This year the International forum for sustainable business Green Mind was presented in Kiev on 8-9th of October. The forum was held thanks to the joint efforts of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ukrainian Public Organization "Living Planet". Among the official and information partners of Forum there were Ukrainian enterprises and organizations, which today demonstrated their ecological consciousness and responsibility to society and future generation. They are leaders of the promotion of environmentally friendly technologies in production not only in Ukrainian market.

As a part of Forum business program, there were held 4 plenary sessions, the number of special events in the "round tables" format and training seminars. The Ukrainian CCI was one of the initiators and manager offline, all the planned activities were in its walls. In his welcoming speech to the participants of the forum the President of Ukrainian CCI Gennadiy Chizhikov noted, that Ukrainian CCI supports initiatives for greening the economy of Ukraine and also those environmental commitments that Ukraine has undertaken in the framework of the Association Agreement with the EU. He also noted that fulfillment of the obligations and voluntary environmental initiatives by the Ukrainian enterprises will enable them to integrate into the European business environment. Steps, which are implemented by the Chamber to assist business - are the Committee of Entrepreneurs for Environment and Nature, signing of a Cooperation Agreement with the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

The Director of Department on legal and international activities of the Ukrainian Ecology and Natural Resources Ministry Vladimir Buchko noted, that the Forum have an important role for environmental activity, outspread  of ecological information and for raising of environmental consciousness of society. Among the priorities facing Ukraine it is an improving of cooperation with the international community through the development of environmental legislation, supporting development initiatives in green energy, improving technologies for the production and use of alternative fuels, increasing production of organic agricultural products.

The Forum got a support from international intergovernmental organizations and financial institutions, including UN organizations (UNIDO *, UNEP **, FAO ***). Before Ukraine, as well as the whole world, an urgent needs to act for environment protecting rose up. The International experts together with national have analyzed the benefits and risks for business within the Agreement on the EU-Ukraine Association; discussed the issues of energy efficiency and promotion of resource efficient and more cleaner production (RECHV), the prospects for ecoproduction market development in Ukraine in accordance with European and international standards, the practical aspects of the sustainable public procurement and application of standards for sustainable business; assessed the potential competitiveness of Ukrainian producers. Beside of this, UN experts informed media representatives on Technical Supporting Projects, which were realized by these organizations and were aimed at economy greening, economic growth and the achievement of high social standards.

Traditionally, during the opening session of the Forum there were awarded the winners of the All-Ukrainian competition "Ecological quality and safety." The goal of the Contest, which dates back to 2001, was a popularization of the best achievements of national enterprises and organizations for the implementation of cleaner production and environmental management systems. Among the winners of competition this year were enterprises for six nominations: environmental quality and production safety, environmental initiative, a systematic approach to the management and implementation of cleaner production technologies, the introduction of cleaner production, environmental excellence and green office.

As a part of plenary sessions on the 8th and 9th of October there were discussing those questions:  the National Strategy approximation of Ukrainian legislation to EU law in the ecology field; Practical and Methodological Aspects of the implementation of a permanent system of cleaner production (CP) on the Ukrainian enterprises; Business excellence and sustainable development; Implementation of the National Strategy for the approximation of Ukrainian legislation to EU law in the field of environmental protection in certain sectors.

Today the international organizations provide technical, informational and methodological support and advice on the implementation and development of the "Green Economy" tools in Ukraine.

The UN experts took part in training-seminar and round tables and paid special attention to market trends, eco-products, the introduction of sustainable public procurement mode in Ukraine, policy and legislative developments in the field of RECHV.

