Driving climate resilience in Vilnius: Meet Valdas Benkunskas, Mayor and EU Covenant Board Member

What are your top priorities as Mayor, and how do they align with your city’s long-term vision for sustainability and climate resilience?

Vilnius actively participates in key European and international initiatives aimed at achieving climate neutrality, sustainability, and resilience. The city is a signatory of the EU Covenant of Mayors, a participant in the EU Mission “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities” and is also engaged in the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. One of my key priorities has been moving from fragmented actions to a truly systemic approach. We have established a public entity that works across departments, systematically prepares strategic documents, monitors greenhouse gas emissions, and ensures that climate and resilience objectives are embedded into everyday decision-making.

Participating in these international initiatives provide both direction and accountability, helping Vilnius align local action with European climate goals while accelerating innovation, access to expertise, and cooperation with other leading cities. Our commitment has been recognised at EU level through the approval of Vilnius’ Climate City Contract and the award of the Mission Label, as well as through the title of European Green Capital 2025.

As Mayor, I see climate neutrality and sustainability as inseparable from security and civil protection. Climate change is intensifying risks that directly affect public safety, from heat waves and flooding to disruptions of energy, water, and transport systems. In Vilnius, sustainability is therefore not only an environmental objective, but a foundation for resilience and preparedness for any weather conditions or geopolitical threats. By reducing emissions, modernising critical infrastructure, expanding nature-based solutions, and digitalising key systems, the city is actively lowering its vulnerability to extreme events and ensuring that essential services continue to function during crises. A sustainable city is, by definition, a safer city for its residents.

Can you share the most exciting or transformative project currently underway in your city that contributes to the EU Covenant of Mayors’ targets? What makes this project stand out?

Vilnius is undergoing a profound transformation, and several major initiatives are driving our progress towards the targets of the EU Covenant of Mayors. What sets our approach apart is that these efforts are not isolated projects, but part of a long-term shift towards a data-driven, climate-resilient city.

One of the most transformative changes in Vilnius is the city’s digitalisation and data-driven governance. By moving municipal services to digital channels and using data to guide urban planning, we are making decisions faster, more accurate, and more closely aligned with real needs. For us, digitalisation is not just a technological upgrade - it is a practical way to reduce administrative burdens, improve residents’ experience, and accelerate climate action by directing investments where they have the greatest impact.

This approach is already being applied in critical infrastructure. Vilnius’ district heating system is being modernised using digital tools, including smart metering and digital twin principles, which allow us to manage the network more efficiently and strengthen its resilience. At the same time, the city is actively transforming public transport, renewing and decarbonising the fleet, improving service quality, and using data to optimise routes and operations. As transport is a major source of emissions, these changes are essential for reducing pollution and encouraging a shift away from private car use.

Looking ahead, Vilnius is also preparing for the next stage of clean energy innovation through green hydrogen development. The city is establishing local hydrogen production based on renewable electricity and integrating it into the public transport system, supporting the decarbonisation of heavy transport and strengthening long-term energy resilience.

As a new member of the EU Covenant of Mayors Board, what unique perspective or initiative do you hope to bring? And what do you hope to learn from your fellow mayors?

As a new member of the Covenant of Mayors Board, I hope to contribute Vilnius’ experience in translating climate commitments into practical, data-driven action at the local level. In Vilnius, digitalisation and smart governance tools support evidence-based decision-making across key sectors such as mobility, waste management, and infrastructure planning. This approach helps strengthen local capacity, improve efficiency, and support the delivery of climate and energy objectives in a coherent and measurable way.

At the same time, I see the Board as an important platform for peer exchange among cities committed to climate neutrality and resilience. I am particularly interested in how cities are advancing energy efficiency, energy security, and system resilience, while ensuring that the transition remains socially just. Exchanging experience on addressing energy poverty, engaging residents, and delivering inclusive climate action is essential for achieving the EU Covenant of Mayors’ shared goals and maintaining public trust in the transition.

What makes you proudest about your city - particularly in terms of its commitment to sustainability and improving residents’ quality of life?

