We are pleased to present this guide, which is the result of the “Civil Society Energy 2021” project implemented by wechange eG1, involving representatives of civil society, municipalities, and the business sector from Ukraine, Poland, and Germany. As part of the project, participants exchanged experiences on cooperation in the field of renewable energy and jointly developed ideas for establishing energy cooperatives.
The full version of the guide is available at:
This guide was prepared as part of a project that synthesizes research and analysis on renewable energy sources and their potential for sustainable development in Poland and Ukraine, and presents possible scenarios for the development of energy cooperatives from organizational, legal, economic, and social perspectives.
The first chapter by Agnieszka Szostak outlines the importance, potential, and challenges of renewable energy development in Poland, Ukraine, and Germany. The following chapter by Tomasz Marzec examines the energy transition and legal issues facing the cooperative movement in Poland. Articles by researchers Olena Rubanenko and Viktoria Vostryakova analyze recent trends in Ukraine’s renewable energy sector, the potential of energy cooperation to ensure the country’s sustainable development, and related technical and economic aspects. Mykhailo Shomin, Maryna Sadkina, and Anna Pastukh examine financial and legal mechanisms and analyze regulatory acts that may be useful for anyone involved in establishing energy cooperatives in Ukraine. In the concluding article, Andriy Zinchenko, founder of the first Ukrainian energy cooperative in Slavutych, examines the driving forces behind the transformation of municipal energy in Ukrainian communities through energy cooperatives.
WECHANGE is a cooperative of active civil society representatives, developers, and volunteers united by a common goal: to actively drive social change to ensure sustainable development worldwide. WECHANGE supports civic initiatives, networks, and large organizations in the areas of digitalization, remote teamwork, online communication, and the implementation of best practices and the benefits of digital networks.

