Sun Dă-i Fest 2023—the most-awaited festival of sustainability in the Republic of Moldova—took place on 10 September in the Public Garden "Stefan cel Mare și Sfânt". The event left behind unforgettable memories and inspired thousands of people to tackle environmental issues and use alternative energy sources with more determination. Now in its seventh year, Sun Dă-i Fest 2023 was organised in the context of the EU Green Diplomacy Weeks, with the financial support of the European Union, by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and in partnership with the Ministry of Energy.

"Let's remember that energy efficiency and renewable energy are the keys to a sustainable and prosperous future. Moldova has significant untapped potential in renewable energy and energy efficiency and today we celebrate the strides we've made in harnessing that potential. Energy saving is Moldova's most crucial energy resource. Remember, the greenest energy is the energy we never use. Furthermore, in the fight against climate change, energy efficiency is our most powerful tool. Let's use it wisely," said Daniela Gasparikova, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova.

This year's edition of the festival succeeded in bringing together entrepreneurs, private and state-owned companies, public associations and sustainability enthusiasts to promote a cleaner, brighter and healthier world. At the event, participants had the opportunity to explore and experience countless aspects of sustainability, including alternative energies, reuse and resource saving.

"Last year Europe, for the first time in its history, has produced more electricity from sun and wind than from gas said European Commission President Ms Ursula von der Leyen.   We need an increased global action and ambition in Limiting the temperature increase to 1.5°C in order to substantially reduce the impacts of climate change.  Delivering a net-zero world by 2050, is the European Union’s ultimate goal," said Solomon Ioannou, Programme Manager, Delegation of the European Union to Moldova.

The festival included award ceremonies for the winners of the EU-UNDP “Energy saving in images” competition and the contest of media articles on debunking myths in the energy sector. These competitions stimulated participants' involvement and creativity in the field of clean and sustainable energy.

"The Republic of Moldova has the ambition to decarbonise the energy sector by 2050 and even faster, going event beyond the European Union, the champion in terms of green transition. This requires both massive investment and the conscious involvement of every citizen. In its seventh edition, Sun Dă-i Fest has become a tradition, allowing us to show people that energy is not just about gas, but above all about green technologies and renewable sources," said Carolina Novac, State Secretary, Ministry of Energy.

Also at the Sun Dă-i Fest was a sustainable energy alley and an impressive exhibition that brought to the forefront the latest technologies and innovations in solar, wind, hydro and other green energy sources. Manufacturers of clean energy technologies demonstrated how photovoltaic panels, solar collectors, biomass boilers, geothermal pumps, etc. work. Participants interacted directly with experts and discovered concrete solutions to increase their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.

The fair with local craftspeople and producers, who exhibited for-sale decorative items, jewellery, paintings created from natural products and much more, gave visitors the opportunity to discover and support local organic products and to understand the importance of sustainable trade. 

The children, in turn, had the opportunity to learn and have fun at the same time. The youngest visitors to the Sun Dă-i Fest enjoyed educational and fun activities such as a climbing wall, interactive scientific presentations on energy resources, face painting, etc. These activities helped them to better understand the concept of sustainability and environmental protection.

Sun Dă-i Fest culminated with a live music concert by Dara, Felicia Dunaf, "Hotel Cosmos", Satoshi, and the Romanian guest band "Om la Lună".

With a budget of €13 million allocated by the European Union, the programme "Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova", implemented by UNDP, has supported the creation of the platform compensation.gov.md and will launch a campaign to replace old household appliances with new energy-efficient ones. The programme finances the installation of photovoltaic panels in households and several hospitals, as well as the change of central heating systems in several blocks to more efficient horizontal distribution systems.

In addition, the programme provides support for the transposition of the EU's third energy package into both primary and secondary legislation, as well as the transposition of a number of directives and regulations of the "Clean Energy for All Europeans" package, which address the energy performance of buildings, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, good governance and electricity market design. 

This material was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its content is the sole responsibility of the programme "Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova", funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova. The content of the material belongs to the authors and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.