The future directions of urban green energy are discussed in Tallinn

The challenges and solutions of Tallinn and other European cities' energy sectors will be discussed today at the seminar "Empowering Cities: Accelerating the Green Energy Transition" organized by the European Green Capital and the Covenant of Mayors Europe.

The keynote speaker of the event is Kadri Simson, the European Commissioner for Energy. According to her, the majority of the produced energy is consumed in cities, and therefore cities and their residents play a central role in the green transition. "Collaboration between cities, countries, and the European Commission helped us achieve significant gas savings last year, and only together will we achieve our 2030 and 2050 goals. We cannot change our history and location, but we can change the way we produce and consume energy," she concluded.

The event’s opening speech will be by the Mayor of Tallinn, Mihhail Kõlvart. "Energy-efficient management has been Tallinn's goal for years. From 2011 to 2021, we focused on a greenhouse gas mitigation program, and since 2021, our aim has been to achieve climate neutrality in the city," said the Mayor of Tallinn Mihhail Kõlvart. "Compared to fifteen years ago, the volume of greenhouse gas emissions in Tallinn has decreased by 26%. This has been achieved through modern residential construction and the renovation program for old apartment buildings. In addition, AS Utilitas Tallinna Soojus is developing a technical solution for using waste heat from the city's wastewater and is installing a cooling system for buildings for the first time," added the Mayor.

The focus of the event is to accelerate the transition to renewable energy in urban areas. Discussions will cover Tallinn's energy sector challenges and solutions, there will be discussions of what are the best innovative solutions for sustainable cities and how to create them.

The panels will also feature Markku Markkula, Vice Chairman of the European Comittee of Regions, Anni Sinnemäki the Deputy Mayor of Helsinki, Professor Jarek Kurnitski the Director of the Civil Engineering and Architecture Department in Tallinn University of Technology, and other panelists, who can be found here: greentallinn.eu/empowering-cities

The event "Empowering Cities: Accelerating the Green Energy Transition" is organized by Tallinn European Green Capital 2023 and the Covenant of Mayors Europe.