Associate Professor Olena Shevchenko spoke at the meeting of the EU for YOU Euroclub of Lviv Polytechnic

On March 31, 2026, the regular meeting of the EU for YOU Euroclub was held. International students of Lviv Polytechnic talked with the Doctor of Political Sciences of the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv on the topic of the policy of leading international actors in the context of global climate change.

Olena Shevchenko is the author of the first systematic study in Ukraine of the policy of leading international actors in the context of global climate change, numerous publications in authoritative foreign and domestic scientific publications (The Evolution of Climate Communications In Christian Doctrine And Practice, Impact of the War in Ukraine on Global Environmental Security, Global climate change as a challenge to the national security of Ukraine, Climate neutrality: Contemporary challenges for European policy, Communication component of the US’s climate policy, Role of traditional and new actors of international relations in addressing the climate change and others).

The discussion was held on the causes and interpretation of global climate change, the role of the UN in preventing climate change, the main stages of the EU's path to climate neutrality, real opportunities for achieving climate neutrality, D. Trump's and J. Biden's approaches to climate, the features and achievements of China's green transformation, as well as the prospects for Ukraine's climate leadership. The researcher justified the leadership of the EU, the USA and China in shaping global climate policy. Thus, the mentioned actors have political weight and economic resources, control key communication platforms, are centers of competition and cooperation of interests, and influence the implementation of international climate standards.

Based on the conducted scientific research, Olena Shevchenko concluded that the EU is the normative center of global climate policy and influences partners through CBAM and regulatory standards; the USA is a driver of global agreements, standard-setting, and a diplomatic lever through climate initiatives; China is a key player in ensuring the effectiveness of global agreements, shaping international initiatives (Green BRI) and combining foreign policy with climate. In the case of Ukraine, it is worth noting its growing role in the global agenda through the combination of climate and security, as well as the potential for regional leadership.

The topic of the EU for YOU Euroclub aroused considerable interest among students, who actively participated in the discussion, mainly, of the prospects of the EU as a global climate leader and the challenges for Ukraine during the implementation of climate standards in the conditions of war and post-war recovery. In total, more than 70 people – teachers and students of Lviv Polytechnic – participated in the event.