How can cities accelerate the climate transition while facing very different local realities? For the Flagship Municipality Vinnytsia and the EU Mission City Dijon, the answer lies in learning directly from one another.
From 22-26 June 2026, representatives from Vinnytsia travelled to Dijon as part of the SUN4Ukraine Partnership Programme. The study visit brought together municipal leaders, technical experts and communication professionals for a week of exchanges focused on climate neutrality, energy resilience and urban adaptation.
Organised alongside the Assises européennes de la transition énergétique (AETE) and the closing event of the RESPONSE project, the visit combined thematic workshops, site visits, conference sessions and high-level meetings. More importantly, it demonstrated the value of city-to-city cooperation as a way to move beyond sharing ideas towards identifying practical solutions that can be adapted to local contexts.
 AETE conference |  Networking dinner |
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Learning from experience
A key moment of the visit was a series of dedicated bilateral working sessions between the two cities.
The first focused on urban heat islands and climate adaptation. Experts from Dijon Métropole and Université Bourgogne Europe presented MUSTARDijon, the city's urban climate observatory, which has been collecting detailed meteorological data since 2014 through a network of 92 weather stations. The discussion explored how long-term monitoring supports evidence-based urban planning, helping the city identify priority areas for greening, reducing sealed surfaces and improving thermal comfort in public spaces.
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Bilateral working sessions between Dijon and Vinnytsia representatives
Later in the week, a second workshop examined Dijon Métropole's governance approach to climate and biodiversity. Discussions covered how metropolitan coordination, climate planning and energy data can support the transition while creating frameworks that can be adapted by other cities.
These sessions were not one-way presentations. Throughout the exchanges, Vinnytsia's delegation shared its own experience of maintaining and transforming local energy systems during wartime. The city's work on decentralised renewable energy, developed in response to attacks on critical infrastructure, offered valuable perspectives on energy security and resilience that resonated with European counterparts.
Climate transition in practice
Beyond the different meetings, Vinnytsia’s delegation explored how Dijon is putting climate neutrality into action.
Site visits included the Fontaine d'Ouche positive energy district, developed through the RESPONSE project, where participants saw first-hand how renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings and integrated neighbourhood planning contribute to lower emissions.
The delegation also attended numerous sessions during the AETE conference, covering topics such as energy renovation of residential buildings, collective self-consumption, low-tech and smart city solutions, energy geopolitics and financing the energy transition. Mayor Serhii Morhunov contributed to the discussions during a plenary session on European energy solidarity, highlighting the importance of continued cooperation between Ukrainian and European cities.
Plenary session at the AETE conference
The week concluded with the RESPONSE project's final event, showcasing six years of experience in developing positive energy districts in Dijon and Turku and exploring how these approaches can be replicated elsewhere.
Strengthening European cooperation
The visit also provided opportunities for dialogue with European institutions and city leaders.
Vinnytsia's delegation met with representatives of the EU Mission Cities initiative, including Patrick Child, Deputy Director-General at the European Commission and Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission Manager, to discuss the city's climate transition ambitions and the role of the SUN4Ukraine Partnership Programme.
Vinnytsia Mayor Morhunov and the Cities Mission Manager Patrick Child
During the meeting, Mayor Morhunov presented the challenges Vinnytsia faces following the destruction of energy infrastructure, alongside the city's deployment of decentralised solar energy systems, including installations on public buildings. Discussions highlighted Vinnytsia's ambition not only to rebuild, but also to become a living laboratory for innovative approaches to urban energy resilience.
Throughout the week, the delegation also met with Dijon Mayor Nathalie Koenders, exchanged with François Rebsamen, President of Dijon Métropole, and took part in an official reception hosted by the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regional Council. The visit also marked the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Dijon University Hospital (CHU Dijon Bourgogne) and a hospital in Vinnytsia, further strengthening cooperation between the two cities.
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Official reception hosted by the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regional Council
Building the next phase of the partnership
The study visit helped both cities identify priority themes for continued cooperation. Future exchanges will focus on urban heat island monitoring and climate adaptation, positive energy districts and energy sovereignty, river and water management, and climate governance models that can support Vinnytsia's Climate Neutrality Plan.
These discussions will continue through dedicated online peer-learning sessions, allowing both cities to further explore how successful approaches can be adapted to different local contexts.
More broadly, the site visit illustrated the strength of the SUN4Ukraine Partnership Programme. By connecting Ukrainian Flagship Municipalities with EU Mission Cities, the programme creates opportunities for mutual learning built on real-world experience. European cities share proven approaches to climate neutrality, while Ukrainian municipalities contribute unique expertise in resilience, energy security and reconstruction under extraordinary circumstances.
Example of a live graphic recording created during the conference by Louise Plantin