From May 22 to May 26, 2023, a five-day study visit of Mayors of Eastern European countries (Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Moldova) took place: in two marvellous member cities of the Association - Bielsko-Biala and Cieszyn. The visit was aimed at exchanging experiences, getting to know local development initiatives and establishing new contacts, thus strengthening cooperation between cities. The meeting was held as part of the City2City program implemented as part of the Covenant of Mayors initiative.
On the first day of the visit, the delegation of Mayors was warmly welcomed by the local authorities and officials from Bielsko-Biała. After the official welcome by Deputy Mayor Adam Ruśniak, a discussion panel was held during which the successes and challenges faced by this city were presented, with particular emphasis on energy efficiency aspects. Representatives of the Department of Environmental Protection and Energy presented the most important initiatives, such as infrastructure development, investments in the energy sector and also strategic planning. The director of our Association - Anna Jaskuła, presented extensive activities in the field of energy efficiency. The delegation of Mayors had the opportunity to visit some of the important places in the city together with the city gardener. The walk included the revitalized streets in the city centre. In the afternoon, a visit to ZIAD took place. It is a large complex of urban facilities with technical, hotel and gastronomic infrastructure, office buildings and a festival zone that uses energy-saving solutions. Participants could see the facility's infrastructure and modern solutions that use renewable energy sources.
The next day of the visit was devoted to a trip to one of the Polish border towns - Cieszyn. The guests were welcomed by the local authorities - Mayor Gabriela Staszkiewicz and Deputy Mayor Krzysztof Kasztura, who emphasized the importance of cross-border cooperation for strengthening ties between neighbouring cities, activities related to environmental protection and social participation. Later, Representatives of the City Hall presented projects and initiatives related to improving energy efficiency in the city and adapting the city to climate change and showed the impact of these activities on the development of Cieszyn. The delegation had the opportunity to see the elements of the adaptation during a walk around the city. The guests visited the revitalized Młynkówka canal, looked at the thermal modernization of multi-family buildings in the city centre and numerous green areas. The visit ended at the Public Transport Base, where the group went by electric bus. This part of the meeting gave space for discussion on the possibilities of developing the public transport system, taking into account low-emission transport and electromobility.
The last full day of the study visit took an active form. During the workshops conducted by the City of Bielsko-Biała, mayors had the opportunity to learn about the forms and educational tools used to promote energy efficiency over the years. After that they visited the nature trails with small architecture objects located in urban green areas and the newly built centre of ecological education. The highlight of the day was visiting the Porąbka-Żar Hydro Power Plant. The guests could see both the power plant chamber located underground in the mountain and go the top to the Upper Power Plant Reservoir. Director of the Porąbka Żar Hydro Power Plants Branch - Jakub Kliś also presented a lecture on the importance of this type of facilities in domestic energy production.
During the study visit, several discussion panels were held, during which experts from both cities discussed various aspects related to local development, sustainable transport and environmental protection. The mayors had a chance to share their experiences and learn about the best practices from Poland. In addition to the official program, the delegation also had the opportunity to informal meetings, which were conducive to establishing new contacts and exchanging information. The delegation expressed its thanks for the warm welcome and the opportunity to learn about local initiatives and projects. The meeting was fruitful and contributed to strengthening cooperation between cities.
On behalf of foreign guests, we would like to thank all the institutions and people from Bielsko-Biała and Cieszyn involved in the organization of the visit!
