Sustainable Pathways for Surface Freight Transport in Ukraine
Ukraine’s surface freight sector faces enormous challenges: the destruction of infrastructure and vehicles during the war, the desire to reorient trade towards Western neighbours and accede to the European Union and the lack of prior investment in sustainability and digitalisation. At the same time, significant international funding and support are available to help Ukraine to “build back better”. Identifying which projects and policies have the greatest potential to help Ukraine achieve its complex and occasionally conflicting goals and matching the available support to Ukraine’s long-term needs are crucially important.
This ITF project reviews the existing conditions of the surface freight sector. ITF is interviewing diverse stakeholders to determine the gaps between ambitions and reality. To address these gaps, the ITF is developing a multi-criteria assessment framework for surface freight transport infrastructure and policy measures that incorporate Ukraine’s national goals, such as integration with the European Union and improving the sustainability of the transport sector. The assessment framework will be applied to identify the most effective pathways forward for Ukraine’s surface freight sector.
This project reviews available data, planning documents, and relevant information to develop an informed and detailed understanding of the surface freight sector in Ukraine and the impact of the war. Through interviews with Ukrainian officials representing the public and private sectors, academia and labour unions, the ITF has identified priorities for “building back better” and a range of possible policies and infrastructure investments based on best practices.
The Sustainable Pathways for Surface Freight Transport project works closely with government stakeholders in Ukraine, including Ukrainian Railways and the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories.
This project is part of a larger effort at the ITF to address Ukraine’s long-term needs through targeted research: the Common Interest Group for Ukraine (CIG4U) Research Programme. Several other projects are underway, including developing sustainable pathways for the surface passenger, aviation, and maritime sectors.
Project contact: cig4u@itf-oecd.org