for rebuilding the country. Our shared task is to provide them not just with jobs, but with a new professional mission.”

This is supported by the findings of the study “Green Jobs in Ukraine’s Recovery: Reintegration of Veterans into the Labor Market”, prepared by the UN Environment Programme and the International Labour Organization in partnership with the NGO “Living Planet.”

Today, the green economy opens up new opportunities for veterans’ professional development — in manufacturing, construction, logistics, and the development of sustainable infrastructure.

During the presentation of the study, Head of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency, Hanna Zamazeeva, spoke about the development of a network of decarbonization and energy efficiency offices, which are already operating in various regions of Ukraine.

Currently, 8 such offices are in operation. Hanna Zamazeeva noted that these centers host seminars, training sessions, and retraining programs for community representatives, businesses, and energy sector professionals. The goal of these activities is to increase local expertise, help communities implement energy-efficient solutions, and train specialists to carry out decarbonization projects.

Plans are in place to expand this network to make advisory and educational support more accessible across more regions of Ukraine, as well as to strengthen the capacity of communities to implement modern energy-efficient technologies and climate solutions.

“Special attention will be given to war veterans. People who defended the country must receive достойні opportunities for professional development after returning to civilian life,” Hanna Zamazeeva emphasized.

In February, the first seminar for veterans was held at the Mykolaiv office. Experts from the State Agency on Energy Efficiency presented opportunities for retraining in energy auditing and energy management — professions that allow relatively quick integration into the labor market and enable individuals to contribute to the development of their communities.

The Ukrainian School of Energy Auditing and Energy Management has also been launched, operating according to international standards and training a new generation of specialists.

“The next task is to scale these programs across the entire country, so that every veteran can find a new professional path, and every community can benefit from trained specialists. By investing in people today, we are building a resilient and modern recovery for Ukraine tomorrow,” the Head of the Agency noted.

We are grateful to the UN Environment Programme, the International Labour Organization, and the NGO “Living Planet” for their initiatives aimed at engaging veterans in Ukraine’s recovery projects.