Who will be losers in Europe's green transition?
Across Europe, coal mines are closing in the name of the green transition. Researchers now need to clarify what the transformation from coal to renewable energy means for the families and communities that have relied on mining as a livelihood for generations.
In the southwest corner of Sardinia you'll find Sulcis-Iglesiente.
An area that, despite beautiful beaches and azure seas, is primarily known for its mining and coal extraction. The industry has defined the region for decades, not only economically but also as part of the local self-image.
However, all that is about to change. For it is here, in this little patch of sunshine, that Italy's last coal mine is being closed.
The closure is part of the European Commission's Green Deal to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent.
”Jobs in the coal mines have been both well paid and prestigious. In a very short time, they have gone from being the object of national glorification to stigmatization and shaming
Meet the researcher
Rune Bennike is Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology, Environmental and Business Economics. His research focuses on political economy and rural change in relation to land, tourism, catastrophes, borders and identity politics.
In the research project 'Frontlines of Transition', funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark, he will investigate what the green transition means for coal workers, their families and local communities.
Not always win-win
The green transition should be a win-win situation. Old, polluting industries close down, new, green facilities and jobs emerge.
But paradoxical as it may sound, new green jobs are not necessarily win-win for local communities, explains Rune Bennike, Assistant Professor at the Department of Sociology, Environmental and Business Economics at the University of Southern Denmark in Esbjerg.
- The new jobs are often not the same types of jobs as the old ones, and they are often not located in the same areas. Coal mines, for example, are typically run by local employees, while the job gains from wind farms are located elsewhere.
Risk of worsening living conditions
Risk of worsening living conditions
In addition, old industries have traditionally had a broader significance than just income. Many of the local communities are built around the industries, which, among other things, act as a social safety net by funding things like healthcare and local kindergartens.
- Therefore, we actually risk worsening the living conditions of workers and local communities if we blindly replace old industries such as coal mines with new, green facilities, says Rune Bennike.
This is where the research project comes in. In the project, Rune Bennike and his colleague Theodora Vetta will investigate the inequalities that the implementation of green technology can cause.
”The new jobs are often not the same types of jobs as the old ones, and they are often not located in the same areas. Coal mines, for example, are typically run by local employees, while the job gains from wind farms are located elsewhere
They are doing this by conducting fieldwork in two areas that, in the words of the researcher, represent the last gasps of an industry that has been in crisis for decades: the town of Kozani in northern Greece and Sulcis-Iglesiente in south-western Sardinia.
- These are places that are defined by the coal industry, not just economically, but also historically and in the narratives that local communities have about themselves. It is also places that are the subject of increasing investment in green energy production, such as Italy's largest wind farm," says Rune Bennike.
A just transition
Over the next three years, he will be living with the locals on several occasions to get an impression of their living conditions during the transition. He will attend meetings and public hearings, interview companies, authorities and trade unions, and - above all - have informal conversations with former miners and other local residents.
About the research project
- The project "Frontlines of Transition - Decarbonization and Green Marginalities in Europe" examines the socio-economic consequences of the green transition for those on its absolute frontlines - coal workers, their families and local communities.
- The researchers behind the project are Assistant Professor Rune Bennike, University of Southern Denmark, and researcher Theodora Vetta, Universitat de Barcelona.
- The project is supported by the Independent Research Fund Denmark with DKK 2.5 million.
What he will find, Rune Bennike will not predict. On the other hand, he hopes that the knowledge he collects can provide local and global authorities with tools to qualify the green transition processes and make the distribution of the benefits of the green transition more equitable.
- The project speaks to the political discussions on just transition. It is a recognition that the green transition cannot be enforced without having an eye for those who are caught in the middle. Coal miners are at the heart of this.
- Jobs in the coal mines have been both well-paid and prestigious. In a very short time, they have gone from being the subject of national glorification to stigmatization and shaming. It is important that we learn from the areas that are on the frontline of the green transition, because it will affect a lot of people," he says.
About the cases
- The project is based in two areas, both of which have been identified as target areas for the EU Just Transition Fund. The Fund supports just transitions in areas expected to be most negatively affected by the transition to climate neutrality.
- The city of Kozani in the Greek region of Macedonia, with its eight power plants and 160 square meters of coal mines, is branded as the 'energy heart' of Greece. Here, the closure of the coal industry will have a dramatic impact on the local labor market. It is estimated that 14,275 jobs directly linked to the industry and 8,546 jobs indirectly linked to it will be lost.
- Sulcis-Iglesiente in Sardinia, Italy, where repeated waves of mine closures and deindustrialization since the 1970s have left the region with some of the country's highest unemployment rates and lowest per capita income. The area's last coal mine alone employed 350 workers.