European and Ukrainian cities have taken an important step on their shared path to climate neutrality. Last week, they gathered in Munich to launch the EU-funded SUN4Ukraine project’s ground-breaking partnership programme.
As Russia’s full-scale war continues, city governments in Ukraine are dealing with enormous challenges while also planning reconstruction that looks to a better future. This means rethinking urban planning and laying the foundations for a sustainable future.
From their side, European cities stand ready to share their experience and support this work. This joint commitment to a green, European future was at the heart of SUN4Ukraine’s first partnership meeting.
The focus of the project’s two-day launch meeting was clear: bring Ukrainian Municipalities and European Mission Cities together to agree how they will work together, what they will learn from each other, and how climate neutrality can guide Ukraine’s recovery. At the centre of this new phase of cooperation stands SUN4Ukraine.
What is SUN4Ukraine?
SUN4Ukraine is a four-year EU-funded project, involving Eurocities as a partner, that pairs twelve Ukrainian Flagship Municipalities with European cities that are part of the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Its aim is to link reconstruction with long-term climate goals, through direct city-to-city partnerships.
These partnerships bring together cities such as Kyiv and Leipzig, Mykolaiv and Barcelona, Chernihiv and Amsterdam, and Vinnytsia and Dijon Metropole. Each pairing reflects a match in needs and strengths: similar urban challenges, shared climate priorities, or existing ties that can be deepened.
We are saying that Ukraine’s place is in a peaceful, democratic and sustainable Europe
The Munich meeting was the moment when these relationships moved from concept to practice, and when city leaders started to shape concrete roadmaps for climate-neutral recovery together.
Speaking at the event, André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities, stated: “By supporting Ukrainian municipalities and their climate neutral recovery, we are investing in the future of an EU member state. We are saying that Ukraine’s place is in a peaceful, democratic and sustainable Europe, built from the local level upwards.”
From mission label to shared responsibility
The International and European Affairs committee meeting of Munich City Council, hosted by Dominik Krause, Deputy Mayor of Munich, welcomed representatives from Ukrainian Flagship Municipalities, Mission Cities, the European Commission and project partners.
Ahead of the event, the city of Munich was officially awarded the Mission Label by the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, recognising the city’s commitment to reaching climate neutrality by 2035.
Christine Kugler, Head of Climate and Environmental Protection for Munich, made it clear that the Mission Label is not a finish line but a starting point. She stressed that the city must now share its experience with others, including its Ukrainian partners.
“Ukrainian municipalities are pursuing climate neutrality under exceptionally challenging conditions,” stated Kugler. “Their commitment sends a strong signal. Our role is to support them in a spirit of partnership, through exchange, shared experiences, and mutual learning.
Participating in SUN4Ukraine means contributing our experience...and gaining new perspectives ourselves
“For Munich, participating in SUN4Ukraine means contributing our experience from the mission, strengthening our European networks, and gaining new perspectives ourselves.”
A partnership of equals
At the committee meeting, local leaders from the project’s Ukrainian municipalities explained the realities of governing their cities while under constant threat of bombardment.
They shared their experiences of keeping services running, repairing energy and water systems, and planning for reconstruction that looks to a free, prosperous and climate-neutral future, not only to the next emergency.
“War not only damages infrastructure,” said Vladyslav Skalskyy, Vice Mayor of Vinnytsia. “It burns forests, disrupts river systems, contaminates soil, destroys habitats, and creates risks that will remain long after the violence ends. This is why, in Vinnytsia, we made a strategic decision. We cannot pause our climate work. Not for a month. Not for a week. Not even for a day.”
Supporting this position, Natalia Kholchenkova, City of Chernihiv, stated: “The future of Europe is being built right now.” She continued: “We all have a choice, to remain observers or to become creators of it. But all of us dream of a bright and peaceful tomorrow in a strong and prosperous Europe. And together we can achieve it, through resilience, dedication and solidarity.”
While commending European cities’ support for the people of Ukraine, André Sobczak warned that local governments cannot shoulder this effort alone and need strong backing from the national and EU level.
“We need structured funding for Ukraine’s recovery and a framework that recognises municipalities as key partners in designing and delivering that support,” he explained.
Solidarity in practice
Munich’s historic Rathaus was the setting for the official launch of the Partnership Programme. Patrick Child, Mission Manager and Deputy Director-General for Environment at the European Commission, opened the launch event with a clear message: “In these difficult times, we stand with Ukraine and its cities.”
The future of Europe is being built right now
He praised Ukrainian municipalities for their resilience, determination and ambition to embed climate goals in their reconstruction plans, calling their vision for green and sustainable cities “an inspiration to all of us.”
He also thanked European Mission Cities for stepping up as partners, stressing that they have “a lot to offer, but also a lot to gain” from the programme, especially on resilience, innovation and crisis management.
Echoing these words, Laura Hetel, from the Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission team at the European Commission, added: “Four years into the implementation of the EU Cities Mission, we know that cities learn best from other cities. Paired learning often fuels the strongest and fastest urban innovation.”
A two-way street
This spirit of mutual learning ran through the discussions that followed. The panel ‘Bridging Green Futures: EU Urban Innovation Meets Ukrainian Resilience’ underlined that SUN4Ukraine is designed as a two-way street.
Mission Cities will share experience on climate mitigation and adaptation, clean energy and transport, climate finance, citizen participation and urban planning.
In these difficult times, we stand with Ukraine and its cities
Ukrainian municipalities will also bring hard-earned expertise in crisis management, protecting vulnerable people and keeping local democracy functioning under extreme pressure.
As André Sobczak emphasised: “Ukrainian cities bring unique knowledge from managing an ongoing war: keeping essential services functioning, protecting the most vulnerable, and sustaining local democracy under extreme conditions. European Mission Cities have much to learn from that. SUN4Ukraine is designed as a two-way street, a partnership between equals.”
From conversation to concrete roadmaps
During the meeting, each Ukrainian Flagship Municipality met with its Mission City partner to start shaping a shared learning roadmap. City pairs worked through their climate challenges and priorities, including key sectors for climate neutrality planning, such as buildings, mobility, energy and urban development.
For some partnerships, discussions centred on how to rebuild housing and critical infrastructure in a way that is both energy efficient and affordable. For others, the priority was how to structure a Climate Neutrality Plan or Climate City Contract, or how to engage residents and businesses in decisions about climate investments.
By the end of the day, each pairing had drafted a first version of its roadmap, ambitious but realistic, rooted in local needs and co-owned by both cities. What emerged was not a box-ticking exercise but a clear foundation for two years of structured cooperation and continuous learning.
The programme will now continue with a series of online sessions and study visits by Ukrainian municipalities to their Mission City partners.
For the Ukrainian municipalities and Mission Cities that gathered in Munich, the results and goals were clear. Each city left with a clearer sense of purpose, new contacts and a shared commitment to show that even in wartime, it is possible to rebuild for a climate-neutral, democratic European future.
As Vladyslav Skalskyy, Vice Mayor of Vinnytsia, made clear: “For us, sustainable development is not an optional direction. It is our recovery model.”
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Gathering 13 partners from 10 countries, SUN4Ukraine is coordinated by Eurocities, the largest network of European cities, with over 200 large cities among their membership, representing more than 150 million people across 38 countries, from within and outside the European Union. SUN4Ukraine builds upon the expertise of its partners, leveraging their extensive experience and network across the EU and Ukraine. Learn more about the EU-funded SUN4Ukraine project.
