Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine’s Post

Housing is one of the most costly damaged sectors by the war in Ukraine according to The World Bank. The reconstruction of Ukraine's building stock requires therefore a huge investment. However, the situation also presents an immense opportunity to "build back better" and improve the overall's country energy efficiency. But how can a country in the midst of war begin reconstruction and convince investors that sustainable reconstruction is the way to go? A few months ago we gathered in a publication the 6 investment criteria to drive a sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine's built environment. Kira Taylor picked it up and spoke with our Ukrainian colleague and co-author of the report Volodymyr Vladyka. Read the insightful piece on FORESIGHT Climate & Energy 🔗https://lnkd.in/evUyYFVt Check out the 6 investment criteria for a sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine here🔗https://lnkd.in/e7ErfGU7 #reconstructionUkraine #buildbackbetter

💡 How do we rebuild homes in a war-torn country while ensuring they are affordable, efficient, and just for all? Ukraine’s reconstruction after the war isn’t just about rebuilding—it’s a chance to build back better. As a former member of the advisory board of H2020 #ComAct, which focused on improving energy efficiency in Ukraine, I will never forget what my Ukrainian colleagues shared: - Over 80% of homes are old and waste energy. - Energy poverty is a harsh reality, with many families struggling to pay their energy bills. - The war has destroyed 10% of housing, making millions even more vulnerable. But as Kira Taylor explains in this article for FORESIGHT Climate & Energy, this crisis offers a unique opportunity to: - Cut energy costs for vulnerable households. - Reduce Ukraine’s dependence on expensive, imported fossil fuels. - Create greener, healthier homes for returning citizens. The roadblocks? - Distrust of loans and high interest rates prevent homeowners from renovating. - The war forces many to focus on immediate needs like heating and electricity, rather than long-term sustainability. 🛠 What needs to happen? - Municipalities are investing in interest-free loans to help Ukrainians make their homes more energy-efficient. - Investments should prioritize energy standards in damaged buildings to ensure sustainable rebuilding. - International funding should support energy-efficient reconstruction, benefiting both the economy and the people. ⚡️ A fair transition matters. Everyone—especially those most at risk of energy poverty—must gain from lower bills and healthier homes. Ukraine has a chance to lead with energy efficiency, and we can’t miss it. 👉 Read the full article on Foresight Media for a deep dive into how we can support this transition! #JustTransition #EnergyPoverty #RebuildUkraine #EnergyEfficiency #Sustainability #ComAct #EnergyTransition https://lnkd.in/dSnnD-s5

Invigorating the Economy with Green Jobs: The mantra for a robust post-war recovery in Ukraine resonates with adopting green principles. Our report explores how sectors like energy and transportation are fertile grounds for green job generation. Embark on the green recovery journey: https://lnkd.in/eAXbh-yS

Here is simple message for Governments and the energy ministries from Western Balkans: Get together. Ask the EU for accession into EUETS with a grant of free allocations. Excellent article by @Alekandar Kovacevic

Even since the establishment of the Euro, the countries of Southern Europe have been laggards economically in the #EuropeanUnion. Thanks in large part to #energy, that has now changed. Read my latest Forbes.com article to see how energy advantages, and some wise governmental policies, are changing the international equation. #Greece #Cyprus #Mediterranean

