The social consequences of coal mine closures in Silesia.

The concept of a socially “just transition” should not only guide the redevelopment of coal mining regions, opening up the way to technological progress. It is also a chance for the rest of Poland to improve the quality of life and attain carbon neutrality.

This paper discusses the issue of just transition and presents the general directions of Poland’s energy transition until 2040. The just transition plays an important role in the process of Poland’s green energy transition and not without reason – it is the first pillar of Poland’s Energy Policy until 2040. Therefore, the paper attempts to discuss the legal, economic and social aspects of the planned changes. The next part of the paper describes the just transition from the level of the European Union. It points out what challenges member states are facing and what actions they will have to take to meet the transition requirements set by the European goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Particular attention was paid to the activities of the European Commission, which is particularly involved in the process of transforming the European Union’s energy mix. This issue is extremely important for our country as it is going to be the major beneficiary of the EU transition fund.
The penultimate section discusses research performed from 15 to 20 February 2022 on a group of 120 people living in different regions of Poland. The respondents answered a series of questions about general aspects of the energy transition, a just transition as well as the risks resulting from following the European Union’s climate and energy trends. Based on the answers provided, pie charts and bar graphs have been produced in order to make the analysis of the issues discussed clear and understandable. The whole study was concluded with a summary.