How to strengthen capacities for efficient planning, project implementation and attracting optimal funding sources on the municipal level to meet the Covenant of Mayors commitments? On December 10 – 11, 2019, more than 30 representatives of amalgamated territorial communities and small Ukrainian CoM Signatories took part in the training dedicated to these issues organised by the CoM East project in Kyiv.

Representatives of 15 Territorial Coordinators of the Covenant of Mayors from two countries – Ukraine and Georgia – gathered in Kyiv on 27^th November for a two-day training dedicated to strengthening their potential in providing quality support to the municipalities, which are Signatories to the CoM initiative.

Since 2010 the EU Delegation to Ukraine has been supporting and coordinating the organisation of the EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) in Ukraine as part of the largest Europe-wide event promoting sustainable energy, renewables and energy efficiency. The EU Sustainable Energy Week in Ukraine has become an information hub for exchanging on different aspects of sustainable energy policy and has provided an open platform for discussion of best practices and innovative energy ideas.

Passengers in six Georgian Covenant of Mayors signatories — Kutaisi, Gori, Telavi, Zugdidi, Rustavi and Poti will soon travel by 100 new modern diesel (Euro 5) buses. The New low entry diesel buses will have lower specific fuel consumption per passenger contributing to reduction of GHG emissions and significant reduction of air pollutants (SOx, NOx, CO, and VOC).

On October 16, 2019 participants of Joint Steering Committee Meeting of Sustainable Urban Demonstration Projects - Support Mechanism (CoM DeP) and Covenant of Mayors East (CoM East) visited Business Accelerator "Spark, which was established by CoM signatory Tbilisi City Hall in partnership with the Georgian Employers' Association and within the framework of the EU Initiative ‘Mayors for Economic Growth’ (M4EG).

Today, October 15, 2019, Tbilisi (Georgia) hosted the Joint Steering Committee meeting of the two projects under the Covenant of Mayors initiative – Covenants of Mayors East (CoM East) and Covenants of Mayors – Demonstration Projects (CoM-DeP).

On 3 October 2019 Municipality of Mtskheta organized Sustainable Energy Day within the framework of climate change week.

Pinsk District joined the Covenant of Mayors on Climate and Energy in April 2018 and has become one of the most active participants. The district estimated that the total greenhouse gas emissions in 2012 amounted to 130 590 tons of CO2 and that by 2030 the district is ready to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30%. Now local authorities are in the process of developing and adopting an action plan for sustainable energy and climate development, in accordance with which it is necessary to ensure that the level of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 is no higher than 91,413 tons of CO2. At the same time, the consumption of fuel and energy resources will be reduced by 13213 MWh and the use of renewable energy will be increased by 30197 MWh.