The Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center has officially appealed to the British organization Keep Britain Tidy urging them to revoke the international environmental award Green Flag Award granted for the management of Obolon Island in the capital of Ukraine.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Essence of the Ecologists’ Claims
Obolon Island was recently awarded the prestigious international Green Flag Award, which confirms compliance with high standards of management, safety, accessibility, and environmental friendliness. This was Ukraine’s first participation in this program, and the award is administered by Keep Britain Tidy under a license from the UK Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
“This award confirms that Obolon Island meets high international standards of management, safety, accessibility, and environmental friendliness. This was Ukraine’s first participation in this international program. The Green Flag Award is an international accreditation established in 1996 that sets quality standards for the management of parks, natural areas, and other open spaces. It is administered by Keep Britain Tidy under a license from the UK Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which is a structural unit of the British government,” Klychko boasted on social media.
Criminal Proceedings for Environmental Destruction
Vladimir Boreyko, head of the Kyiv Ecological and Cultural Center, demands that the British organization refute the information about the achievements of the Kyiv authorities in the field of nature conservation on Obolon Island and withdraw the award due to gross violations of environmental legislation. In particular, he reports the opening of a criminal case regarding the mass destruction of the natural environment.
According to Boreyko, during the construction of the “Wave Bridge” on the island, hundreds of century-old trees that were home to birds were destroyed, and unique flood meadows where Kyiv residents used to relax every year were ruined. The topsoil over an area of about 14 hectares was completely destroyed by bulldozers and other machinery. All these actions, ecologists claim, were carried out in violation of current legislation.
Following the appeal from the eco-center, the Obolon District Prosecutor’s Office initiated criminal proceedings regarding the mass destruction of the natural environment in the protected area of Obolon Island in Kyiv.