Gavar City, a Signatory of the Covenant of Mayors, presented its Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan during the working session “Climate change vulnerability and adaptation: example of Gavar”, which took place on December 3, 2019. The event aimed at discussing climate change challenges and adaptation opportunities of the province with regional representatives, as well as studying the example of Gavar Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan. It was organised in the framework of UNDP-GCF Armenia National Adaptation Plan project with the support of the Union of Communities of Armenia, Gegharkunik Regional Administration and Gavar Municipality.

Representatives of Armenian CoM Signatories discussed the challenges related to climate change, energy and gender at the workshop “Community Development Programs. Climate change, Energy and Gender” held in Yerevan on September 25, 2019. The event was organised by the UNDP Climate Change Program for community officers with the participation of more than 20 municipalities of Armenia. It was intended to highlight the importance of women engagement in the community development programs’ activities on climate change and energy, as well as to discuss the needs of men and women in climate change and energy related sectors and gender-responsive community development programs. During the workshop, Mr. Artem Kharazyan, CoM East Project Country Expert in Armenia, presented the main objectives, developments and key achievements of the CoM East project. 

On November 26, 2019, the CoM East Project Country Expert in Belarus Ivan Shchadranok presented the project objectives, current activities, achievements and benefits at the meeting of Ašmiany District Executive Committee. Next day, he also presented the project during the information meeting “EU-Belarus Cooperation: Viciebsk Region” in Viciebsk dedicated to the EU-Belarus cooperation.

Belarus annually celebrates November 11 as Energy Saving Day. This year, it was held under the motto “Save the climate. Saving energy and resources”. The municipalities of Baranavičy, Talačyn, Ašmiany, Navagrudak, Orša, Rahačoŭ, Smarhon’ and Pinsk, which are CoM Signatories, joined the celebrations and organised various creative activities for children and adults. The most active participants and winners of contests and quizzes were awarded with memorable prizes provided by the CoM East project and the EU Delegation to Belarus.

As a member of the joint team of the Department for Energy Efficiency at the State Committee for Standardization and the EU Delegation to Belarus, the CoM East Country Expert in Belarus Ivan Shchadranok discussed the priority issues of the further expansion of energy conservation measures in Belarus during the working meeting held by the Ašmiany District Executive Committee.

On August 14, 2019, a meeting of the Young Reformers School was organized by the Belarusian NGO “Centre for New Ideas” at Drozdy Club in Minsk. The CoM East Project Country Expert in Belarus Ivan Shchadranok discussed a number of development strategies for Belarusian regions.

Over 200 exhibitors and 2000 visitors participated in more than 100 activities in the framework of IarmarEco – the fair for eco opportunities and social entrepreneurship. While adults were versed in new energy efficiency technologies, the non-stop quiz “How we save energy” was incredibly popular among children: the little guests answered the questions related to energy saving and received souvenirs from the AEER and the CoM East project. The CoM East Country Expert in Moldova Victor Parlicov shared useful information about the project and distributed promotional materials dedicated to energy efficiency and climate change amongst the participants.

Environmental journalists gathered in Chisinau for the meeting of the Press Club, organised by the Association of Environmental Journalists and Ecotourism from the Republic of Moldova (AJMTEM) and UNDP Moldova. The CoM East Country Expert in Moldova Victor Parlicov joined the meeting together with representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, the UNDP Moldova projects and the Ecological Movement of Moldova. The Press Club participants addressed the main challenges related to energy and climate change.

Thanks to the financial support of the European Union, the city of Cantemir in Moldova received a kindergarten that was completely refurbished in compliance with the European energy efficiency standards. The building of more than 50 years old now offers improved learning conditions and high level of comfort for 135 children, while also using much less energy.Thanks to the financial support of the European Union, the city of Cantemir in Moldova received a kindergarten that was completely refurbished in compliance with the European energy efficiency standards. The building of more than 50 years old now offers improved learning conditions and high level of comfort for 135 children, while also using much less energy.
During the official opening of the modernised kindergarten, Mr Marco Gemmer, the Head of Operations of the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, underlined:"The EU is glad to see these concrete results for the children of Cantemir. This was possible thanks to the support from the EU that contributed to this win-win initiative, which demonstrates that smart investments help in addressing climate change as well as improving the life of citizens".
The event brought together representatives of Cantemir Town Hall, Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, educational institutions, EU-funded projects – Covenant of Mayors – Demonstration Projects (CoM-DeP) and CoM-East, as well as residents of Cantemir and other Moldovan CoM Signatories. The CoM East Country Expert in Moldova Victor Parlicov also took part in the opening ceremony. The project “Cantemir thermal rehabilitation of educational buildings – CanTREB” was carried out by the Cantemir Town Hall in partnership with the Alliance for Energy Efficiency and Renewables (AEER), with the financial support of the European Union in the framework of the Programme “Covenant of Mayors – Demonstration Projects”.

The last Energy Day in 2019 in Moldova was held in the village of Vorniceni, Străşeni rayon. Organized for the first time, the event was hosted by the local kindergarten No.1, and marked the first year since Vorniceni signed the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. Over 110 children, assisted by their parents and educators, prepared an exhibition of handcrafted items using natural materials and recyclables, as well as creative drawings dedicated to the topic of energy saving, nature and environmental protection.

With the support of the European Union, Municipal Development Coordination Platform (MDCP) was launched in Moldova on February 5. It provides the basis for dialogue and cooperation between the CoM Signatories, government, financial institutions, civil society and the private sector. The event was held in Chisinau with the participation of mayors and deputy mayors from 23 Moldovan municipalities that joined the Covenant of Mayors, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment and Ministry of Finance.

