A just transition for coal regions: new index and insights from Shanxi and Europe

What this event is about (livestream here)

As the world accelerates toward a cleaner energy future, ensuring a just and equitable transition for coal regions is a critical challenge – and an opportunity. This event marks the release of a new report comparing six coal regions across China, Poland, Germany and the UK, with a special focus on Shanxi Province in China and its European counterparts.

To be able to conduct these comparative studies, the Just Energy Transition Index (JETI) was developed. The JETI is a comprehensive tool designed to evaluate the progress of a coal region's transition towards a more sustainable and equitable energy future. By incorporating five key dimensions and over 30 indicators, the index provides an in-depth assessment of the region's transition readiness, progress and any remaining challenges ahead. It aims to support the development of tailored, region-specific transition strategies that ensure economic, environmental and social sustainability while prioritising equity and inclusion.

Besides the JETI, the report dives deeply into innovative solutions for supporting workers and communities, offering insights into employment challenges and effective economic diversification strategies. By drawing lessons from successful practices worldwide, it provides actionable pathways for coal-dependent regions to embrace a more sustainable and prosperous future.

Co-hosted by Agora Energy Transition China, Agora Energiewende and Energy Foundation China, this event brought together leading experts, policymakers and academics to discuss the report’s findings and their practical implications. Professor Mao Xianqiang from Beijing Normal University, our author partner presented the key findings of the Just Energy Transition Index on the six coal regions. The other leading authors of the report – Dr. Zhang Ying (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences), Dr. Gao Yubing (Beijing Normal University), Ms. Wang Yating (Shanxi Coshare Innovation Institute of Energy and Environment), and Ms. Konstancja Ziółkowska (Forum Energii) – joined a panel discussion to share their insights on Polish and Shanxi’s coal regions on employment issues and economic diversification. And external speakers with perspectives of China, Germany, and the US provided their comments on the report.

Programme
You can find the programme in the download section below.

Presentations
The slides shown during the webinar can be found in the download section below.

Livestream
The livestream is available in both English and Chinese and can be viewed here.