Solonytsivka builds its energy future on data

Solonytsivka, a community in Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, joined the Covenant of Mayors and committed to reducing CO₂ emissions and improving energy efficiency across its public infrastructure. Since then the municipality has developed and adopted a Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan (SECAP), introduced energy monitoring across its facilities and modernised street lighting.

Maryna Panasyuk, Deputy Head of Solonytsivka Council for Executive Bodies, says the change runs through the whole way the municipality works.

As the Covenant of Mayors – East (CoM East) initiative marks its 15th anniversary, Solonytsivka’s experience shows how participation reshapes not just infrastructure but the culture of local governance.

Not about status — about real change

Panasyuk’s description of what the Covenant of Mayors means for Solonytsivka begins not with targets or formal commitments but with what the initiative makes possible day to day.

“For us this is not about status. It is about real changes we implement every day,” she said. “It is about access to qualified advice on implementing energy efficiency plans, about working with specialists in the field, about turning projects and ideas into reality.”

Participation also means belonging to a network of municipalities working on the same challenges — and a way to show partners and residents that Solonytsivka has taken a voluntary commitment to tackle climate change through energy efficiency and reducing CO₂ emissions.

A plan, then a system

The SECAP gave Solonytsivka a clear framework. It defined priorities, structured the measures to be taken and created the conditions for long-term planning rather than short-term fixes.

“We gained a clear understanding of where to go next: which measures to implement and what to focus on first,” Panasyuk said.

The SECAP is backed by energy monitoring across municipal facilities. The system records consumption and makes the data useful. The municipality tracks energy use, identifies where resources are being lost and bases management decisions on evidence rather than instinct.

Staff training has become a standing priority alongside the technical work. The team invests regularly in building its own expertise on climate and energy — not as a one-off exercise but as part of how the municipality operates.

“The team constantly improves its skills to work more effectively,” Panasyuk said.

Where the work is focused

Solonytsivka concentrates its energy work on the areas where consumption is highest: public institutions, street lighting and municipal infrastructure. The street lighting modernisation programme ‘Street Lighting — Safe Environment’ is reducing electricity use and improving safety for residents. Broader measures cover energy efficiency in public buildings and a gradual transition to alternative energy sources.

Work with residents and local businesses runs in parallel. Panasyuk is clear about why: the targets in the SECAP cannot be reached through infrastructure alone.

“Communities manage schools, kindergartens, hospitals, street lighting, housing — the areas where most energy is consumed. It is not the state acting from above. It is specific decisions taken locally,” she said. “Without changing behaviour, achieving climate goals is simply impossible.”

A different way of governing

Panasyuk points to the shift in decision-making as the change that matters most. Before, decisions were reactive. Now they are grounded in data, built around planning and tied to accountability for outcomes.

“We stopped acting on a case-by-case basis and moved to systematic work that produces measurable results,” she said.

The municipality now works with a long-term horizon rather than the next budget cycle. Cross-sector coordination has improved. Energy consumption is analysed regularly. The management culture, Panasyuk said, has shifted to one built on planning, analysis and responsibility for results.

“We understand that we are moving in the right direction and are part of the European process on climate and energy efficiency,” she said.