From black gold to green goals: The uneven path of just transition in Poland

The transition from coal to a sustainable green economy poses a significant challenge for regions deeply rooted in mining. This research presents the diversity and complexity of socio-economic and environmental issues that characterize these areas. The article analyses the challenges related to the just transition of Polish mining regions and assesses the extent to which the operations planned in the Territorial Just Transition Plans (TJTPs) address them. Based on analyses of the socio-economic and environmental profiles at the NUTS3-level units constituting the mining regions (NUTS - Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics; 3: small regions - for specific diagnoses), it has been shown that recognizing the regional specificity is necessary before starting the closure of mines and transformation processes. The analyses showed that not all challenges have precisely assigned operations, which indicates potential gaps in the transformation strategies. The article also emphasizes the need to develop a more uniform system for monitoring the progress of the transformation, which would better reflect the specificity of local challenges. The current output and result indicators included in the Regulation establishing the Just Transition Fund (JTF) are insufficient to fully assess the complex problems faced by mining regions. It is necessary to introduce tools that will enable a more effective and fair assessment of the actions taken as part of the just transition.