On September, 12-13, the CoM East team jointly with the Association “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine” (CoM Supporter) organized a two-day study visit to Dnipro within the project “Innovative financing schemes improving energy efficiency in the municipal energy sector” that is implemented as a part of PROSPECT program (HORIZON 2020). 11 representatives from Sumy, Kropyvnytskyy, Mykolayiv, Kryvyi Rig, Melitopol, Mariupol, and Bila Tserkva took part in the event. During the study visit, Dnipro municipality shared their experience in implementing the EBRD project on the integrated thermal modernization of public buildings within the ESCO model. The CoM East Country Expert Oksana Kysil presented the project activities in the field of exchanging knowledge and ideas of the best technical solutions for energy and climate policy implementation. Together with the participants, they discussed the economic background of ESCO projects, possible ways of involving ESCO projects for modernisation of public buildings, which is a key SECAP sector, as well as similar projects developed by the other municipalities.

The CoM East Communication Expert for Ukraine Andriy Kyrchiv participated in the International Eco-Forum in Lviv on September 12-14, 2019. He presented the project and contributed to the two discussion panels dedicated to renewable energy and adaptation to climate changes in Ukrainian CoM Signatories.

The first meeting of Municipal Development Coordination Platform (MDCP) – in Ukraine it is called Municipal Platform for Energy & Climate Transition – was organised in Kyiv with the aim to bring together CNCs, CTCs and CSs in order to discuss the final concept of MDCP, working plan and main activities. Participants focused on the role, functions and internal capacity of CNCs, CSs and CTCs within the platform, discussed the National Roadmap for removing the barriers and fostering the drivers of SEAP/SECAP implementation, project pipelines and bench marketing issues, studied best practices within energy cooperative and other funding instruments for co-financing projects within SECAPs, learned the specificities of CoM awareness raising campaigns for Signatories on regional and national level, and proposed improvements to the working plan for 2020.

A series of round table discussions under the common title “Energy efficiency, renewables and adaptation to the climate changes: presentation of the Roadmap regarding the improvement of attracting investments” was organized and moderated by the CoM East Country Expert in Ukraine Oksana Kysil within the XV International Forum & Exhibition “Communtech” on November 5 in Kyiv. Almost 67 participants, including representatives of Ukrainian CNCs, mayors, deputy mayors, energy managers, leading experts in energy, housing and utilities sector, got an opportunity to obtain the up-to-date information about the situation and trends in the above mentioned fields directly from the international experts and Ukrainian top policymakers.

The most important aspects of environmental protection and adaptation to climate change were addressed at the German-Ukrainian Conference of Municipal Partnerships held in Odesa on November 6-7, 2019. Protecting environment and climate as a municipal task was in the focus of the event. The conference marked the launch of thematic clusters between the central actors of German cooperation for development in Ukraine and the network of German-Ukrainian municipal partnerships. The CoM East Country Expert Oksana Kysil contributed to the public discussion on the ways to meeting the renewable energy commitments towards the energy sustainable cities and climate solutions.

The CoM East Country Expert Oksana Kysil took part in the Climate Change Adaptation Inception workshop, organised on November 21, 2019 under the EU4Climate initiative and dedicated to national climate adaptation planning in Ukraine in different sectors of economy. More than 50 representatives of the central government agencies, donor community, international finance institutions and NGOs discussed the development and implementation of climate-related policies based on the countries’ commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Association and Partnership Agreements with the EU. Oksana Kysil presented the experience of Ukraine in the field of climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as adaptation policy development and trends on the local level.

The Roadmap on the improvement of attracting investments was officially presented by the CoM East project during the meeting of the National Euro-Integration Platform in the field of environment and climate protection “Climate change: from emissions calculation towards the effective climate policy” that was held in Kyiv on December 2, 2019. It was attended by representatives of Ukrainian CoM National Coordinators, MPs and other officials. The Roadmap was also presented during the expert discussion of the state of implementation of the EU Directive 2012/27/EU in Ukraine on December 12, 2019.

Climate change and sustainable energy issues are becoming increasingly important involving new interaction and communication platforms. On December 10, 2019, an interesting event combining energy, climate and art, organised by “Business to Public” Agency in cooperation with the Association of amalgamated territorial communities and the CoM East project, took place at Kyiv National Academic Operetta Theatre. Representatives of CoM Signatories from small Ukrainian municipalities took part in the climate and energy related open-microphone session on one of the Operetta stages, which was moderated by the CoM East Country Expert Oksana Kysil. Participants discussed environmental issues, clean energy and climate change with representatives business and non-governmental sector. Municipalities presented their achievements and shared plans for the next year to improve the situation and boost sustainable development in their communities. In conclusion, every participant received a special “green” task for 2020 from the “Eco” St. Nicholas who surprisingly joint the event and greeted the audience with the upcoming winter holidays.

In the last seven days of 2019, the CoM East Country Expert in Ukraine initiated a series of publications in social media under the title “Seven wonders of CoM East – Ukraine 2019” dedicated to the most significant, important, interesting and outstanding achievements of the CoM Signatories in the outgoing year. In January 2020, by voting results, the best energy managers of the year were determined – Yuriy Savich and Tetiana Ziatikova became the winners in this nomination. They received a special award – one day of voluntary work of the CoM East Country Expert in their cities in the framework of Sustainable Energy Week 2020 and ten trees to be planted in their municipalities.