IX International Conference AEMU in Vinnytsia: challenges call to action!

From 16-17 June 2015 in Vinnytsia in the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week the Association "Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine" (EECU) held its IX International Conference and the General Assembly of the Association.
The theme of this year's meeting, which brought together over one hundred and fifty participants from all regions of Ukraine, representatives of government agencies, diplomatic missions, international organisations, NGOs, Ukrainian cities that are signatories of the Covenant of Mayors and members of EECU, as well as experts and consultants was "With the Covenant of Mayors towards energy independence – Challenge accepted!".
The event was held in the context of the large European project “Covenant of Mayors Capacity Building Model for Ukraine and Georgia: Model Solution for Eastern Partnership and Central Asian Countries”, which was led by EECU.
Co-organizer of the conference was the Vinnytsia City Council. The choice of the conference location was not accidental, because Vinnitsya already for several years has been one of the leaders in systematic energy efficiency solutions and a model for other cities in the overall implementation of the Covenant of Mayors initiative. That is why the city was chosen as place for the opening ceremony of the European Sustainable Energy Week and EECU’s annual conference.
"The name of the conference is also not a coincidence. Indeed, within more than six years of existence of this large-scale European initiative it has been joined by already more than 100 cities in Ukraine which realised that a comprehensive solution to the problems of efficient use of energy and the reduction of dependence on imported energy starts at the local level "- said the Executive Director of EECU, Andriy Kyrchiv, in his welcoming remarks.
The participants were also welcomed by the Acting Mayor of Vinnytsia, Serhiy Morhunov, Sergiy Ladnyy, the Sector Manager for Municipal Infrastructure, Energy Efficiency and NIF at the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine and the Chairman of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving, Sergiy Savchuk.
The latter stressed that the Government supports the cities’ initiatives of cities in the field of energy efficiency and called on all to join the existing state support programmes, and develop their own programs to compensate for the interest rate on loans obtained by the population for housing insulation.
"Become an energy efficient city today is no longer a fad, but a great deal, to which should contribute authorities, local government, the international community, businesses and ordinary citizens.
That is all, who wish to live in a European country and be energy independent ", said Sergiy Savchuk.
Welcoming remarks were also express by Sergiy Kushnir, Director of the Department of Housing Policy of the Ministry for Regional Development, Building and Housing of Ukraine. It should be noted that today Ukraine has, so to speak, a "full set" of Covenant of Mayors support – a National Coordinator, a national Support Structure and 8 Territorial Coordinators, still at least 3 Oblast Administrations and Councils voted for the acquisition of this status. In addition, in the Lviv region for almost two years has been successfully operating the first post-Soviet Club of the Covenant of Mayors.
Further, representatives of international financial organizations and projects, including Christiana Hageneder, Project Director of the GIZ’s “Energy Efficiency in Municipalities” project and Oleksandr Nikolayenko, Manager for Sustainable Energy Development from USAID’s Municipal Energy Reform Project wished the participants fruitful work and called for intensive cooperation.
The greetings were followed by the solemn handover of certificates to the Territorial Coordinators of the Covenant of Mayors, which was undertaken by Svyatoslav Pavlyuk, Key Expert of the Project “Covenant of Mayors-East” and Krzysztof Gierulski, member of the European Union Support Group for Ukraine (SGUA).
The majority of the Coordinators of the Covenant also gave a short speech in which they expressed gratitude for the trust and highlighted the awareness on the voluntary commitments within the Covenant.
The conference was joined by the official delegation of Switzerland – His Excellence the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador Christian Schoenenberger of the Swiss Confederation to Ukraine, the Deputy Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office Petra Widmer, and the Representative of the "European Energy Award", Reto Dettli.
After their short speeches, the participants witnessed a significant event: the City of Vinnitsya, the first in the entire post-Soviet space, was awarded the European Energy Award, a document certifying the high achievement of Vinnytsia in the field of energy efficiency. His gratitude during the ceremony expressed the Acting Mayor Vinnitsya, Serhiy Morhunov.
During the conference, in addition to program reports, two plenary debates took place, the first on “Deregulation Initiatives And Energy Efficiency” – moderated by EECU President and Mayor of Dolyna Volodymyr Harazd – with the following, participants: Sergiy Savchuk, Chairman of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving, Sergiy Kushnir, Director of the Department of Housing Policy of the Ministry for Regional Development, Building and Housing of Ukraine and Vasyl Brovarnyk, Deputy Head of the Vinnytsia Oblast Administration. The second session debate had as its topic “Supporting The Covenant Of Mayors In Ukraine” "and was moderated  by Svyatoslav Pavlyuk and joined by Christiana Hageneder, Krzysztof Gierulski, Oleksandr Nikolayenko, representatives and oblast administration). This session, in turn, consisted of two panel discussions – “Energy Efficiency in Residential and Public Buildings” and “From Plan to Action – Financing the Covenant of Mayors”.
After the debate, another nice ceremony took place – the presentation of the Results of the “Covenant of Mayors Capacity Building Model for Ukraine and Georgia: Model Solution for Eastern Partnership and Central Asian Countries” Project and the award of Certificates to the Project Cities " which were handed by the Project Manager and CIM-expert Agnieszka Schirru-Nowicka, together with Svyatoslav Pavlyuk and Andriy Kyrchiv.
Especially for the participants, an excursion to the utility "Vinnytsyamiskteploenerho" was organised, where they got acquainted with the work of the newly upgraded boiler-house.
On the same day took place the General Assembly of the EECU, at which President and Executive Director of EECU were confirmed and a new Board was elected.
Worthy completion of an intense first day of the conference was the official reception of the City, and an organised excursion to the famous fountain light show of Vinnytsia.
On the second day of the conference four parallel sessions were held: An Introductory Training for Potential and Currenct Signatories of the Covenant of Mayors in Ukraine, the Steering Committee Meeting and Internal Meeting of the Project “Covenant of Mayors Capacity Building Model for Ukraine and Georgia: Model Solution for Eastern Partnership and Central Asian Countries”, the Practical Meeting “Advocacy for Civil Society Organisations” and the Round Table “Municipal Transport” including also a Visit of the Tram Depot.
"These excursions we make to ensure that people can see how utility companies work, what energy efficiency measures are introduced to them," said Vitaliy Misetskyy, form the City Council.
At the end of the day a group of participants visited the solid waste landfill, where bio-is won from waste and processed it into energy at a cogeneration plant.
Participants and guests of the conference in their responses emphasized the interesting, intensive and exceptionally educational program of the event and expressed the wish to hold such meetings as often as possible. After all, only dialogue, exchange of experience and joint efforts make it possible to respond adequately to the challenges facing our society and country in the context of true energy independence.