Ancient city, amazing energy: Yerevan in transition - Aneta Babyan, Yerevan Urban Development Agency

Monasteries, mosques and memorials – Yerevan is a fascinating city that hums with history. And this city, the capital of Armenia, is also moving towards a green and climate-resilient future. They are investing in energy-efficient buildings, in sustainable mobility, and citizen-driven urban innovation. What particular challenges a post-soviet city is facing when it comes to energy and urban planning? Yerevan joined Energy Cities in 2025 - so how does an Armenian city with more than 1 million inhabitants look towards the EU and its common and emerging energy practices?

In this episode, Aneta Babayan, Director of Yerevan's Urban Development Agency, takes listeners inside the Armenian capital’s ambitious effort to become more energy-efficient, climate-resilient and liveable. Aneta and her team are operating for the municipality and they manage Yerevan's major city-scale projects.

This episode was made possible by Energy Cities and the EU-funded Covenant of Mayors East to which the Municipality of Yerevan belongs. This Eastern Partnership initiative is uniting local and regional authorities from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine around energy and climate action: https://com-east.eu