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Polotsk organises day to encourage citizens to save energy

13-07-2012

As part of the European Sustainable Energy Week 2012 and with the contribution of the EU-funded CIUDAD project SURE, the city of Polotsk, in Belarus, organised its ‘Energy Days’ at the end of last month.

Several activities took place involving the public: contests for schools and families with five and more children, lessons on energy saving in school summer camps, open door days at city plants and an exhibition of energy efficient equipment and modern technologies in construction.

The event ended with an international conference entitled ‘From the Energy Efficient Building to the Energy Efficient City!’. At the conference, the City of Polotsk presented results from the SURE project, officially introduced a pilot installation of LED street lights in the main avenue of the city financed in the frame of SURE, and shared its experience of being the first Belarusian signatory of the Covenant of Mayors with cities from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The main aim of the SURE project is to encourage cooperation between ENPI-East and ENPI-South regions and to contribute to the sustainable development of energy in two cities – Polotsk in Belarus, and Salé in Morocco.

The Covenant of Mayors initiative was launched in 2008 as a priority for action at local and regional level within the EU Energy Efficiency Action Plan. It consists of the formal commitment by city councils to go beyond the EU objective of 20% reduction of CO2 emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy actions.

CIUDAD (Cooperation In Urban Development And Dialogue) is an EU-funded programme running from 2009 to 2012. It co-finances 21 local grant projects in the Neighbourhood's South and East. The projects reflect the overall objective of CIUDAD and in particular the following themes:

• Environmental Sustainability and Energy Efficiency

• Sustainable Economic development and reduction of social disparities and

• Good governance and sustainable urban development planning.

(EU Neighbourhood Info Centre)

Read more

Press release

European Sustainable Energy Week

CIUDAD – SURE fact sheet

CIUDAD – fiche and news

CIUDAD website

Covenant of Mayors – website

EU Neighbourhood Info Centre - Polotsk and Salé officially join the Covenant of Mayors