Poland
A 2021 article which discusses issues related to the circular economy ideas applied to post-industrial facilities and infrastructure in Polish coal-mining areas. The aim of the article is to indicate directions for sustainability-oriented actions on reusing the remnants of closed mining plants and reshaping the areas which will be transformed under the 'just transition' principles.
[Originally posted at https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/1/167]
The restructuring of the Silesian economy is a long-term process which has started in the 1990s. It includes not only a gradual phase-out of coal mining but also much broader sectoral realignment from traditional industries towards modern manufacturing and services, in line with a broader transition which Poland has been undergoing since abandoning centrally planned economy and launching the process of integrating with the European Union. Today, these processes are already advanced, but significant challenges remain. 2021 is a crucial year for charting further transition pathways for the region, as two stakeholder processes are set to conclude in the coming months. The first one is the preparation of Territorial Just Transition Plan, and the second is developing mining restructuring strategy.
[Originally posted at https://journals.ub.ovgu.de/index.php/NFL/article/view/2013]
A 2020 paper which reviews the link of the 'just transition' to UNFCCC processes and labour unions before critically considering the current academic treatment of the agenda and in particular, the under emphasis of Nationally Determined Contributions. It then presents a series of research recommendations centred on a concern for how best to use this political background to leverage tangible impact.
[Originally posted at https://pure.au.dk/portal/files/225604713/Politicising_the_Just_Transition.pdf]
A 2021 paper which concludes that the 'just transition' strategy should be extended by issues strictly related to the situation of women in the future labor market. Additionally, the concept of a special hub for women, whose aim would be professional activation of women of various age groups, has been introduced.
[Originally posted at https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/12/3372]
The energy transition currently taking place in the mining regions of the European Union poses many challenges that need to be addressed with a view to 2030 and 2050, of which the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is the key one. Initial results of the research project entitled “Models of a transition to a climate-neutral, circular economy for mining regions under transformation process”, which is developed in parallel with the transition of mining town Brzeszcze, are presented. The challenges, in the context of energy transition, for both the EU and local governments were identified on the basis of EU policies and the experience of the project team from the cooperation with the commune of Brzeszcze. A “research by design” method was used to develop model solutions.
[Originally posted at https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/20/6674]
A publications which aims to shed a light on the necessary topdown approaches and strategic decisions on an EU or member-state level, but also on bottom-up initiatives on the local level stemming from municipal stakeholders or NGOs.
[Originally posted at https://europeum.org/data/articles/empowering-serbian-csos-involved-in-the-decarbonization-process-through-the-v4-experience.pdf]
A 2019 briefing which offers a deep dive into the positioning of key stakeholders as well as opportunities and challenges for a transition away from coal in some of Europe’s most coal-dependent regions: Ústecký kraj (Czech Republic), Western Macedonia (Greece), Upper Silesia (Poland), Horná Nitra (Slovakia) and Obilić (Kosovo). It aims to serve as background for necessary political and policy decisions surrounding a phase-out from coal.
[Originally posted at https://www.euki.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/E3G_2019_Stakeholder_Mappings_European_Coal_Regions_Final-1.pdf]
A 2021 paper which describes the initiation of seven pilot communities in five countries around a specific digital platform, and their assessment with a tailored environmental, justice-based framework. Based on the assessment—part of the ongoing Horizon 2020 project, ‘Lightness’—several challenges to just engagement are identified that are relevant for the project and beyond.
[Originally posted at https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4931/11/1/29/htm]
A 2020 publication which presents an overview from INETTT concerning the status of climate and energy policy in each country where they work, set against the backdrop of the country’s current Nationally Defined Contribution (NDC) pledges under the Paris Agreement and the latest electricity and emissions data.
[Originally posted at https://www.energiewende-global.com/fileadmin/user_upload/giz-website/Media_Library/Erneuerbare_Energien/The-Net-Zero-Energy-Transition_Agora.pdf]
A 2018 report which features seven stories from coal communities around Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), the challenges they face as they move away from coal and the solutions they find – sometimes even in spite of resistance from the central governments.
[Originally posted at https://www.euki.de/en/euki-publications/heroes-of-just-transition/]
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