Sustainable Energy Planning For Cities Eastern Europe & South Caucasus

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY PLANNING FOR CITIES EASTERN EUROPE AND SOUTH CAUCASUS

Towards the Covenant of Mayors AZERBAIJAN, REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA AND UKRAINE

Balti

Icherisheher

This project is funded by the European Union

Vinnytsia

The Covenant of Mayors The Covenant of Mayors is a European Union local sustainable energy initiative by which towns, cities and regions volunteer to reduce their CO2 emissions beyond the EU “20-20-20� targets by 2020:

20%

20%

20%

reduction in CO2 emissions from the 1990 levels

increase in the share of renewables in the energy mix

cut in energy consumption

Each city must draw up a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP), setting out its long-term strategy and the associated actions and results.

The city must also prepare a Baseline Emission Inventory (BEI) pinpointing the sectors that consume and pollute the most, and where action is to be focused.

A tale of three cities

Balti

Icherisheher

Vinnytsia

The project

As part of a 2012–2014 EU project, three cities — Balti (Republic of Moldova), Icherisheher (Azerbaijan) and Vinnytsia (Ukraine) — signed the Covenant of Mayors, thus agreeing to reduce their dependency on fossil fuels and curb the impact of climate change on their territory.

• international climate change policy framework

The project, which helps the cities with their sustainable energy planning, mainly targets buildings, equipment/facilities and transport. It can also include action related to electricity production and heating/cooling generation. Sustainable energy planning improves a city’s quality of life, its public services, its energy security, its local economy, and creates new jobs.

• energy efficiency and renewable energy projects – case studies:

Three capacity-building workshops took place in each of the partner cities. Among the participants in the workshops were representatives of national governments and local authorities of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia.

The aim of the workshops was to increase local authorities’ capacity in the following subjects: • science of climate change, causes and impacts

• mitigating and adapting to climate change, and accessing financial sources to support climate change action

• sustainable buildings and transport options and planning.

The workshops also discussed the Covenant of Mayors and offered guidance on how to develop a Sustainable Energy Action Plan.

Presentations were delivered by the Frankfurt School – UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate and Sustainable Energy Finance, GIZ (the German International Cooperation Agency), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), as well as by the Covenant of Mayors COMO-East office.

Also, a workshop to help the cities develop their Baseline Emission Inventory was held in Icherisheher on 22 and 23 May 2013. And on 2 and 3 November 2014

a workshop on energy efficiency and street lighting also took place in Icherisheher to assist increase awareness of the city’s local and national authorities of energy saving possibilities and solutions for street lighting, as well as related policy options. The workshop also included technical sessions on installation, maintenance and management of LED street lighting.

Through information campaigns and special events, the project also aims to increase public awareness about energy use and energy efficiency. In order to gain knowledge and learn about best practices, representatives of the three cities took part in regional and global meetings and workshops.

Finally, the project also aims at partially implementing the three cities’ Sustainable Energy Action Plans. Each city selected one activity from its action plan and implemented it. Balti chose to insulate the external walls of a kindergarten; Icherisheher chose to change its inefficient street lights; and Vinnytsia chose to replace the obsolete wooden window frames of a school.

Balti Balti (Bălți) was one of the first cities in the Republic of Moldova to join the Covenant of Mayors initiative. In December 2013, the local government approved the city’s sustainable energy action plan.

Balti’s main energy targets for 2020 are:

1421

20%

20,99%

2,405 MWh

59,602 t

To reduce energy consumption by 20% or 2,405 MWh/ year

To improve the environment, including by reducing CO2 emissions by 59,602.26t or 20.99%

To improve the safety & economic sustainability of the energy supply

Demonstration project 2683m2 114,33 CO2

Thermal insulation of external walls - expanded polystyrene (EPS) and mineral wool based on basalt fibre

The demonstration project in Kindergarten No. 43 will be completed in December 2014.

Thermal insulation of external walls (2,683 m2) is being carried out using expanded polystyrene (EPS) and mineral wool based on basalt fibre. This renovation is expected to save around 544,357.12 kWh/year, which is equal to 114.33 tons/year of CO2 emissions.

The demonstration activity will serve as an example for other municipal social establishments — of education, medicine and culture — where similar projects could be carried out.

Energy Days The city held its first Energy Days on 24 and 25 June 2014. The events offered citizens an opportunity to learn about, comment on and offer suggestions for making the municipal services more energy efficient.

On the first day, around 400 people took part in special events in Central Market Square.

On the second day, during a presentation at the Cross-Border Economic Forum, more than 200 participants learned about the city’s energy efficiency projects.