What makes me proudest about Vilnius is that our commitment to sustainability is not abstract, it is closely connected to the everyday lives of our residents. For us, success is measured not only through strategies or targets, but through tangible improvements: safer neighbourhoods, warmer and more efficient homes, greener shared spaces, and stronger local communities.

In 2025, when Vilnius held the title of European Green Capital, we used the year as a city-wide opportunity to discuss sustainability openly and invite people to participate through events and initiatives, ranging from plant-based food to energy efficiency. Throughout the year, we carried the slogan “The Greenest City in the Making” to underline a simple idea: sustainability is not only about big projects - but it also begins with small everyday choices around us and grows through collective action. We consistently emphasised that residents themselves are co-creators of the greenest city, and that meaningful progress depends on their everyday involvement as much as on the city’s policies and investments.

One example of this approach is Vilnius’ Neighbourhood Programme, which supports the renewal of multi-apartment residential areas. Through this programme, the municipality provides financial support to improve courtyards and shared spaces - modernising playgrounds and sports areas, upgrading pavements and parking facilities, and encouraging greening in residential neighbourhoods. This helps residents take ownership of their surroundings and directly improves the quality of life in densely populated areas.

I am also proud of the “Warm Homes” project, which focuses on social housing conversion. Through this initiative, abandoned dormitories are being transformed into dignified, comfortable, and energy-efficient homes for socially vulnerable residents. It demonstrates that climate action and social responsibility go hand in hand, and that sustainability must also address housing quality and social inclusion.

Finally, what makes me proud is how strongly Vilnius invests in everyday access to nature. The city is 61% green space, and most residents live within a short walk of greenery - an everyday benefit that supports health, resilience, and overall well-being.

In addition, Vilnius is implementing the “neŠYLAM” (“Don’t heat up”) programme, which reflects our broader climate ambitions. Built around the idea of a local climate fund, the programme encourages residents’ communities to develop climate-friendly projects that reduce emissions and increase resilience. At the same time, businesses are invited to contribute financially, creating a shared responsibility model that strengthens cooperation between citizens, the private sector, and the city.

Together, these initiatives reflect what makes Vilnius distinctive: sustainability policies that are practical, inclusive, and closely linked to residents’ well-being - ensuring that climate action delivers real, visible benefits for people across the city.

Beyond your official duties, how do you personally connect with your city’s people and culture? Are there any local traditions or hidden gems you would recommend to visitors? 

Beyond my official duties, I stay connected to the people of Vilnius through the city’s cultural life and shared traditions, which offer ways to meet Vilnius’ residents and enjoy events together. Public celebrations, seasonal gatherings, and creative initiatives in our streets and public spaces reflect the spirit of Vilnius: open, welcoming, and rooted in community. These moments, whether in summer or winter, bring together residents and visitors alike and reveal the city’s character beyond institutions and policies. They are a reminder that culture and everyday interaction play an essential role in shaping a city’s identity and quality of life.

In winter, one of my favourite local traditions is Kaimynų Kalėdos (Neighbours’ Christmas). Throughout December, communities gather close to home in each of the city’s 21 neighbourhoods to light their local Christmas tree, share warm drinks and sweet treats, and enjoy small performances together. It’s a simple, welcoming way to meet Vilnius’ residents - and a lovely “hidden gem” experience for visitors who want to see the city beyond the centre.

There are quite a few annual events that are organised throughout the year where I directly connect with Vilnius’s residents. One of the most important moments of the year is Jaunas kaip Vilnius (Young as Vilnius) -  the city’s birthday celebration held every year in summer. The other big event in the city is Vilnius’s days. It’s the largest festival in Vilnius, taking place in early September, offering free cultural, art, music, and sports events in various public city spaces. We also have some unique events like Šaltibarščiai festival honouring Lithuania’s traditional cold beetroot soup or Vilnius light festival which is held every January and invites people to visit Vilnius Old Town, take a cozy evening stroll and enjoy beautiful installations created by artists both from Lithuania and abroad.