The goal of Kyiv is to create a Green City Action Plan, which will provide for the ecological needs of the capital and comfortable life for the residents of the metropolis. The mayor of Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko stated this during the annual conference of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development "Green Cities" in 2021, which took place online.

"Kyiv today is a dynamically and successfully developing city and setting an example for the whole country. And a large number of enterprises are concentrated in the capital. People come here to work and live. They go because Kyiv has the highest living standards and social infrastructure. Also, more than half a million people come to Kyiv every day from neighbouring cities and towns to work. It is clear that due to the heavy traffic in the city we have environmental problems. In particular, air pollution from emissions from vehicles and industrial enterprises and waste management. And we are doing a lot to improve the situation. Kyiv introduces modern air purification technologies to enterprises. We are looking for new opportunities to provide the metropolis with ecological transport", - said Vitaliy Klitschko.

He noted that the city authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that the city's socio-economic development takes into account environmental safety and reduces the negative impact on the environment. As provided by the Kyiv City Development Strategy until 2025.

"In 2019, our city joined the progressive program of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development "Green Cities". We became 21 participants in this program. Our goal is to create a "Green City" Action Plan, which will provide the environmental needs of the capital and comfortable life for the residents of the metropolis. And also - to implement projects for the development of transport infrastructure and modernization of the district heating system of the city", - said Vitaliy Klitschko.

He noted that today the process of developing the plan together with foreign experts is underway. In particular, it is a report on external conditions; a technical assessment report; a report on the vision, strategic goals, and activities of the Green City Action Plan; conducting a strategic environmental assessment.

This work will help the city make important infrastructure projects more balanced and environmentally friendly and thus reduce the negative impact on the environment.

"We have successful cooperation with the EBRD. And we really appreciate that. In March 2019, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Kyiv City State Administration and the EBRD on the EBRD's Green Cities program. And we plan to implement several large projects. For example - an important project "Modernization of urban transport" - for 180 million euros. Which, in particular, will help us to upgrade the rolling stock of municipal transport enterprises", - Vitaliy Klitschko said.

Another major project is the modernization of the capital's district heating system, which provides for a loan of up to 140 million euros to Municipal Enterprise "Kyivteploenerho" under the guarantee of the Kyiv City Council. And the capital's heating system is one of the largest in Europe. And 80% of this infrastructure is extremely outdated because no investment has been made in it for decades.

"We need to modernize this system, update it, introduce the latest technologies in its management. I thank our partners for their help and support. And I want to emphasize once again: Kyiv is a reliable partner for cooperation. And we look forward to successful cooperation with the EBRD", - Vitaliy Klitschko stressed.

Source: https://kyivcity.gov.ua/news