Collaboration with coal towns and regions from the very beginning of any transformational process. Local needs, interests, and responsibility of the coal towns’ communities themselves and their regions must be on the first place.
Accurate planning and setting specific dates for closing down unprofitable coal mines and phasing out coal usage. Lack of clear understanding of one’s own coal-mining enterprises’ future creates an obstacle for planning transformation of particular towns and gradual re-orientation of local economies.
Realization of pilot projects in the localities and diversification of the local economy. Special programmes, funds, and conditions to facilitate small-to-medium business development in mining towns and regions should be created to diversify the economy.
Education development may include establishing new educational institutions, centres for research and innovations at regional and local levels, as well as changing curriculums and converting existing vocational technical educational institutions.
Job retraining and social protection of fired miners. Special employment and job retraining programmes will help to relax tension among local residents who fear losing their jobs, incomes, and social benefits.
Ecology security for the population is the responsibility of all entities. Operation and especially closure of mines induces and escalates a number of environmental issues connected with pollution of ground and underground water reservoirs, soils, shaft waters pumpdown, etc.
Ukraine declares a course for just transition (JT). This will primarily affect the regions that depend on coal mining and combustion. While statements of readiness for JT are being heard at the national and local levels, concrete steps are needed now.
We, the mayors of Donetsk region’s nine coal towns, three local NGOs and Donetsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, have united and created the Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns. Our goals are the development of the region, transformation of our economies, attraction of investment, creation of new jobs,
We, non-governmental organizations working in the Donetsk region, understand the global trends towards decarbonization and just transition of fossil fuel-dependent regions, of which Ukraine is also a part of.
On 16-18 June the heads of local authorities, which are part of the Platform for Sustainable Development of Coal Towns of Donetsk Region, as well as mining towns of Luhansk and Volyn regions, visited Lviv region.
From May 14th to May 17th in 7 coal towns of the Platform for Sustainable Development (Pokrovsk, Vuhledar, Selydove, Dobropillia, Bilozerske, Myrnohrad, Toretsk) the art installation “Monolith” took place. Activists of the Alliance for Just Transition from the mining town of Donetsk region decided to draw attention to the issue […]
The fourth meeting of the Working Committee for the development of the Platform Towns Transformation Strategy. Approval of goals and project proposals.
