On 9 November, the founding meeting of the Association of Coal Communities of Ukraine took place. The Association includes 16 communities dependent on coal mining enterprises and TPPs/CHPs. Communities located near the frontline and on the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions also joined the Association as honorary members. In total, representatives of 5 Ukrainian regions joined the Association.
Communities that joined the Association: Burshtyn, Chervonohrad, Belz, Pershotravensk, Petropavlivka, Novovolynsk, Poromiv, Lytovezh, Zelenodolsk, Ladyzhyn, Sokal, Dobrotvir, Velykomostivka, Mykolaiv, Ternivka, Pavlohrad.
Honorary members: Toretsk, Myrnohrad, Pokrovsk, Dobropilllia, Hirske.
Association’s aim is to promote just transition of mono industrial territorial communities dependent on coal mining and thermal generation; representation of the interests of communities in the processes of just transition, energy transition, and reconstruction from the consequences of war; promotion of local and regional development.
The Association will help coal communities share their experiences in planning for a just transition and cooperate with each other, governmental officials and international financial institutions.
The founding meeting of the association was held with the support of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
Ecoaction sincerely welcomes the establishment of the Association. Together with the non-governmental organizations Luhansk Regional Human Rights Center «Alternativa» and Germanwarch, we have been actively working on the topic of just transition since 2018 and are confident that such an official association will contribute to further positive changes.