U_CAN facilitates a practical bottom-up approach with Ukrainian cities towards climate neutrality.

Following the European standards and the European Green Deal (EGD), the project starts with a core group of 8 Ukrainian cities, Dresden as a CNSC Mission City, NGOs and research institutions. This networking and co-creation process addresses the current challenges of the Ukrainian cities and their key sectors. Within 42 months, the CNSC-UA twinning partners exchange experiences with further network municipalities throughout the country, adapting to European climate standards with experts like DIN and transitioning together. The core stakeholders work closely with their city administration in building capacities in the key sectors identified.

In light of the war, co-creation and Citizen Science augmented training activities ensure an effective, value-based and needs-oriented approach. Communication and dissemination by EU partners near the UA borders enable – besides an online platform – the personal exchange of experiences with the CNSC twin cities. This step-by-step synergy building and facilitation includes vision workshops, roadmapping and stakeholder cocreation to twin European and Ukrainian cities. This leads to use case development in each pilot city supporting pilot implementation of measures for climate mitigation and adaptation. This is combined with an extensive plan for dissemination, exploitation and communication led by European and Ukrainian umbrella organisations, standardisation initiatives, and local and national representatives. These efforts are assisted through functioning and already working city partnerships, seamlessly integrating the Ukrainian Cities into the vision of the EGD. The given diversity in geopolitical characteristics ensures the involvement of all relevant sectors and the equal distribution of support, ranging from smaller cities to the Ukrainian capital and most important lighthouse City Kyiv.