New EU project on sustainable energy development launches in Polotsk

January 6, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA/. The international launch conference of the European Union project "SURE: Sustainable Energy Development in Cities of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument Region - on the Path to the Covenant of Mayors" will be held in Polotsk on January 18-19, the Polotsk City Executive Committee informed a BELTA correspondent. The project is being implemented within the framework of the EU program "CIUDAD: Cooperation and Dialogue in Urban Development" and brings together six partners from five countries: Germany, Spain, Belarus, Morocco, and France. The SURE project is designed for 2.5 years, with a budget of approximately 620 thousand euros. The leading partner of the project is the German city of Friedrichshafen, Polotsk's twin city. The new initiative aims to promote sustainable energy development in two cities - Polotsk and Salé (Morocco) by joining the Covenant of Mayors. Cities that join the Covenant of Mayors undertake to implement the EU strategy known as "20-20-20". The goal of this strategy is to achieve significant improvements in sustainable energy development by 2020: reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20%, increase the share of alternative energy sources to 20%, and improve energy efficiency by 20%. Currently, the heads of 2181 cities in Europe and EU neighboring countries have signed the Covenant of Mayors. It is planned that the city of Polotsk will become the first Belarusian participant in this agreement. The conference will be attended by representatives of regional and local authorities of Belarus, Morocco, Germany, and Spain, ministries and departments, the delegation of the European Commission in Belarus, as well as institutions, organizations, and experts working in the energy sector. During the conference, a round table will be held to discuss the sustainable energy development plan for Polotsk. The development and implementation of such a plan is a mandatory condition that all participants of the Covenant of Mayors must fulfill. Experts from the Spanish city of Murcia, one of the project partners that has already signed the Covenant of Mayors, will share their experience with the Belarusian participants. During the conference, the SURE project will be presented, and a discussion on sustainable energy planning in Belarusian cities will be held. -0-