Andrzej Błachowicz, the Managing Director of the Climate Strategies & International Lead Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition Secretariat of the European Commission, spoke at the launch event of the OECD Toolkit to measure well-being in mining regions on January 26, 2023. His presentation focused on accelerating the green transition in mining communities, and included an overview of the EU just transition landscape, policy context, and supporting programs and initiatives such as the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Mechanism. He also highlighted the Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition, which was established in 2017 to support European coal, peat, and oil shale regions with the transition to a low-carbon economy. The initiative provides various activities and programs, including meetings and exchange forums, knowledge products, technical assistance, and international activities. Finally, Błachowicz offered some reflections on the importance of toolkits with measurement tools, which help stakeholders to focus not only on what needs to happen in the transition, but also why.

1. Accelerating the green
transition in mining
communities
Andrzej Błachowicz
Managing Director, Climate Strategies & International Lead
Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition Secretariat
Launch event of the OECD Toolkit to measure well-being in
mining regions, 26 January 2023

2. I N I T I A T I V E F O R C O A L R E G I O N S I N T R A N S I T I O N
• European Green Deal includes Just Transition
chapter (2019)
• Establishment of the Just Transition Mechanism
(2020), including the Just Transition Fund and two
other funding streams that mobilise up to
approximately €60 billion over the period 2021-
2027 to support coal and carbon-intensive regions.
• Access to Just Transition Mechanism grant funding
requires development of a Territorial Just
Transition Plan.
EU just transition landscape
Policy context and supporting programmes
and initiatives

3. I N I T I A T I V E F O R C O A L R E G I O N S I N T R A N S I T I O N
• Initiative for coal regions in transition (2017)
• Just Transition Platform (2020)
• Initiative for Coal Regions in Transition Western
Balkans & Ukraine (2020)
• Innovation Regions for a Just Transition - IKI-JET
(2022)
• Other funding programmes e.g. LIFE,
Horizon2020/Horizon Europe
EU just transition landscape
Supporting programmes and initiatives

4. I N I T I A T I V E F O R C O A L R E G I O N S I N T R A N S I T I O N
Background
• Established in 2017 to support European coal, peat
and oil shale (coal+) regions with tackling the
challenges related to the transition to a low-carbon
economy.
• Bringing together stakeholders from various
backgrounds to exchange knowledge and
experience between EU regions undergoing a
similar transition.
Initiative for coal regions in transition
Activities
• Technical assistance START: Targeted support
for regions on transition topics such as strategy
development, governance, stakeholder
engagement.
• ExchangeEU programme: Peer-to-peer
exchanges between EU regions to establish long-
term connections that can accelerate the clean
energy transition.
• International activities: outreach and exchange
with non-EU regions and initiatives working
towards a clean energy transition.
Activities
• Meetings and exchange forums: Next meeting:
Just Transition Platform conference 25-26 April,
Brussels
• Knowledge products: Studies, webinars, toolkits,
e.g. on district heating and transition financing.

5. I N I T I A T I V E F O R C O A L R E G I O N S I N T R A N S I T I O N
Identify and engage in
t
erna
tional initia
tiv
es and s
t
ak
eholder
s w
orking t
o
w
ar
ds a jus
t
tr
ansition fr
om c
oal
Sho
wcase the e
xperiences and bes
t pr
actices fr
om EU c
oal+ r
egions thr
ough
in
t
erna
tional e
v
en
ts, mee
tings and f
orums
Promote c
ollabor
a
tion be
tw
een EU and non-EU c
oal+ r
egions, sharing g
ood
pr
actices fr
om the EU as w
ell as supporting EU r
egions thr
ough e
xperience fr
om
the in
t
erna
tional c
oal+ c
ommunity
CRIT International Activities

6. Reflections
§ Well-being = Just Transition? (competing definitions)
§ No single picture of transition status in the EU as trajectories have
changed due to energy crisis.
§ Well-being means different things to different people, especially
when we look beyond OECD (e.g. an indigenous forest community in
Kenya may view the forest as having a relational/cultural value, whereas in
the EU one may think of forests in terms of their resource-value to humans
(carbon sinks, wood, etc.))
§ In many transitions too much focus has been given to economic,
technological, environmental aspects and not enough to
community/social.
§ Toolkits with measurement tools are crucial as they force
stakeholders to think not only what needs to happen in transition
but also why.

7. Thank you
secretariat@coalregions.eu
Website
#CoalRegionsEU
Twitter: @Energy4Europe
DG Energy’s YouTube channels
andrzej.blachowicz
@climatestrategies.org