Over the past decade, Ukraine has demonstrated significant progress and political will in defining the concept of a just transition. Ecoaction has been proud to play its role in this process: from supporting the coalition of coal towns in Donetsk region and expanding the work to other coal regions, conducting thematic research and public opinion surveys, assisting in the development of a local just transition strategy, fostering international cooperation, contributing to national strategic documents, to supporting individual communities and civil society organisations.
However, all just transition processes in Ukraine today remain inextricably linked to coal regions and are directed exclusively at them.
In fact, achieving a full and successful decarbonisation of the country’s economy requires broadening both the scope and understanding of just transition beyond the current focus on a single type of region. Other carbon-intensive and mono-industrial communities — such as those dependent on oil, gas, and other fossil resource extraction, as well as industrial enterprises reliant on fossil fuels that will reduce operations or shut down entirely — must also be included within government just transition policies.
In our view, the positive examples and lessons learned from working with coal communities should serve as a foundation for applying the principles and definitions of a just transition to other sectors.
Some initial groundwork has already been laid in the Ukrainian legislation. The Law “On the Basic Principles of State Climate Policy,” adopted in October 2024, recognises just transition as one of the guiding principles of national climate policy and for the first time provides a definition that does not contain an exclusive reference to coal regions, but expands the interpretation and inclusion of other communities and territories that will need socio-economic support through decarbonisation processes.
At Ecoaction, we believe that the first step towards broadening the understanding and implementation of just transition principles is to introduce the necessary changes into national strategic planning documents.
For example, neither Ukraine’s first nor second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement identified just transition as a priority. On the rare occasions it was mentioned, it was only in the context of phasing out coal and supporting coal regions, which in effect narrowed both the meaning and the potential of such a comprehensive policy.
Ukraine’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), adopted in June 2024, also reflects a very narrow understanding of just transition. It includes only one specific measure — the development and adoption of a State Target Program for the Just Transition of Coal Regions until 2030.
Notably, this approach was criticised by the Energy Community Secretariat, which stressed that just transition should be integrated more deeply than as a single policy or measure. It also recommended “consider extending the just transition concept – currently limited only to coal regions – to regions using additional criteria, such as the existence of GHG emission- and energy intensive industry and/or regions that are expected to face challenges and require managed change as a result of war-inflicted damage and the green transition”.
In 2025 and 2026, Ukraine will be updating its NECP and NDC, creating a unique window of opportunity to introduce corresponding changes to strategic documents that will shape the country’s climate and energy policy for the years ahead.
Ecoaction is ready to provide comprehensive support to the Ministry of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture in developing relevant amendments related to just transition — such as revising terminology, policies, and measures, and improving the integration of its principles — into the NDC and NECP, drawing on our many years of experience in this field, our expertise, and our extensive network of international and Ukrainian experts.