Meet the Champions!

Join us for a webinar featuring the three winners of the 2025 EU Covenant of Mayors Award as they share their approaches to heat decarbonisation.  

This webinar series leads up to the upcoming Crash Course for Cities on District Heating in Prague, 3 June 2025. Cities across Europe are coming together to explore strategies for decarbonising urban heating systems, working towards a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient future for all. Euroheat & Power is proud to partner with the Covenant of Mayors – Europe and CEE Bankwatch Network to raise awareness and support cities in their heat decarbonisation journeys.

With heating accounting for 80% of household energy use and over two-thirds of buildings still reliant on fossil fuels, cities play a key role in Europe’s clean heat transition. The three 2025 Covenant of Mayors Award Winners – Mechelen (Belgium), Lappeenranta (Finland), and Domokos (Greece) – have been recognised for their efforts and vision in transitioning to cleaner, more sustainable heating systems. 

Decarbonising heating is a complex challenge for local governments, requiring the involvement of many people and entities, while having far-reaching impacts on society, communities, and the economy. The three winners stood out not only for their exceptional achievements in decarbonisation, but also for their strong stakeholder engagement, support for vulnerable groups, effective communication, and broader benefits like energy independence and job creation. 

In this session, you will hear from each city as they highlight their strategies, challenges, and lessons learned in the transition to cleaner and more secure heating systems. 

Speakers:

•  Ighor Van de Vyver, Heat policy advisor of the City of Mechelen 
• Tiia Kiuru, Energy Director, Lappeenranta Energia  
• Charalampos Liolios, Mayor of Domokos  
• Evangelia Zisopoulou, Municipality of Domokos 
• Aksana Krasatsenka, Director of Knowledge Transfer, Euroheat & Power 

Moderated by Allison Le Corre, Campaigns and Communications Manager of the Covenant of Mayors Office.