Berlin Economics had the opportunity to take part on a panel at the Cooperation Dialogue: Forum for Energy and Climate Partnerships, an official side event of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2024.

The panel on Ukraine focused on financing the green energy transition amidst the ongoing war and beyond, especially within the context of the upcoming Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 which will take place in June in Berlin. The panel explored current strategies and approaches for financing sustainable reconstruction efforts and the transition to a more decentralized energy supply, as well as technical approaches and enablers for a more energy-efficient reconstruction. The event brought together decision-makers and leading experts from politics, financial institutions, business, and international cooperation actors to share their views on applicable solutions that would pave the way for a more sustainable and resilient energy supply in Ukraine.

Pavel Bilek, Deputy Team Leader Energy & Climate Policy, participated on behalf of Berlin Economics, with his contributing focusing primarily on the soon to-be-published study on the Green Reconstruction of the Residential sector of Bucha, where he emphasized:

1. The integration of EU Standards and the significance of integrating the principles of “Build Back Better” into reconstruction efforts, focusing especially on the necessary regulatory reforms and converging to EU standards to unlock the greatest benefits from energy efficiency.
2. Securing investments, highlighting the key challenge of how Ukrainian municipalities can secure the necessary investments for residential reconstruction projects, as well as pathways to enable funding the estimated costs and reducing potential payback periods.
3. The role of international assistance and private investments, underscoring the crucial role that international donors and the private sector play in supporting large-scale energy efficiency upgrades in Ukrainian cities.
4. The policy reforms needed to attract and facilitate these investments effectively and to create a broader ecosystem for energy efficiency in Ukraine’s residential sector, including energy market liberalisation and ensuring adequate social compensation mechanisms are in place.