How the IKI supports the green reconstruction of Ukraine
The programme for Renewable Energy Solutions contributes to making the energy supply for schools and hospitals more reliable, cleaner and more cost-effective.
As Ukraine marks three years of war, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), the financial arm of the European Union, are supporting the green transition of Ukraine by integrating renewable energy systems into public buildings undergoing renovation works under EIB municipal loans.
The 20 million EUR Renewable Energy Solutions (RES) Programme, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action through EIB’s IKI Fund, intends to upgrade social infrastructure such as schools and hospitals, and make energy more reliable, cleaner and less costly.
The programme will also help to decentralise energy generation, ensuring that critical public buildings in towns and villages are less reliant on electricity supplies from large power stations, making them less vulnerable to blackouts in the event of an airstrike.
Rebuilding critical social infrastructure
The EIB has provided support to Ukraine’s recovery since 2015, initially focused on addressing needs in the eastern part of Ukraine, which was affected by the armed conflict that began in 2014. However, with the onset of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022, the importance of this support has grown significantly. To date, the EIB has invested 1.3 billion EUR for modernising public buildings, of which 640 million EUR is specifically dedicated to rebuilding critical social infrastructure, split amongst three dedicated recovery programmes (learn more). These comprehensive recovery initiatives have significantly advanced the reconstruction of critical social infrastructure across affected regions in Ukraine:
- A total of 315 schools, hospitals, and public buildings have been restored, with 210 subprojects underway in war-affected communities.
- 20 million people benefitted from the refurbished facilities, including 457,000 Internally Displaced Persons.
- The paediatric infectious disease department in Zhytomyr has been equipped with advanced medical and diagnostic equipment and extensive energy efficiency and structural upgrades. It now offers safer, more accessible and modern conditions for young patients, including internally displaced persons and individuals with disabilities.
- 800 pupils and staff started the school year in two upgraded, energy-efficient schools in Vinnytsia oblast. These upgrades reduce CO2 emissions by up to 30%, decrease heat energy consumption by 15% annually, and extend the schools’ lifespan, improving comfort for both learning and working.
The IKI Fund’s Renewable Energy Sources Programme hits the ground running
The IKI supported RES Programme has been operational since February 2025. This marks a significant milestone in EIB´s and IKI´s collaborative efforts, as the programme complements recovery efforts and increases the resilience of Ukrainian communities.
The RES programme will equip some of the newly-built and rehabilitated public buildings from the ongoing recovery programmes with renewable energy solutions such as solar panels and heat pumps.
Coupling recovery projects with renewable energy solutions
In these challenging times for Ukraine, with heavy shelling impacting critical and social infrastructure, the inclusion of recovery projects coupled with renewable energy solutions becomes crucial.
This approach ensures that essential services continue to function:
- schools equipped with shelters remain operational, providing children with safe learning environments;
- hospitals benefit from a reliable backup power supply in times of emergency.
A strategic integration foreseen under the RES programme not only addresses immediate recovery needs, but also contributes to the sustainable development of the country, promising impactful outcomes for a stronger, more resilient Ukraine.
Background information
Beyond support from the German government, key partners of the EIB in recovery efforts in Ukraine include the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme and the Ministry for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine.
The link has been copied to the clipboard
Contact
IKI Office
Zukunft – Umwelt – Gesellschaft (ZUG) gGmbH
Stresemannstraße 69-71
10963 Berlin
