Two More Ukrainian Communities Intend to Switch to 100% RES by 2050

Baranivka amalgamated hromada and Trostianets city council have expressed an intention of switching to 100% RES by 2050 and signed a memorandum of intent with the international organization 350.org, which is a member of the Energy Transition coalition. To achieve this goal, the communities are planning to develop the energy efficiency of municipal and private facilities, reduce transportation emissions, and engage investments to implement renewable energy projects.

“In Baranivka amalgamated hromada, a solar power station of 10 mWatt capacity is being assembled. It is not in operation yet, but we already see how the hromada benefits from it: for land lease alone, the investor will pay UAH 1.6 million every year. 10–12 people will be working at the station full time, and the taxes from their salary (about UAH 200,000) will be paid to the local budget. The work of the solar power station will improve the hromada’s energy security and make it more attractive for investors. This is one of our first steps towards 100% RES,” says Anatolii Dushko, head of Baranivka amalgamated hromada.

“Our goal is comfortable Ukrainian cities and equal opportunities for all the members of the community to invest in the development of energy efficiency and ‘green’ projects,” says Dmytro Sakaliuk, coordinator of the NGO coalition Energy Transition. “That’s why we help municipalities to develop and implement Action Plans for sustainable energy development and climate, which leads to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and eventually to 100% RES. The Energy Transition coalition offers its support for the development of a transition strategy to safe renewable energy to all the interested cities.”.

Earlier, Zhytomyr became the first city in Eastern Europe to express its intention to transition to 100% RES and sign a memorandum with 350.org.

“We have just finished developing the scenario of Zhytomyr’s transition to 100% RES by 2050, which we have supported with funding and expertise. It was created by the scientists of the NASU Forecasting Institute together with Zhytomyr city council. Ukrainian cities are becoming leaders in the climate sector, and the number grows every year,” says Svitlana Romanko, Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) Regional Coordinator of 350.org.

Today, Zhytomyr has an action plan for sustainable energy development by 2020, with defined priorities and specific measures, which are being successfully implemented. The city is switching completely to LED-based lighting, the construction of the first municipal solar power station has started, as has the construction of the first municipal building in Ukraine with zero emissions, where the new administrative services center will be located.

The communities of Lviv, Kamianets-Podilskyi and Chortkiv, who also signed memorandums with 350.org in 2018 and set the goal to switch to 100% RES by 2050, are also working on their energy transition.

“The transition to renewable energy helps to make our cities and communities more socially fair. Upgrade of the energy, transportation and other municipal infrastructure, which accompanies the energy transition, opens up the ways to ensure equal rights and opportunities for everyone, including socially vulnerable groups. Everyone wins from transition to RES,” believes Oksana Aliieva, coordinator of the Climate Change and Energy Policy program of Heinrich Boell Foundation Kyiv Office — Ukraine

The Energy Transition Coalition is an association of non-governmental organizations created to facilitate Ukraine’s transition to economical energy consumption and the use of renewable energy sources. It includes 350.org, EcoClub, EcoAction, Khmelnytskyi Energy Cluster, Ecoltava and Ukrainian Agency for Investments and Sustainable Development.

Photos by Olena Angelova