Energy Sustainability: Vinnytsia Delegation Presents Community Experience at the European Week of Cities and Regions 2024

On October 7-10, Brussels hosted the European Week of Cities and Regions 2024, dedicated to one of the most important policies of the European Union - the Cohesion policy. It is aimed at uniform economic, social and territorial development within the EU and the implementation of the Green and Digital Transition on the ground. The event was attended by delegates from Vinnytsia, headed by Pavlo Yablonskyi, Chairman of Vinnytsia City Council.

The event brought together European commissioners and politicians, mayors and officials of European cities and regions, local development experts, business and media representatives, and consultants on the implementation of European projects. According to Pavlo Yablonskyi, events of this level are important for the Vinnytsia community in terms of new useful contacts with investors, donor missions, and relevant projects aimed directly at strengthening and resilience of our country to the challenges posed by the full-scale invasion.

At one of the discussion panels on energy transition (from fossil fuels to alternative fuels) and decarbonization, he presented the experience of Vinnytsia City Territorial Community in the context of energy security and sustainability. It was about the introduction of solar power plants on the basis of municipal institutions and business incentives from the city authorities to switch to green energy.

“Energy security is not only an uninterrupted supply of energy, but also a strategic task that requires a comprehensive approach, especially during a war that destroys infrastructure. We need investments in new projects, international experience, and cooperation with experts. It is important to engage the community in energy efficiency to achieve energy independence and sustainability. During the European Week of Cities and Regions in Brussels, we presented the work done and our plans in this direction, including the creation of energy islands within the community, which will provide a stable supply of energy to heat and water supply facilities, healthcare, education and resilience centers,” said Pavlo Yablonskyi.

Delegates from Vinnytsia, including Olha Remeshevska, Director of the Department of Restoration and Development of Vinnytsia City Council, and Roman Furman, Director of the Department of Municipal Services of Vinnytsia City Council, had the opportunity to meet international experts specializing in infrastructure modernization, urbanism, mobility, and barrier-free accessibility in accordance with European standards, who are ready to join infrastructure, industrial, and energy projects.

The event was organized by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Development (DG Regio), which is a kind of ministry of regional development of the EU, and the European Committee of the Regions.

One of the important topics discussed during the discussion panels was green employment in Ukraine and the role of local and regional authorities in promoting opportunities for creating such jobs. Vinnytsia community, by the way, has about 24 thousand of them, and this figure is comparable to other European regions. The relevant research results were presented by representatives of the Resource and Analysis Center “Society and Environment”.