Ukrainian Lviv Frontlines European Climate Protection

KYIV, Ukraine, July 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Western Ukrainian city of Lviv is hosting the mainstream forum of the European initiative on energy efficiency (July 16-18, 2012). The working group of the forum will discuss energy efficiency challenges in municipalities.

The Cooperation in Urban Development and Dialogue (CIUDAD) and European Partnership countries (ENPI) cities forum is taking place in Lviv in the framework of the Covenant of Mayors - European movement of local and regional authorities, which voluntarily commit to increasing energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources. As of today, over 2,000 European cities have signed the Covenant. Notably, there are 44 cities-signatories from outside the EU, 25 of them are in Ukraine.

CIUDAD and ENPI cities-signatories to the Covenant of Mayors together with Covenant Supporters and Coordinators from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine will meet together at the Second CIUDAD Thematic Working Group on Energy Efficiency and East regional event in Lviv.

Lviv Municipality together with Ukrainian Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Municipal Economy will participate in the event. Interestingly, Lviv, a city of 758,351 people, joined the Covenant on January 12, 2009. Upon its adhesion, Lviv became one out of four Ukrainian cities to have submitted its Action Plan.

Covenant signatories aim to meet and exceed the European Union 20 percent CO2 reduction objective by 2020. EU Climate Action calls for a 20 percent reduction in CO2 emissions (over 1990 levels), as well as a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency and 20 percent increase in energy from renewable energy sources (20-20-20 strategy).  

In the last couple of years Ukraine has been implementing a series of energy efficiency projects in association with numerous organizations, agencies and countries. These programs include USAID funded Municipal Heating Reform Project, EBRD funded Ukraine's Energy Efficiency Programme, World Bank's Residential Energy Efficiency Project, Energy efficiency in buildings program supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, etc.  The aim of these programs is to increase energy efficiency in residential buildings and at industrial companies, as well as introduce renewable energy production on the municipal level.

Interestingly, in 2011, Ukraine saved about 1.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas by implementing energy efficiency programs, reported the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation of Ukraine.