Integrating Social Perspectives into Energy Efficiency: New Tools and Opportunities for Municipalities

Olha Chepeliuk, Advisor of the project "Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive in Ukraine (FEER)"

Today, the issue of energy efficiency in communities is no longer limited to technical solutions or resource savings – the human dimension has become more important than ever. Integrating this approach into local planning allows to identify the real needs of residents and make informed decisions, especially in the context of reconstruction. This approach aligns with Ukraine's EU integration commitments. At the same time, war has significantly complicated data collection and work with vulnerable groups, requiring communities to develop new analytical capacities and seek support in implementing modern tools.

1. Gender Equality as a Requirement for Ukraine’s EU Accession

Integrating this approach into municipal energy efficiency policy is a crucial component of Ukraine's path to EU integration. It aligns with the requirements of the European Union, as stipulated in its Directives, the European Green Deal policies, and the provisions of the Association Agreement. The application of this approaches in local energy planning demonstrates the practical implementation of European principles of sustainable development, social justice, and citizen-oriented approaches.

Considering the needs of various social groups, especially vulnerable ones, improves service quality, promotes efficient resource management, and reduces energy poverty. This leads to an increase in governance quality – one of the key criteria for aligning with European standards.

This approach fosters a new culture of governance in communities, where people, rather than infrastructure, are at the center of planning. At the same time, this practice is also beneficial for European partners. It demonstrates how Ukrainian communities, despite challenges, are implementing solutions that align with both the technical and social standards of the EU.

2.  A Strategic Tool for New Quality of Governance

The key instrument at the local level is the “community gender profile”. This is a comprehensive document containing qualitative and quantitative data on demographics, employment, access to services, division of roles between women and men, their participation in decision-making, income levels, and challenges. Its role goes beyond mere data collection; it creates an analytical foundation for effective, inclusive, and resource-justified planning.

This profile allows to:

●      identify vulnerable groups;

●      reveal inequalities in access to energy and social resources;

●      determine priorities for local investments;

●      ensure transparent and fair policies based on actual, not presumed, needs.

However, in wartime conditions, this process has become significantly more complicated. In some regions, access to statistics is unavailable due to hostilities or occupation; part of the population has become displaced, often without official registration; it is difficult to identify the needs of men of conscription age, which increases analytical uncertainty in gender balance. Only 30% of internal displaced persons (IDPs) complete official registration, creating a significant imbalance in service planning.

The number of socially vulnerable groups has also significantly expanded: in addition to traditionally vulnerable categories, these now include women left to raise children alone, families with wounded veterans, and IDPs not registered with relevant authorities. Consequently, the approach to compiling a gender profile requires flexibility, local adaptation, and deep analysis – communities cannot simply rely on standard templates but must work according to the principle of 'from specific to systemic.'

In this process, communities receive support from consultants and analytical assistance in adapting tools to real challenges. Only a dynamic, situation-adapted gender profile enables informed decision-making – for example, whether a school truly needs reconstruction if there are practically no children left in the community.

3. Strengthening Community Capacity: Knowledge, Practice, Implementation

The project "Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Implementation of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive in Ukraine," implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, initiated a systematic training for municipalities. During these trainings, community representatives are introduced to tools for vulnerability analysis, respective mapping, impact assessment methodologies, and budgeting.

The real demand for implementation shows that communities are no longer just curious but are actively seeking assistance in compiling their gender profiles.

A separate session was dedicated to the practical analysis of municipal projects within the DREAM system, focusing on incorporating the gender component during preparation. This sparked strong interest among local government representatives, as they understand that such approaches in project management are a clear requirement of legislation and partners, influencing communities' access to resources for local reconstruction and development projects.

Furthermore, five municipalities are planned to be selected to receive analytical support from the project. This will enable them to develop a comprehensive gender profile that meets the requirements of international partners and funding platforms.

Overall, participants showed keen interest in the trainings, as they had, to some extent, already used some of the tools. However, the main issue lies in the communities' capacity to analyze quantitative and qualitative indicators for developing this profile. The next challenge is determining solutions based on the analytical part of this profile.

4. People-Centred Approach to Energy Efficiency – More Than Just a Social Innovation

This  approach in energy policy creates a new governance model that prioritizes the needs of actual users when creating infrastructure. Energy efficiency ceases to be a purely technical domain and transforms into a socially oriented policy.

This practice also proves valuable for European partners. It demonstrates how communities, even in challenging conditions, implement tools that align with the European understanding of sustainable governance. This allows partners, particularly in Germany, to see not only compliance with technical standards but also social impact – through enhanced local capacity, resident-oriented approaches, and increased process transparency.

This approach is especially relevant in Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts. For recovery to be effective, planning must go beyond financing; it must be based on an analysis of who the reconstruction is for and what is truly needed. Without live, dynamic statistics, recovery risks becoming purely perfunctory, rather than truly addressing real changes within the community.