Europe's coal regions: boosting employment, environment, economy through 'just transition'
Posted on April, 29 2021
Sustainable new jobs can replace lost coal jobs while preserving the environment, a new WWF report finds.
WWF is calling for EU countries to phase out their coal power by 2030 to fight the climate crisis and uphold the Paris Agreement. The European Commission has set up a €17.5 billion Just Transition Fund to help support the social impacts of the shift from coal.
The Fund - and its sister schemes under the Just Transition Mechanism, in combination with the right national and private funds - are a huge opportunity to shift to a durable, climate-neutral economy.
This report, from WWF based on input from national consultants, takes an in-depth look at the clean job creation potential in several coal regions. These are: Silesia and Eastern Wielkopolska in Poland; Western Macedonia and Megalopolis in Greece, and the Pernik and Bobov Dol regions of south-western Bulgaria, as well as making recommendations for the biggest Bulgarian coal region Stara Zagora.
More information:
Sarah Azau
Media manager
sazau@wwf.eu
Tel: + 324 73 57 31 37
Worker on a mining drill. A just transition supports former workers in coal and high-carbon sectors on the path to climate neutrality.
© iStock.com/DuxX
Worker on a mining drill. A just transition supports former workers in coal and high-carbon sectors on the path to climate neutrality.
© iStock.com/DuxX