The press conference concerning a global international market development of environmental tendentious gathered the program and projects representatives, national manufacturers, society, and media. Michael Malkov, the national coordinator of project EC / FAO and the international expert of OSCE, told about ecological risks in agro-industrial complex, using the for example of pesticides and about the initiative of FAO. Karim Zein, the international expert of UNIDO on the effectiveness of cleaner production and corporate social responsibility in business, focused on the balance between economic benefits and environmental efficiency of the application of cleaner production and talked about the project of resource efficiency and cleaner production UNIDO in Ukraine. Farid Jaker, the international expert of UNEP has raised the issue of global trends in the development of sustainable consumption and production, as well as spoke about the importance of environmental certification and labeling for the further eco-products development. The President of the Ukrainian CCI Gennadiy Chizhikov noted that today in Ukraine the manufacturers have all the opportunities for sustainable production and it can serve as an additional advantage in the export market. According to him, if the big business is ready for this and understands the challenges that it faces, the role of Commerce Chambers will constitute on helping to small and medium businesses through the introduction of "road maps" and supporting of business associations creation.

The experience of Ukrainian manufacturers, which have already made progress on implementation of energy-efficient and resource-saving technologies, cleaner production and improve of the environmental performance of products at all stages of the life cycle, has been presented as an example of business cases of the food industry enterprises.
The innovative approaches in the State purchase system were the subject of the second seminar-training. Farid Jaker, the international expert of UNEP, told about Ukraine’s participation in the international program “"The Economy greening in the countries of the EU Eastern Partnership» EaP GREEN”. After the signing and ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and EU, it opened it market and reduced fees for Ukrainian goods that can bring additional 500 million Euro to Ukrainian exporters by the end of this year. However, it is for exit on European and International markets of national manufacturers necessary to ensure compliance with European safety standards together with confirmation of improved quality and environmental performance of products in accordance with international standards.

The expert noted, that for Ukrainian enterprises under appropriate approaches to the corporate culture and management is realistic to achieve not only generally accepted European standards, but the voluntary environmental norms, improving environmental performance and at the same time, saving money through the introduction of energy efficiency and resource conservation. He also noted that from year to year more and more people tend to consume eco-products. This is a global tendency.

Today, in EU countries about 45 thousands of product types (about 500 thousands of items) have ecological certificate, according to international standard ISO 14024. This production marked by the sign of ecological marking and in the majority of the EU countries is included in “green production” registry, recommended for the sustainable state procurements. Asia countries are not far from EU, and also USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This year, Ukraine has been joined UN initiative on sustainable consumption development and before the year ends, through the program EaP GREEN, there will be created and presented for discussion on the government and the general public level – the plan of activity on implementation of sustainable public procurement on national, regional and state levels.

The principle of the Sustainable State Procurements (SSP) provides a balance of 3 key aspects – economic, social and ecological for implementation of more effectively procurements in state economic field. On the basis of SSP principle significant economy of budgetary funds, energy and nature resources, waste reduction, reduction of water pollution and free air, high social standards are achieved. During the seminar-training the participants met with bases of the new procurement SSP politic for Ukraine according to EU legislation and the best of international practices, implementation of which on the national level scheduled until 2015 year.

The participants of the seminar took active part in discuss of the research projects results in priority of product groups in the reviewing of market readiness for implementation of this model. They made comments and suggestions concerning regulation of state price policy on the national level under the implementation of the SSP model.
The participants of the forum noted the necessity for further improvement and implementation of the national legislation on the economic greening and ecological standard, for supporting by the executive authorities of the politic greening Implementation onto the national enterprises; partnership between business and state authorities in the resource efficient and cleaner production fields; for creating recommendations and decision making on RECHP strategy acceleration, implementation and ways to encourage the introduction of cleaner production technologies onthe level of government policy.

*UNIDO – the UN organization on commerce development (United Nations Industrial Development Organization, which UNIDO efforts are concentrated on strategy realization of the economic development of the countries with transition economy. The organization has an unique opportunity to provide comprehensive and integrated packages of services, combining its operational activities with analytic and normative role at both the global and local level.

**UNEP – the UN Program on environment (United Nations Environment Program, UNEP), promoting coordination of nature protection in the system-wide level. The main goal of the UNEP is organization and realization of events to protect and improve the environment for the benefits of present and for future generations. The motto of the UNEP – “The environment in the development interests”

***FAO – The Food and Agriculture Organization of UN (Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO), - international organization under the UN patronage on the rural region development and agricultural production. On average FAO simultaneously exercises about 1800 events, directed to sustainable agriculture development and food security.