Winterization.. a new word in use in Ukraine Green Deal Ukraina at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin team just came back from an extensive business trip to Kyiv, Ukraine. Together with our polish colleague from Forum Energii, and with our consultants in Ukraine we set up our Annual Conference, 2nd edition, to talk about investments in energy and climate in times of war. We held a chatham house dinner on the experience of implementing chapter 15 (energy) of the EU acquis in other countries, and what this experience could mean for Ukraine on the way forward towards full EU integration. Many meetings with Ukrenergo, with government, embassies, EU delegation, GIZ , Energy Community partners, with partners from DixiGroup and EcoAction, and KSEP came in addition to busy days, sometimes interrupted by air alarm and the need to move to shelter. We were happy to see how many international partners come to Ukraine in these dark days, despite the war and the risk they take, each of them, despite the long train ride and exhausting journeys. Happy also to notice the level of energy that our Ukrainian friends and partners continue to have, now near to 1000 days of war later. The word winterization is commonly used for preparing the car, a house, maybe some other stuff for winter. In Ukraine it is used for preparing a full country for the winter. Not one house, not one car- but every house, every car, every city, every one. If there was a competition for the most used, most popular word of the season, maybe the year, I reckon that Winterization would get it. Winterization is the symbol for preparing for a very tough winter, with limited heating, limited power, and possibly again intensive strikes by the Russian aggressor - on cities, houses, and on energy infrastructure. Our analysis has shown that there are ways to prepare for the winter: increasing the exports through the connected power system, towards Ukraine (yes, a lot has been done, but no, not enough yet! ) We show all the options in our paper Six options... www.greendealukraina.org); and we also published an analysis on the needed investment in flexibility. There are technologies like Dynamic Line Rating that can change a lot. All needs to be done, and, as Oleksii Brekht, acting CEO of Ukrenergo put it: ´every Megawatt counts´. G7+ and partner countries, partner organisations- Energy Community, G7+, USAID, Germany, Poland... are sending turbines, coordinate their actions, to support winterization. Out of the needed around 18 GW of average peak supply by hour around up to 4 or 5 might be missing. Therefore, actions need to be continued, accelerated, and sound and timely facts based analysis is needed more than ever. GDU project at Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin will continue to deliver. Would it not be wonderful to see the word ´Summerization´ gain similar prominence, next year- and then meaning ´time to relax now, after a - hopefully not too tough- winter 2024-25.

This weekend, Switzerland is hosting the first Summit on Peace in Ukraine to discuss pathways toward a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace. Restoring Ukraine’s energy capacity and establishing a framework for its longer-term energy trajectory will be essential for reaching this objective. With well-designed reforms, international support, private investment – and, crucially, peace – Ukraine can leapfrog to a sustainable energy future. Anhelina Dombrovska and Patrick Lenain outline key elements of a path towards this goal based on a forthcoming CEP Policy Brief. https://lnkd.in/euvYpab3

[ENG] Victor Parlicov, Energy Minister, Moldova Key statements #MoldovaSecurityForum2024. Panel discussion: Climate crisis and the urge for green transition: how to adapt ------ #Moldova is a fascinating case. We are a country that starts from a situation of vulnerability in multiple dimensions. Moldova is one of the most climate-vulnerable and planet-vulnerable countries on the continent. We are also the least forested country, and over 70 per cent, or about 75 per cent, of all our energy is imported. Moldova is one of the continent's poorest countries and is next to war. So it's a perfect combination to start from. At the same time, our vulnerability has also given us a huge, let's say, impetus, much like in many other sectors, which I don't want to mention now. Still, the crisis we are going through and the challenges we face actually push us to be much more ambitious and move faster than others. Moldova is pursuing an ambitious agenda regarding the cheapest and the cleanest energy. Moldova is a country where we consume four times more energy to generate one euro of GDP than the average EU. Moldova is a country where about 50 per cent of all our energy is consumed in buildings, and on average, we consume about twice as much energy to upkeep one square meter of a building compared to the current average EU, and the #EU is also progressive. This means that by implementing basic energy efficiency measures in buildings, we are achieving the current level of energy performance of buildings in Moldova or the current level of energy performance of buildings in the EU. If we can manage to do this in Moldova, we would save the equivalent of almost all the gas that we import in terms of energy. It's huge amounts of #energy. #MSF2024 #BlackSeaSecurity #Moldova

Think Tank #Reports Warns of Impending Energy #Crisis in #Western #balkans The power sector in the Western Balkans is facing a critical juncture, characterized by outdated #Infrastructure, environmental non-compliance, and #geopolitical tensions. This #research, conducted in collaboration with the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, examines the multifaceted challenges confronting the region’s energy landscape and proposes strategic solutions to mitigate the looming crisis. #thinktankjournal #thinktank European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) #EURO2024 European Parliament European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) Europe 1