The State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Danish Energy Agency, held a seminar on the topic: “Voluntary Agreements – the basis for the effective functioning of the mechanism for state support in implementing energy efficiency measures.” The event was organized as part of the Ukraine-Denmark Energy Partnership Program (UDEPP).

The seminar brought together experts from various fields: representatives of central and local authorities, leaders of public and private sectors, and trusted partners from the Kingdom of Denmark.

Anna Zamazeeva, Head of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency, emphasized the significant step of establishing the Ukrainian Decarbonization Fund, a joint-stock company, which in 2024 became an effective tool for supporting energy efficiency and decarbonization projects. Olesya Mishchenko, Head of the Decarbonization Fund, provided details about its operations.

“The Fund operates on the European principle of ‘the polluter pays’ and is already showing results. In its first months, six projects were financed for a total of over 21 million UAH. One key criterion for obtaining state financial assistance through the Fund is the signing of ‘voluntary agreements.’ This is an essential tool based on mutually beneficial cooperation. It is not strict regulation but rather an incentive for enterprises to reduce energy consumption in exchange for state support,” noted Olesya Mishchenko.

The mechanism of voluntary agreements has been successfully used by EU member states (and beyond) for over 40 years. In Ukraine, attempts to implement it began in 2014, but a full launch was achieved only recently. This mechanism aims to foster a partnership between the state and businesses to achieve shared goals in energy efficiency, decarbonization, and CO2 emissions reduction.

During the seminar, Karsten Glenting, Head of the Social Economy and Financing Department and Partner at Viegand Maagøe (Denmark), shared Denmark’s experience in implementing and operating the voluntary agreements mechanism.

Serhii Kovalenko, Head of the Legal Department at the State Agency on Energy Efficiency, presented templates for voluntary agreements developed to provide state support for energy efficiency measures through the State Decarbonization and Energy Efficiency Transformation Fund.

Additionally, Volodymyr Lebedev, an expert from the “Cogen Ukraine” association, discussed the implementation of voluntary agreements in Ukraine as part of state support for energy efficiency measures within the operation of the Decarbonization and Energy Efficient Transformation Fund.
In conclusion, Pernille Hagedorn-Rasmussen, Senior Advisor at the Danish Energy Agency (DEA), highlighted the importance of international partnerships and experience-sharing, which enable the implementation of advanced European practices in the field of decarbonization.

The event was not just a meeting but a platform for open and constructive dialogue, where every participant directed their efforts toward accelerating Ukraine’s energy efficienct transformation.