Sustainability Programme

The programme is dedicated to the principle of sustainability, which is of central importance to Green Cross Switzerland. It currently focuses in particular on the serious impact of war on the environment, including wildlife. Current projects in this programme include support services for animals and animal shelters, reforestation and greening measures, and the provision of renewable energy solutions for institutions suffering from power cuts or electricity shortages.

Support for animal shelters & our own animal shelter

Animals also suffer from war. Many animal shelters in Ukraine are already struggling with limited financial resources, inadequate medical care for the animals and a lack of staff. The war has further exacerbated their situation: the number of stray, neglected animals has risen sharply. Cruel acts against animals are on the rise and there is a shortage of animal shelters. That is why Green Cross supports existing animal shelters with food, medicine, toys and other everyday necessities. We are also preparing to build a new shelter in Sosnytsya, Chernihiv.

Light & heat thanks to solar energy

The war in Ukraine has severely jeopardised the power supply in many places. Damage to critical infrastructure has resulted in frequent power outages. This puts not only private households but also schools, kindergartens, hospitals and shelters in a difficult and desperate situation. We are therefore supplying these facilities with solar panels and batteries, which can also be charged from the mains. This should enable them to cope better with power cuts.

One example is a rehabilitation centre for children with disabilities in Sosnytsya (Chernihiv region), which must contend with constant power cuts. The children – many of whom are deaf or have cognitive impairments – had to wait for hours in a dark basement when the alarms sounded. The director says: ‘Even healthy children find this difficult to cope with. But our children don’t understand why it suddenly goes dark or why they are not allowed back into their rooms.’ They slept on mattresses with torches – in the dark, in the cold. Thanks to the solar energy kits that have been installed, they now have light and warmth. This makes the children less afraid. It makes a huge difference to them.