Vinnytsia’s green transition: politics, communities, energy

How is Vinnytsia’s green initiative affecting the community’s energy sector, and how can green energy communities be established in Vinnytsia?

We discussed these issues during this week’s event in Vinnytsia, Vinnytsia’s Green Transition: Policy, Communities, Energy

As Tetiana Kukharenko, Programme Manager of the ‘Democracy and Good Governance’ programme at the International Renaissance Foundation, noted in her speech, one of the Foundation’s core areas of activity is to support the reconstruction of our country:

“Our understanding of recovery is multifaceted. But at its core must lie human dignity and well-being, which encompasses a number of criteria. And one of these criteria is the right to a clean, healthy environment” .https://web.facebook.com/events/1104143808247586/?__cft__[0]=AZXaN5WEuj2fekxwM47SPPDXnllGopJrgMWVx3N3EqlYwhRUgjEEA7ku2rs-EI3qPMwrOext4PGG7ekCT6Nrshsrfl-Ob5Ld3tGlKQG6SyxCEPKGmKfEKO2T6cT3k9SMTXJZgJypLJ3rh4pR7Ud4HZ9PtNYtrMcBc6rwwQmXYWQWcnmmyRqb-qKnI4GNu7qyFlDJw5srSs0LTOw0aLAHG3L9&__tn__=-UK-R

According to the spokesperson, the International Renaissance Foundation supported the project because it recognised that the idea offered a highly practical and beneficial approach for the Vinnytsia community: to promote the environmental transformation of the municipal community by achieving the objectives of Vinnytsia’s Green Course, in particular by implementing the concept of green energy communities.

“Vinnytsia has long been at the forefront of innovative approaches, so we have no doubt that this experience of establishing green energy communities for the local community can serve as a positive example for other communities in Ukraine in terms of green transition, achieving sustainable energy development goals, and adopting a sensible approach to the use of various energy sources., - added by Tetiana Kukharenko.

During the event, Vladislav Skalsky, Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia, spoke about the political aspects of implementing Vinnytsia’s Green Deal:

“Ukraine has made its choice. It made that choice definitively in 2014. If we wish to become a full member of the European Union, we must take into account all the commitments made by the EU countries that have agreed to the European Green Deal”.

According to the deputy mayor of Vinnytsia, it is impossible to achieve climate neutrality without a specific plan for each community.

“It is important to remember that, just as in the European Union, initiatives should generally start at the grassroots level and work their way up to the political level, at which point the city council should support them”.

This initiative is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation as part of the project “Vinnytsia’s Green Course: From Strategy to Practice”, which is being implemented by the Synergy Sustainable Development Agency and the Society and Environment Resource and Analytical Centre in collaboration with Vinnytsia City Council.