European Energy Award: A Standard for the Development of Ukrainian Communities
The European Energy Award (EEA) is a time-tested European model that has been helping cities and communities systematically improve energy efficiency, reduce CO₂ emissions, and manage resources effectively for more than 30 years.
Today, nearly 2,000 municipalities in 15 European and non-European countries are implementing this certification system. Among them are 26 Ukrainian communities that are already demonstrating tangible results through the introduction of modern energy solutions and the principles of sustainable development.
As part of the public consultation on introducing the national standard for local self-government bodies — “European Energy Award. Requirements and guidance for use by local self-government bodies of Ukraine” — Roman Radchenko, Deputy Head of the Regional Development and Administrative Services Department of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, emphasized:
“The implementation of the European Energy Award is a powerful incentive for the sustainable development of communities, as the Award helps local authorities effectively plan, develop, implement, and evaluate the efficiency of measures in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and decarbonization. It also ensures continuous development of competencies and professional skills within the municipality’s energy team.”
The introduction of this standard in Ukraine will contribute to building a culture of sustainable governance, improve the quality of local-level planning, and make processes more open, transparent, and results-oriented.
After all, the local level is the foundation of our country’s energy independence and the basis for building a modern, resilient energy system.
Today’s progress has been made possible thanks to the coordinated efforts of Ukrainian and international partners, experts, and specialists who work daily to improve energy efficiency in communities.
The State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine supports this initiative and is ready to cooperate with communities to make the European Energy Award an effective tool for modernizing Ukrainian cities and towns.
We express our sincere gratitude to the Association “Energy Efficient Cities of Ukraine,” the project teams of “Certification of Municipal Energy Management in Ukraine,” the Covenant of Mayors – East initiative, as well as the Swiss Government and the Embassy of Switzerland, for their consistent support, partnership, and belief in the capacity of Ukrainian communities.
