The results of the autumn school “Sustainable Energy and Climate: the EU experience for Ukraine”

From October 25 to 30, 2021, Sumy National Agrarian University together with Sumy City Council and PO Ekotop held an autumn school “Sustainable Energy and Climate: the EU experience for Ukraine”. The event was dedicated to the Days of Sustainable Energy and was organized with the assistance of the EU in the framework of the Erasmus + Jean Monnet Chair project “EU Climate Leadership” 620031-EPP-1-2020-1-UA-EPPJMO-CHAIR.

During the five working days of the autumn school, 18 speakers, the mayor of Sumy and representatives of the Sumy city council, as well as more than 70 participants from 22 cities of Ukraine joined it.

Each of the days of the autumn academy had its own theme and raised the most pressing aspects of climate change prevention, renewable energy, international climate policy, implementation of EU standards in Ukrainian legislation, adaptation of leading industries to climate change, community climate strategies for sustainable development, and others. .

Among the speakers of the autumn school were the best experts and scientists who are recognized not only nationally but also internationally. Among them, Ms. Svitlana Krakowska (member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Clima East National Expert) spoke in detail about the Sixth Report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and shared forecasts and expectations for the world in general and Ukraine in particular. Oleksandr Dyachuk (member of the working group on the development of the National Determined Contribution of Ukraine to the Paris Climate Agreement) spoke about the way to develop the National Determined Contribution of Ukraine and the significance of its approval for Ukraine. Oksana Kysil (climate and energy expert) spoke about the Covenant of Mayors, opportunities for accession and ways to fulfill obligations. Maryana Vynyarska (Director of the Legal Analytics Expert Advisory Center) spoke about Ukraine’s National Environmental Policy in the context of climate change and what to expect from the UN Conference in Glasgow 2021. Kateryna Markevych (Razumkov Centre’s Leading Expert on Economic and Social Programs) investing in a sustainable future in the world and in Ukraine on the example of the renewable energy sector. Lyudmyla Holovko (Associate Professor of International Law and Comparative Law, NULES of Ukraine) highlighted the main aspects of climate and energy policy and EU law. Oksana Aliyeva (expert of the Heinrich Böll Foundation) spoke about the importance of the energy transition to reduce emissions and achieve the goals of the European Green Course. Olga Gusakova (expert on adaptation to climate change of the PO Ekodia) emphasized the role of public organizations in the formation of climate policy and the transition to sustainable energy. Leading scientists of SNAU (Olena Melnyk, Victoria Sklyar, Igor Kovalenko, Maryna Sherstiuk) spoke about adaptation to climate change in agriculture, the need and ways to preserve biodiversity and the importance of improving the system of food waste management. Iryna Vaskina (head of the PO Ecotop) spoke about community climate strategies on the examples of the “greenest” European cities. Kateryna Gavrylova (Deputy Head of the Investment and External Partnership Department of the Finance Department of the Sumy City Council) spoke about the experience of implementing energy efficiency projects in Sumy.

Each of the reports provoked a lively discussion and a lot of interest from the audience.

Upon completion of the course, all participants received certificates.

The team of the autumn school is sincerely grateful to all participants of the event and hopes for further fruitful cooperation in combating climate change.