Demonstrating the need for a just transition: Socioeconomic diagnosis of polish cities living on hard coal mining

Under the increasing pressure of decarbonization, the issue of further development of post-mining regions and economies based on the extraction of fossil fuels is becoming a priority and urgent issue, especially in the European Union, where a complete departure from coal production is planned in the coming years. For these reasons, this article seeks effective ways to prevent the negative effects of mine closures. This goal is implemented in the context of a long-term socioeconomic diagnosis of 12 Polish cities located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. These are cities where the coal industry has been completely liquidated, only some of the mines have been closed or all mining plants have been maintained. In the course of research, which is a multiple case study, the following are used: descriptive statistics, cluster analysis and multi-criteria analysis. The obtained results indicate a negative socioeconomic situation of cities where all mines have been closed (Zabrze, Bytom, Sosnowiec). The condition of cities where hard coal is still mined is much better. Nevertheless, the development of the entire region is slower than the development of the country, which implies the need for central management and economic support. Research results indicate a significant isolation and exclusion of cities that use a homogeneous development strategy based solely on the mining industry. In the future – when all mining plants are liquidated – this problem may intensify and lead to the collapse of the entire Upper Silesian Coal Basin and other regions of the European Union where coal is still mined. Bearing in mind the results of the above analyzes, it should be stated that the EU just transition program is essential in the process of transforming and supporting post-mining regions.