Regions and Municipalities for a Just Transition

The project built on a previous project in the same countries which defined Just Transition roadmaps for coal regions in transition. The main goal of the previous project “Just Transition in Eastern and Southern Europe” was for relevant stakeholders in Bulgaria, Greece, and Poland, but also in Brussels and Germany, to recognize Just Transition as a necessary component of climate policy. This is considered to have been completed at a formal level. The European Commission’s “Strategic long-term vision for a prosperous, modern, competitive and climate neutral economy” integrates measures for Just Transition in its strategy.

Recognizing that the phase-out of coal is urgent to achieve the net zero target by 2050, the project aims for robust Just Transition pathways. It does so by supporting concrete transformative ideas in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece and Poland, thus at the same time boosting regional development.  To foster Just transition, it is necessary that stakeholders share the same vision and carry it at policy level including towards EU institutions. This needs to be accomplished through an open, transparent, and participatory process.

Project group Just Transition; photo: WWF Germany

Over a two-year period, the project conducted capacity-building workshops and other dialogue formats with relevant representatives to promote the exchange and sharing of expertise and best practices.

The project highlighted the need for a transparent participatory process to shape the coal phase-out, supported concrete ideas for transformation processes in the regions, and contributed to the further development of the climate debate. By creating an exchange platform, the project contributed to a consensus among municipal actors on the need to to systematically integrate the Just Transition agenda into climate policies.

• Awareness and cooperation strengthened: Representatives of municipalities and regions developed a better understanding of a just coal phase-out through evidence-based studies, continuous capacity-building measures and institutionalised dialogue formats, and intensified cooperation between local communities and authorities. They developed a shared vision and achieved greater acceptance of European climate targets. 
• Institutionalisation at local level: The Forum of Mayors established itself as the joint voice of mining regions in the just transition debate. By the end of the project, 72 municipalities had signed the Declaration of Mayors. With the support of the European Climate Foundation, a permanent secretariat was set up for the forum. 
• Evidence for employment effects: Three studies analysed the impact of the coal phase-out on jobs. The WWF identified which jobs are at risk and the potential for new jobs. The results were presented at the EU Coal Regions in Transition Platform to over 500 representatives from EU institutions, regions, companies, trade unions and NGOs.