Chernihiv is the administrative, industrial and cultural center of Chernihiv Oblast. As of 1 January 2014, the population of the city is
295.700 persons. The area of the cityis 78.563 km². Chernihiv identifies saving energy and the introduction of energy saving technologies as one of priority tasks in its  development strategy. The city has been successfully developing its energy efficiency potential with the support of international partners for several years. Among these partners are: the World Bank, Swiss Agency of International Development (SIDA), International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), Clean Technology Fund, Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (GTZ), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Northern Environmental Financial Corporation (NEFCO).

In May 2011, Chernihiv officially joined the Covenant of Mayors, the leading initiative of the European Commission on sustainable development (its signatories commit to reduce their CO₂ emissions by at least 20% by 2020, thus contributing to the development of an environmentally oriented economy and to quality of life improvements). In November 2010, the city became one of the participants of the USAID Municipal Heating Reform Project in Ukraine. As part of the implementation of its participation, the City Council developed and approved the Program “Chernihiv Municipal Energy Plan for 2012-2015” (MEP).

In 2014, after signing of the relevant Memorandum, cooperation between the city and the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine (hereinafter – the USAID Project) started. The Memorandum identified four main areas of work for municipal energy efficiency improvement and raising funds to finance the relevant measures:

1) supporting the development of a Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP);

2) improving the energy management system;

3) assisting in finding investments;

4) conducting information campaigns.