Ukraine: European Sustainable Energy Week 2019 in Mykolaiv, 1/06/2019

On June 1, 2019, the Representation of the European Union in Ukraine and the Mykolaiv City Council opened the 10th European Sustainable Energy Week in Ukraine. The ceremony was attended by Johannes Baur, Head of the Economic Cooperation, Energy and Environment section of the EU Delegation in Ukraine and Mykolaiv’s Mayor Olexander Senkevich.

“The main task of this year’s European Sustainable Energy Week is to highlight the most serious problems on Earth: global warming, environmental protection, excessive use of resources. The European Union pays great attention to these issues. A special role in solving problems belongs not only to the authorities and the government, but to each of us, because only together we can achieve results. Therefore, this year the theme of the Week is “The role of a citizen in shaping a sustainable future: energy efficiency, renewable energy and waste management,” said Johannes Baur.

One of the key events of the first day of the European Sustainable Energy Week 2019 was the opening of the exhibition “PRO Efficiency 3.0”. At the initiative of the city council, it was held in the city for the third time and has become an annual platform for informing citizens about the latest technologies for energy saving and renewable energy for private households and apartment buildings. The territory of the exhibition was divided into thematic sectors: “Heating”, “Windows and doors”, “Lighting”, “Alternative energy and innovations”, “Insulation and building materials”.

“The city of Mykolaiv is a signatory to the European Initiative of the Covenant of Mayors since 2017 and gradually joins the best European practices of sustainable energy development. We are systematically working to modernize our hospitals and schools and to involve co-owners of residential buildings in the city to introduce energy-efficient measures. Therefore, we are already the third time opening the exhibition “PRO efficiency 3.0”. It is important for us that the residents of Nikolayev not only get acquainted with the newest models of energy-efficient equipment and renewable energy, but also understand that all this can be implemented in our city, ”said Olexander Senkevich.

In the lecture hall of the exhibition a panel discussion “The role of the condominiums in the sustainable development of the city: practice and prospects” took place. Experts familiarized citizens and the media with the latest achievements in reducing energy consumption in apartment buildings and other opportunities for introducing energy efficiency measures that the EU supports in Ukraine. Experts from the Energy Efficiency Fund, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the UN Development Program to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in the regions, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Center for Energy Efficiency of the Mykolaiv City Council acted as speakers on the panel.

In the small hall of the Mykolaiv City Council a panel discussion took place within the framework of the Municipal Platform “Energy and Climate Transformation” on the formation of an integrated waste management system at the local level and the reform of housing and communal services. The speakers were the mayor of Nikolaev, representatives of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the EU Delegation to Ukraine and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).

At the exhibition, the EU Delegation in Ukraine arranged an “Eco-tree” attraction for citizens so that everyone could check whether he complies with environmental principles in everyday life. During the day, participants glued paper leaves of different colors onto the tree: green with eco-habits or brown with habits that are not friendly to the environment. As a result, nikolayevets showed a high level of environmental awareness – the number of green leaves significantly outweighed.

The event also hosted a ceremony of congratulations of new participants in the Municipal Platform on energy and climate transformation, which is an initiative of the EU project “Covenant of Mayors – East”. The platform is a new format for uniting mayors, governments, private investors, technical assistance projects, international organizations and businesses to discuss the problems and principles of introducing sustainable energy development and adaptation to climate change.

During the first day of the European Sustainable Energy Week 2019, events for residents and guests of the city took place on the Soborna Square of Mykolaiv: awarding the winners of the student competition for the best art object from waste, a bike ride, a photo zone, events for children.