EIT Climate-KIC supports Rivne's ambitious climate neutrality goals amidst wartime challenges

RIVNE, UKRAINE, August 22, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- EIT Climate-KIC, the EU's leading climate innovation agency and community, supports Rivne, Ukraine, in its goal to reach climate neutrality despite the challenges of the Russian invasion.

Rivne is one of 112 cities participating in the EU Mission project NetZeroCities, led by EIT Climate-KIC. Any city on the path to carbon neutrality encounters numerous challenges, including political and institutional barriers, technological and innovation gaps, infrastructure issues, financial and human resources constraints, and a lack of comprehensive data. With the war still raging in Ukraine, Rivne faces these challenges on an exponential scale.

Rivne's leaders aim to become sustainability role models, inspiring others in Ukraine and beyond. Apart from the need to break free from Russian energy dependency, Rivne's climate neutrality efforts exemplify Ukraine’s ambition to reduce its carbon footprint and align with European policies as Ukraine is starting its journey towards EU membership.

“The full-scale invasion uncovered numerous unresolved problems, including energy dependence on the state aggressor. Our energy system was connected to Russia and Belarus. Now it is not. Our gas transportation remains connected, but we no longer purchase gas from them. Using natural gas imported from Russia has always been a significant problem for Ukraine. Therefore, now is the proper time to implement technologies that will make us energy-independent from Russia and allow us to save,” says Artem Hanuschak, Deputy Mayor of Rivne.

The NetZeroCities programme gives Rivne the support it needs to address these challenges. The city is working on a ‘Municipal Energy Passport’ to improve its energy management system, they opened a local branch of the National Decarbonisation Centre to gather information on regional projects for energy efficiency. Rivne is also tackling its shortage of skilled professionals, mobilised for the war, by training building managers, public institutions, and students on renewable energy usage and energy efficiency measures.

The Reuters VISION 2045 Campaign, which showcases organisations driving systemic change, highlights this unique partnership. The VISION 2045 documentary features interviews with EIT Climate-KIC CEO Kirsten Dunlop, NetZeroCities Director Thomas Osdoba, Rivne Deputy Mayor Artem Hanuschak, and Andrii Podlevsky of the University of Rivne. The film demonstrates how EIT Climate-KIC's initiatives contribute to bridging the gap between ambitious climate commitments and the current reality, and how cities can build hope and ambition even under the toughest of conditions.

EIT Climate-KIC’s CEO, Kirsten Dunlop, says: “The courage to try creates the possibility for achieving something positive because it builds hope, creates precedent, gives people examples, and opens doors. Our work is to create a space where the suspension of disbelief is irresistible, becoming contagious, and inspiring people to try new things, take hope, courage, and joy from that.”

Watch Our Vision 2045 Campaign Here

About EIT Climate-KIC
EIT Climate-KIC is Europe’s leading climate innovation agency and community, using a systems approach to shape innovation to support cities, regions, countries and industries to meet their climate ambitions. Together with partners across the globe, EIT Climate-KIC acts to bridge the gap between climate commitments and current reality by enabling decision-makers and investors to act. They find and implement solutions in integrated ways and mobilise finance. They build skills to accelerate learning and explore innovation, opening pathways to shift mindsets and behaviours. Through radical collaboration, EIT Climate-KIC orchestrates large-scale demonstrations that show what is possible when cycles of innovation and learning are deliberately designed to trigger exponential decarbonisation and build resilient communities.

Lemia El Basri
Acumen Media
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EIT Climate-KIC in Vision 2045 | Rivne's Ambition For A Brighter Future