Introducing energy saving activities would help cope with scarce energy recourses and energy-dependency in Ukraine, as many experts agree. Moreover, energy-saving has been increasingly recognized as a global development issue. Considering all this, the participants in the workshops agreed to raise public awareness about energy-saving concerns among different groups of population in Ukraine, with youth being a key target group for this.
 

The workshops became possible due to exceptional cooperation between the two UNDP-led projects - "Municipal Governance and Sustainable Development Programme" and "Energy Efficiency in Education Sector", which helped train the teachers of the local schools for further introduction of teaching courses on energy saving, energy efficiency, climate change mitigation and principles of sustainable development.
 

The new course "Energy Saving and Climate Mitigation" was designed by UNDP supported project "Energy Efficiency in Education Sector", and its teaching is already introduced in many regions of Ukraine. Similar actions are taking place in 20 foreign countries within the global project "School Project for Application of Resources and Energy".
 

The workshops conducted by professional trainers Olena Melnykova and Leonid Firsov from Ecologic Club "Eremurus" included practical exercises on energy saving and alternative sources of energy. The participants learned how to assess heat, energy and water losses in private apartments and discussed the innovative practices to prevent them.
 

In addition, they were exposed to debate on acid rains, greenhouse effect, climate change and other environmental threats. Efficiency-aware teachers and students would also save energy in school premises which are highly ineffective and energy-consuming. As part of capacity development support, Ukrainian teachers received textbooks and methodic materials on introducing the course.

Introduction of the course in Novograd-Volynskiy and Dolyna is supported by the City Mayors' Decrees and the Orders of the Education Department of the municipalities. Local authorities fully support introduction of new course.
 

Mykola Borovets, Novograd-Volynskyi City Mayor determined introduction of complex energy-saving system as one of strategic development goals of the municipality.Speaking during the training sessions, Volodymyr Garazd, Dolyna City Mayor said: "A wide-ranging public information campaign has a vital part to play in implementing overall Strategy of Energy-saving in Dolyna. Therefore, the teachers of secondary schools compose a veryimportant target audience for such training. While children are the most effective information carriers, as they deliver it further to their parents. We are grateful to Municipal Governance and Sustinable Development Programme which supported our workshops".

These trainings constitute the first stage of inter-municipal cooperation initiative between Dolyna and Novograd-Volynskiy municipalities on energy saving and housing reform which is an experimental activity of UNDP/MGSDP in 2009. While pursuing inter-municipal cooperation, the municipalities of Dolyna and Novograd-Volynskiy will cooperate in information exchange in the areas of energy efficiency, rational use of natural resources, sustainable development, and housing sector reform.
 

It is planned the parties will work with managers of the associations of co-owners of multi-apartment buildings, municipal officials and community leaders in both municipalities through providing exposure to the best practices in the area of housing and energy saving.  The activity is implemented within the framework of a sub-project "Promoting Conditions of Participatory Governance and Development in Urban Areas- II", which is supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
 

UNDP/MGSDP was initiated in 2004 for promoting democratic governance to improve the living qualities of people in Ukraine's urban areas within the framework of community self-empowerment and public-private partnership. The Programme cooperates with local communities of citizens, academia, small businesses and civil society organizations in 22 municipalities across Ukraine and other partners in private and public sectors at the local level helping them implement sustainable development mechanisms. In 2008 alone, UNDP/MGSDP supported 28 local community projects with a total cost of UAH 3,092 mn.