The Sustainable Urban Net Zero Network for Ukraine – SUN4Ukraine

Demos Helsinki is one of the partners in the Sustainable Urban Net Zero Network for Ukraine (SUN4Ukraine). Launched in May 2024 under the EU Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission and funded under Horizon Europe, the project supports Ukrainian municipalities in their pursuit of climate neutrality amidst rebuilding efforts. Together with leading EU and Ukrainian partners, including city networks, research organisations and urban stakeholders, Demos Helsinki supports this project by providing arenas for sharing knowledge and testing new methods for engaging citizens and other stakeholders in these processes.

Following the severe disruptions to everyday life brought by Russia’s war of aggression, SUN4Ukraine promotes systemic and efficient recovery for Ukrainian municipalities. Specifically, SUN4Ukraine focuses on aligning Ukraine’s Recovery Plans with ambitious climate neutrality goals while also engaging citizens and stakeholders to help achieve these goals.

12 Ukrainian Flagship Municipalities have been chosen to pilot the journey of transformative re-building: Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Dnipro, Kalush, Kharkiv, Konotop, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Novovolynsk, Pervomaisk, Vinnytsia and Zviahel. SUN4Ukraine will work together with these municipalities and support them in setting achievable climate goals, identifying funding options, and fostering structured policy dialogue across multiple levels of governance. The support will be tailored to the needs of each municipality while considering national circumstances, especially the recovery challenges posed by the ongoing war.

In the next phase, the Flagship Municipalities will partner with the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities (EU Cities Mission), transitioning them from knowledge exchange to concrete action. As a partner in NetZeroCities (the platform facilitating the work of the EU Cities Mission), Demos Helsinki will contribute to this two-way learning.

SUN4Ukraine will invite all Ukrainian municipalities that have applied to partake in this project to join the Ukrainian Cities Climate Hub; where the goal is to exchange ideas, share knowledge and promote best practices for Ukraine’s recovery and sustainability. In this way, SUN4Ukraine supports Ukraine’s climate transition and contributes to Europe’s broader ambition of becoming the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

For more information, please contact:
Kari Jalonen