Ukraine: Grassroots Local Cooperation through the “Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region

The document describes the decline of the Ukrainian coal industry and the subsequent social and economic challenges in the Donetsk region. It highlights two primary initiatives for transition: the grassroots Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region, which seeks economic diversification and green enterprise development, and the national Coordination Center for Transformation of Coal Regions. While the government aims to reduce state-owned coal production by 25% and create 40,000 new jobs by 2027, the document notes significant challenges, including a lack of concrete action plans, insufficient public engagement, and political instability due to armed conflict.

• The Ukrainian coal sector has experienced a severe decline, with the workforce decreasing by 88% between 1991 and 2013. National production fell from 55.2 million tons in 2014 to 33.3 million tons in 2018, partly because more than half of the 150 coal mines fell under separatist control after the 2014 revolution.
• In the Donetsk region, the coal industry is a critical economic pillar; as of 2019, 44% of the population was employed in the sector. Some towns are heavily dependent on mining for revenue, such as Vuhledar, where 75% of the budget is derived from taxes paid by mines.
• The Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region was launched in May 2019 by the towns of Dobropillia, Myrnohrad, Novohrodivka, Pokrovsk, Selydove, Toretsk, and Vuhledar. This bottom-up initiative aims to develop a joint transformation strategy focusing on economic diversification, green enterprises, energy-efficient technologies, and social programs for affected workers.
• National policy for the transition includes the Energy Strategy 2035, which targets the closure of unprofitable mines by 2025. Additionally, the Coordination Center for Transformation of Coal Regions, established in May 2020, aims to reduce coal production in state-owned mines by 25% and create 40,000 jobs in other industries by 2027.
• The transition faces several barriers: a lack of concrete plans for the pivot away from fossil fuels, limited public information regarding phase-out plans, and an unstable political context caused by the region's proximity to armed conflict, which hinders investment.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Ukraine: Grassroots Local Cooperation through the “Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ukraine-grassroots-local-cooperation-through-platform-sustainable-development-coal-towns

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Ukraine: Grassroots Local Cooperation through the “Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region. 2021. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ukraine-grassroots-local-cooperation-through-platform-sustainable-development-coal-towns.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Ukraine: Grassroots Local Cooperation through the “Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region |date=1 April 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ukraine-grassroots-local-cooperation-through-platform-sustainable-development-coal-towns |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021ukraine, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Ukraine: Grassroots Local Cooperation through the “Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/ukraine-grassroots-local-cooperation-through-platform-sustainable-development-coal-towns}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }