U_CAN contributed to high-level discussions on climate governance and energy security at CEEC 2025

The Central European Energy Conference (CEEC) 2025, held from 25 to 27 November 2025 in Bratislava, Slovakia, brought together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to address the evolving challenges of energy security and decarbonisation in Central Europe within a rapidly changing geopolitical context.

The conference, organised by the Slovak Foreign Policy Association, a member of the U_CAN project consortium, provided a strategic platform for dialogue on resilient and sustainable energy systems. Within this framework, the U_CAN project actively contributed to the programme, ensuring that the perspectives and experiences of Ukrainian cities transitioning towards climate neutrality were integrated into high-level European discussions.

U_CAN’s Role at CEEC 2025

U_CAN representatives participated in multiple sessions, sharing research-based insights and practical municipal experience related to climate governance, citizen participation, and circular urban development. The project’s contribution focused on supporting cities in moving from recovery planning towards the implementation of long-term, resilient, and climate-neutral urban strategies, aligned with the European Green Deal.

A central contribution was Parallel Roundtable Discussion IV: “Climate governance and citizen participation and sustainable cities of the future”, which was chaired by Shanmathi Rajkumar (Technische Universität Dresden), U_CAN project coordinator. The roundtable addressed practical governance challenges faced by cities, including:

• Integrating climate objectives into urban master planning

• Transforming energy, transport, and waste systems

• Ensuring meaningful and feasible citizen participation in climate decision-making

  
  

The session featured contributions from key U_CAN partners, including Prof. Stefan Zaichenko (Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute), Anders Branth Pedersen (Aarhus University), Borys Pakholiuk (Zhytomyr City Development Agency), and Yurii Polianskyi (City Institute Lviv). Together, they highlighted how institutional capacity, transparency, and adaptive participation approaches are critical for effective climate governance, particularly in crisis-affected and rapidly changing contexts.

In addition, U_CAN partners from Joanneum Research contributed to Parallel Roundtable VI: “Municipal and regional strategies for a circular future”, further reinforcing the project’s interdisciplinary approach to sustainable urban transitions. Both roundtables were designed as interactive, workshop-style dialogues, enabling peer learning, exchange of best practices, and co-creation of policy-relevant insights. Ukrainian-language interpretation was provided to ensure inclusive participation.

Through its engagement at CEEC 2025, U_CAN strengthened links between European research, municipal practice, and policy dialogue, contributing evidence and lessons relevant to climate-neutral city development in both EU member states and Ukraine.

U_CAN thanks the Slovak Foreign Policy Association for hosting the conference and for providing a valuable platform to advance dialogue on climate governance, energy security, and sustainable urban futures in Europe.