Kovel Opens Green Economy Hub to Support Energy Resilience
Kovel launches a Green Economy Hub with Slovak and UNDP support to train residents and businesses in energy-saving practices and showcase pilots.
The story in focus
Kovel, Volyn Oblast, opened a Green Economy Hub on 5 October 2026, supported by Slovakia and UNDP. The hub will provide training, information and a demonstration zone for energy-efficient solutions, helping residents, businesses and public staff reduce utility costs and environmental impacts.
- The hub is part of the City Experiment Fund, supported by Slovakia's Ministry of Finance and implemented by UNDP.
- It will serve as an information centre, training facility, partnership platform and demonstration zone for energy-efficient pilots.
- The hub is the second in Ukraine under the CEF project, following one in Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast.
A shared space for sustainable innovation
Residents, local authorities, civil society and businesses in Kovel now have a shared home for sustainable innovation with the launch of the Green Economy Hub. The initiative is part of the City Experiment Fund, a project supported by the Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic and implemented by UNDP, which brings cities together to test innovative solutions for green and digital transitions.
The hub forms a key element of Kovel's sustainable transformation mission, described as securing sustainable energy for the city. It will act as an information centre, practical training facility, communication platform for partnership events and demonstration zone for energy-efficient pilots.
Practical training for energy savings
The hub aims to equip city residents, including homeowners' association leaders, entrepreneurs and public sector staff, with knowledge and skills to adopt energy-saving practices, reduce utility costs and lessen environmental impacts. During the opening, attendees toured the facility and visited a local lyceum that has undergone energy modernisation, where further innovative solutions will be rolled out with CEF support.
Speaking at the ceremony, First Deputy Mayor Taras Yakovliev called the hub a key element for supporting digital and green transitions. Michaela Kukučková of the Slovak Embassy said the initiative is a practical step toward energy independence and resilience, while UNDP's Mustafa Sait-Ametov emphasised cross-sectoral collaboration.
Second hub in Ukraine
The Kovel hub is the second such facility established in Ukraine under the CEF project, following the launch of the first in Nizhyn, Chernihiv Oblast.
What support does the Green Economy Hub offer to Kovel residents?
The hub provides information, practical training and a demonstration zone for energy-efficient solutions, helping residents, including homeowners' association leaders, entrepreneurs and public staff, adopt energy-saving practices, reduce utility costs and lessen environmental impacts.
Sources & further reading
- Green Economy Hub Opens in Kovel, Volyn Oblast, with Support from Slovakia and UNDP - Innovation for Development ↗innovation.eurasia.undp.org
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