Residents of coal mining communities in Volyn understand the necessity of transitioning to heating using renewable energy sources but would like to see real steps from the government and local support.
These are the findings of a survey conducted by the NGO “EcoAction” together with the research agency Info Sapiens in the Novovolynsk, Lytovizka, and Poromivska communities.
Ukraine has set an ambitious goal to become climate neutral by 2050. This means a gradual phase-out of fossil fuels, including in heating. Therefore, coal regions that have relied on mines for decades must rethink their energy future.
The participants of the survey mostly support the transition to renewable energy (RE), especially if it helps make communities energy-independent. However, before moving forward, basic problems must be resolved: insulate houses, update heating networks, and regulate heat consumption accounting systems.
Half of the respondents from Novovolynsk stated they would support the transition of centralized heating to RE, even if it slightly increases their utility bill—but no more than 200 hryvnias per month. In villages, the situation is different: individual heating is predominant, thus interest in solar panels or heat pumps depends on the possibility of financial assistance. The most desired options are partial compensation for the cost of equipment and installation.
In different communities, between 80% to 91% of respondents agree that it is personally important for them to promote ecological solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Even during the war, nearly half of the respondents support the idea of reducing the use of fossil fuels,