+600 Participants learned about the city’s energy efficiency projects

Energy efficiency project As a result of its well-prepared sustainable energy action plan, Balti was offered funds for its energy-efficiency projects. One such project involved providing the city with 3,351 LED lamps, which are expected to bring about a 411.25t reduction in CO2 emissions.

3,351 LED

411.25t reduction in CO2 emissions

Icherisheher Icherisheher (Walled City of Baku) with the Shirvanshahs’ Palace and Maiden Tower was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. The Administration of the State Historical-Architectural Reserve “Icherisheher” was the first administrative unit in Azerbaijan to join the Covenant of Mayors initiative.

Icherisheher developed a Baseline Emission Inventory and a Sustainable Energy Action Plan, and its main energy targets for 2020 are:

+20% 602t

To reduce 602t of CO2 before 2020 — which is above the required 20% reduction (558.8t)

car-free

To introduce a sustainable energy-saving system

To promote the town as a car-free town

Activities Representatives of the Administration attended workshops, seminars and training sessions organized by the Covenant of Mayors office and UNEP.

Workshops, seminars and training sessions

Energy Days Icherisheher held its first Energy Days on 26 and 27 June 2013. To raise public awareness about energy saving and to promote energy efficiency — especially among children and young people — the Administration organized sustainable energy day events. One of the main streets and one square were declared “car-free” zones, and young volunteers and residents were invited to take a trip in solar-energy-powered vehicles and bicycles.

car-free Residents were invited to take a trip in solarenergy-powered vehicles and bicycles

Energy efficiency project Icherisheher’s total electricity consumption by public street lights in the baseline year (2011) was 473,900 kWh. Replacing these lights by 600 LED bulbs is expected to save around 303,900 kWh per year, the annual equivalent of 271 tons of CO2, which would be equal to 48% of the 2020 target.

600 LED

271t reduction in CO2 emissions

Vinnytsia

Activities In cooperation with project partners and experts, the City Council drew up a Sustainable Energy Action Plan, which was adopted in June 2013.

-20,5% consumption

Vinnytsia’s main energy targets for 2020 are: • to reduce its energy consumption by 20.5% or 1,798 MWh/year • to improve the environment, including by reducing CO2 emissions by 571,432t or 23.64% • to improve the safety and economic sustainability of the energy supply.

They prepared a policy assessment for the plan and made a thorough analysis of the existing municipal, regional and national policies, plans, procedures and regulations relating to energy and climate.

Energy Days In November 2013, the City Council held a week of Energy Days to raise public awareness about energy saving and energy efficiency. The special events consisted of educational activities in schools and universities, a scientific conference and various exhibitions.

events To raise public awareness about energy saving and energy efficiency

Promotional materials included a newspaper, Energy efficiency city, brochures on the baseline emission inventory and the Sustainable Energy Action Plan, and two posters “Energy saving smiles” and “How to be energy efficient”.

Energy efficiency project 363 63t/year

363 obsolete wooden window frames were replaced

The demonstration project in School No. 25 was completed in August 2014: 363 obsolete wooden window frames were replaced with new double-chamber metal-plastic ones with energy-efficient coating. This is calculated to bring about net savings of around 248,077 kWh/year, or the equivalent of 63t/year of CO2.

Project partners The United Nations Environment Programme is the project coordinator. Project partners include UNEP Frankfurt School Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance and the municipalities of Balti, Icherisheher and Vinnytsia. The Institute of Urban Development of the Vinnytsia City Council is a project associate.

Want to learn more?

EU: WWW.COVENANTOFMAYORS.EU/INDEX_EN.HTML UNEP: WWW.UNEP.CH/ROE VINNYTSIA: WWW.VMR.GOV.UA/EN/DEFAULT.ASPX ICHERISHEHER: WWW.ICHERISHEHER.GOV.AZ/NEWS/LANG,EN/ BALTI: WWW.INVEST-BALTI.MD FRANKFURT SCHOOL: HTTP://FS-UNEP-CENTRE.ORG HTTP://EUROPA.EU/ The European Union is a unique economic and political partnership between 27 European countries. In 1957, the signature of the Treaties of Rome marked the will of the six founding countries to create a common economic space. Since then, first the Community and the European Union has continued to enlarge and welcome new countries as members. The Union has developed into huge single market with the euro as its common currency.

For more information, contact : Jimena Fernández UNEP Regional Office for Europe International Environment House 11-13 ch. des Anémones, 1219 Châtelaine Geneva, Switzerland T: + 41 22 917 86 44 F: +4122 917 8024 e-mail: jimena.fernandez@unep.org / roe@unep.ch www.unep.ch/roe

The information on this brochure was put together with the financial assistance of the European Union.

However, the views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.