On November 30, a remote meeting of the “Lithuanian Network of Green Municipalities” was held, where presentations on good practices in their municipalities were presented by Monika Kondratavičiūtė, Roberta Jakumienė and Inga Pračkailė, coordinators of Anykščiai, Plungė and Utena District Municipalities.

The nearest plans of the Lithuanian Green Municipalities Network were also discussed, Romualdas Petraitis, coordinator of the Lithuanian Network of Green Municipalities, told about the Smart City World Expo Forum, which took place on November 7-9 in Barcelona.

It is gratifying to announce that the “Network of Lithuanian Green Municipalities” is expanding and is developing ambitious plans for the future. Marijampolė municipality has recently joined the network, currently 24 municipalities are participating in the activities of Green Municipalities.

 

The Lithuanian Green Municipalities National Network established at the beginning of 2023 is expanding international cooperation. In September, the event organized by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania together with the Metropolitan Municipality of Istanbul creates unlimited opportunities for cooperation not only with the Municipality of Istanbul, but also with the Municipalities of the whole of Turkey. Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is preparing an important strategic document “Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan” for the fight against climate change. It is expected that the cooperation between climate and environmental experts of the Istanbul Municipality and the Lithuanian Green Municipalities National Network will contribute to achieving the goals of sustainability and climate neutrality.

On July, 2023, a cooperation agreement with the Smart City Expo World Congress was also signed, which opens up new opportunities to join the international network of green cities and municipalities. The Smart City Expo World Congress is the world’s largest and most influential urban innovation event. The Congress brings together leaders from the most innovative cities, governments and organizations to move cities toward a better future. While the challenges facing cities remain enormous, a new paradigm is changing urban planning: collaboration, ethical technology, the common good, sensitivity to the environment and human needs are at the center of the agendas of all cities striving for climate neutrality.

Smart City Expo 2023, which will take place in Barcelona from November 7-9, will be the largest event to date and will showcase to the world the smart solutions shaping this new era of smart and green cities – those that are currently helping cities thrive and create safer, greener and more efficient urban spaces. Deputy Director of the Lithuanian Energy Institute dr. Rolandas Urbonas and Romualdas Petraitis, Coordinator of the Lithuanian Green Municipalities National Network, have been invited to participate in the “Smart City Expo” world congress, where they will meet with the organizers of the congress and future partners who will participate in this congress.

On September 20th, a conference titled “Collaboration Between the Lithuanian Green Municipalities Network and Turkey” took place in the Seimas Constitution Hall. The conference was organized by the temporary parliamentary group “Green Municipalities – 2030” in collaboration with the Lithuanian Energy Institute. The event was attended by a delegation from Turkey, members of the Seimas (Lithuanian Parliament), coordinators of Green Municipalities, as well as representatives from the fields of science and business.

The Turkish delegation presented examples of best practices from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Other conference participants gave presentations on topics such as green cities, climate neutrality, quarterly renovations, new technologies, and digitization. Additionally, European Union projects and opportunities for municipalities to apply for funding were presented.

The Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality is developing a significant strategic document called the “Action Plan for Sustainable Energy and Climate.” It aims to combat climate change, and it is expected that cooperation between the Istanbul Municipality and the Lithuanian Green Municipalities National Network’s climate and environmental experts will contribute to achieving sustainability and climate neutrality goals.

News
No Comments

On May 8, 2023, during the conference “Green Transformation: Lithuania’s Municipalities’ Path to Climate Neutrality” held in the Seimas (the Lithuanian parliament), the National Network of Green Municipalities was introduced. Already, 15 Lithuanian municipalities have joined this network. According to its creators, the network will help turn the challenges of climate change and the green course set by the European Commission into opportunities. Furthermore, it will provide necessary information related to various European Union funding programs aimed at helping countries and their regions adapt to climate change and the new reality, where sustainability and green solutions are of particular importance.

On December 12, 2022, a debate was held in the Seimas where representatives from municipalities, businesses, and scientific partners shared their experiences and discussed the most effective ways to accelerate the green transformation at the local government level. At the event, the first signatures were placed on the Green Municipalities Initiative Memorandum, which is expected to contribute to the implementation of Lithuania’s climate change mitigation strategy. The aim is to ensure that by 2030 we have as many green municipalities as possible in Lithuania.