Representatives of the government, local communities, businesses and civil society discussed the use of mine assets during the closure process, attracting investment, and creating new opportunities for coal-mining regions. The event was organised by the DiXi Group think tank with the support of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.
The working meeting, the first in a series of discussions on the just transition of coal-mining regions, provided an opportunity to exchange views, identify key challenges, and explore practical solutions to improve public policy. During the meeting, participants focused on two priority issues:
mechanisms for settling the debts of enterprises undergoing liquidation or restructuring;
revitalisation of industrial sites, including the transfer of assets and identifying new uses that would create jobs.
“Bringing together the efforts and perspectives of civil society, central government authorities, local communities and businesses will enable us to find the most effective and balanced way to address the challenges arising from Ukraine’s commitments to a just transition, which continues to unfold amid the ongoing war,” said Olena Pavlenko, President of DiXi Group and moderator of the discussion.
The discussion focused on developing mechanisms for transferring individual mine assets into municipal ownership for use by local communities and to support local economic development. Participants also discussed the need to implement tax incentives provided for coal communities under existing legislation in order to stimulate the creation of new jobs.
“The biggest challenge for coal-mining communities is finding employment for former mine workers and identifying new, commercially viable uses for these sites. The Ministry of Energy cannot directly assume these functions, but it is willing and ready to provide support within its mandate. We will enable communities to take these sites onto their balance sheets. In practice, however, additional issues will arise, and it is important that communities cooperate with both businesses and civil society. This is why further meetings will be useful,” emphasised Valentyna Moskalenko, Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine.
Regarding the transformation of former mines into new industrial facilities that could generate revenue for local budgets, stakeholders highlighted the need for a clear mechanism for transferring such assets.
The event was organised with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), and with the support of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.
