Twelve Ukrainian cities join the SUN4Ukraine initiative of the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission

Twelve municipalities from across Ukraine are starting a transformative journey to climate-neutral rebuilding with support from the SUN4Ukraine initiative of the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. 

The announcement was made at the conference on “State of Local Self Government: Challenges and Prospects" held in Kyiv on 2-3 December 2024. The event was organised by the Association of Ukrainian Cities, a SUN4Ukraine partner.

SUN4Ukraine empowers Ukrainian cities to seamlessly integrate Climate Neutrality Plans into their recovery strategies, paving the way for sustainable and resilient urban development. The twelve selected municipalities will receive tailored expert support, participate in a comprehensive capacity-building programme, and be paired with EU Mission Cities for valuable knowledge exchanges.

This complements the cities already identified and engaged by the sister project “Ukraine towards Carbon Neutrality” (U_CAN). Coordinated by the Technical University of Dresden, U_CAN will work with eight Ukrainian cities to align their reconstruction plans with ambitious climate neutrality goals. The cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv are involved in both projects.

105 Ukrainian municipalities of all sizes expressed interest to take part in the SUN4Ukraine initiative, with the aim of becoming climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest. The twelve Flagship Municipalities were selected among the 33 applications from cities with over 50,000 inhabitants that also expressed an interest to develop city-wide and cross-sectoral Climate Neutrality Plans for the 2050 horizon. 

Ekaterina Zaharieva, EU Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said:

“I would like to thank wholeheartedly the many Ukrainian cities that expressed interest in becoming more closely associated with the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. Despite a context of war of aggression against your territory, you show a strong commitment for our joint future. Your resilience, determination and vision for green and sustainable cities are an inspiration to us. We will continue to support you as long as it takes and as much as needed until you win this war.”

As a first step, SUN4Ukraine will channel valuable lessons from the EU Cities Mission to the twelve Flagship Municipalities on the implementation, governance and financing of urban climate action. This support will be tailored to each city's needs while considering national circumstances, especially the recovery challenges posed by the ongoing war. 

In the next phase, the Flagship Municipalities will partner with EU Mission Cities, transitioning from exchanging knowledge to taking decisive action. These partnerships will align expertise with capacity building needs. They will also match cities according to similarities and relevance of their climate neutrality challenges. 

Further on, all municipalities who responded to SUN4Ukraine’s call for expression of interest will be invited to join the journey toward a climate-resilient and sustainable future through the activities of a Ukrainian Cities Climate Hub. The goal is to exchange ideas, share knowledge and promote best practices for Ukraine’s recovery and sustainability. 

This article has been reproduced courtesy of DG Research and Innovation. Read the original article. 

Background

About SUN4Ukraine 

Launched in May 2024 under the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission and funded under Horizon Europe, Sustainable Urban Net Zero Network for Ukraine (SUN4Ukraine) is a four-year project focused on supporting Ukrainian cities in their pursuit of climate neutrality. In the wake of the severe disruptions caused by Russia’s war of aggression, this project focuses on systemic and efficient recovery, aligning with Ukraine’s climate objectives and involving citizens and stakeholders.

About U_CAN

Launched in May 2024 under the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission and funded under Horizon Europe, sister project U_CAN will enable Ukrainian cities to align their strategies and standards with EU climate policies. This involves strategic cooperation between EU expert partners and Ukrainian stakeholders to develop comprehensive green strategies and enhance local capacities.

About the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission

The EU Cities Mission aims to deliver 100 climate-neutral cities by 2030 and to ensure that these cities act as experimentation hubs to enable climate neutrality in all European cities by 2050. With support from a Mission Platform, mission cities develop and implement Climate City Contracts that undergo review by the Commission and may lead to the award of a Mission Label.

53 Mission Cities cities have already received a Mission Label: the first batch in October 2023 with Sønderborg (Denmark), Mannheim (Germany), Madrid, Valencia, Valladolid, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Zaragoza (Spain), Klagenfurt (Austria), Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and Stockholm (Sweden), the second batch in March 2024 with Ioannina, Kalamata, Kozani, Thessaloniki (Greece), Heidelberg (Germany), Leuven (Belgium), Espoo, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Tampere, Turku (Finland), Barcelona, Seville (Spain), Pecs (Hungary), Malmö (Sweden), Guimaraes, Lisbon (Portugal), Florence, Parma (Italy), Marseille, Lyon (France), Limassol (Cyprus) and Izmir (Türkiye) and the third batch in October 2024 with Aachen, Münster (Germany), Trikala (Greece), Miskolc (Hungary), Eilat (Israel), Bologna, Bergamo, Milan, Prato, Turin (Italy), Liepāja (Latvia), The Hague (the Netherlands), Porto (Portugal), Bucharest 2nd District, Suceava (Romania), Ljubljana, Kranj (Slovenia), Gothenburg, Gävle, Umeå (Sweden). A fourth batch will be announced in the second quarter of 2025.