Ukrainian Climate NGOs Stand for the Independence of Anti-Corruption Bodies as a Pillar of Environmental Justice

Ukrainian NGO Ekoltava joins the demands of the Ukrainian Climate Network (UKM), Save Dnipro, Ecoaction, EPL, Ecoclub, and other Ukrainian environmental NGOs, and believes that Law No. 12414, which places the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) under the authority of the Prosecutor General’s Office, is a step that opens the floodgates to corruption, environmental destruction, and the rollback of reforms.

By putting independent anti-corruption bodies at risk, Ukraine is taking ten steps back in its democratic development and integration into the European Union. The Ukrainian people have already paid too high a price. We cannot allow this to happen.

This law dismantles the system of checks and balances built after the Revolution of Dignity with the participation of civil society and international partners. In the environmental sector, this means:

• Impunity for corruption in subsoil use, forestry, and water management
• The risk of burying cases related to illegal construction, reconstruction fraud, and shadow trading in environmental permits
• The return of political interference through the Prosecutor General’s power to block or reassign cases

In the past, NABU investigated:

• The case involving the leadership of the State Service of Geology and Subsoil regarding the special permit issued to Arkona Gas-Energy LLC (UAH 196.8 million in losses, 2018–2021)
• Corruption in environmental licensing and the State Environmental Inspectorate
• The case of former Minister of Ecology Mykola Zlochevsky, who between 2020 and 2023 attempted to offer a $6 million bribe; the verdict was delivered by the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC), and over UAH 500 million in confiscated assets were directed to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Weakening independent oversight means only one thing: more impunity for crimes against nature, communities, and our future. This could lead to disaster. The environmental community cannot stay silent.

The true value of NABU lies in its institutional independence from unreformed legacy structures, including the Prosecutor General’s Office. That is where the greatest risks of sabotage, selective justice, and corruption originate.

We call on civil society organizations, journalists, experts, activists, and international partners to:

• Publicly voice opposition to Law No. 12414
• Demand its repeal
• Support independent anti-corruption infrastructure and the reform of law enforcement and the judiciary as essential conditions for Ukraine’s recovery, justice, and EU accession

Independent NABU and SAP are not a luxury. They are a cornerstone of national security and a fundamental part of Ukraine’s social contract.