LINK

Project overview:

Organization: Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)
Geographical coverage: Ukraine

LINK supported participatory local governance, energy security and resource-efficient development in Ukraine. Implemented by the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC) with funding from the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, the project brought together municipal authorities, civil society organisations, businesses and citizens to address local environmental and energy challenges. Its three complementary components combined local environmental and energy security planning, civil society capacity building and cooperation grants, and environmental education through a multimedia Citizens Pack. Working with partner municipalities, LINK aimed to translate community priorities into practical actions and investment opportunities while strengthening public participation, transparency and local ownership. The initiative formed part of REC’s wider framework programme for strengthening local environmental planning and environmental civil society in Ukraine.

My contribution:

As Project Director at the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), provided strategic direction and oversight for LINK’s implementation in Ukraine. Guided the integration of local energy security planning, civil society support and environmental education into a coordinated approach to sustainable municipal development. Supported cooperation between the project team, municipal authorities and other stakeholders, with emphasis on participatory planning, institutional commitment and the identification of local environmental and energy investment priorities. Connected LINK’s activities with REC’s broader Framework Programme for Ukraine, for which I also served as Framework Programme Director.

Selected results:

• Contributed to the development of REC’s Framework Programme “Strengthening Local Environmental Planning and Environmental Civil Society in Ukraine”, connecting municipal planning and investment preparation with civil society support, environmental education and public awareness.

• Helped define the Local Energy Security Planning approach, linking energy demand and supply with urban planning, transport, waste and water management, stakeholder participation and investment preparation.

• Supported the formalisation of municipal cooperation through Memoranda of Understanding signed with Cherkasy, Ivano-Frankivsk and Lubny, while advancing cooperation arrangements with Poltava and Berdychiv.

• Supported structured follow-up with all five partner municipalities during the January 2016 mission, securing renewed commitments from local administrations and agreement on next steps for planning, coordination, training and pilot project preparation.