Coal phase-out and just transitions

This report by the NewClimate Institute analyzes historical and ongoing coal transitions in Europe to provide lessons for countries currently planning a phase-out, specifically highlighting the opportunities for China to proactively manage its transition.

• Former coal regions continue to underperform compared to national averages regarding employment, economic growth, and health. Economic recovery is hindered in rural areas by inadequate educational and transport infrastructure, making it difficult to attract new businesses and retrain the workforce.
• While policies succeeded in preventing spikes in poverty and unemployment, they often failed to move workers into secure, long-term employment. Early retirement was a primary tool for managing labor shocks, while career services were typically insufficient, with the exception of Skills Development Scotland, which is noted for its integration into regional planning and responsiveness to local markets.
• The most successful management of structural change in European coal regions combined top-down financing and coordination with bottom-up project identification and implementation, which helped foster local ownership of the transition.
• Investment in transport and education served as critical enablers for economic restructuring. Transport infrastructure provided immediate jobs and expanded commuting ranges, while education supported the creation of high-wage, innovative business streams.
• Environmental restoration provided multiple benefits, including improved quality of life and the attraction of new businesses. In the Ruhr and Lusatia regions, these efforts established a new core industry centered on environmental services.
• China has a better prospect for a just transition than historical European cases because its phase-out is planned, whereas European transitions were driven by rapid economic forces in communities heavily dependent on coal for GDP and employment.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2022). Coal phase-out and just transitions. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/coal-phase-out-and-just-transitions

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Coal phase-out and just transitions. 2022. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/coal-phase-out-and-just-transitions.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Coal phase-out and just transitions |date=10 November 2022 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/coal-phase-out-and-just-transitions |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2022coal, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Coal phase-out and just transitions}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/coal-phase-out-and-just-transitions}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }