For over eight years, the NGOs Ecoaction and the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Centre “Alternatyva” have been supporting coal communities in Ukraine in advancing just transition and structural economic transformation processes.
Within the framework of the project “Energy of the Future: New Opportunities”, implemented with the support of the British Embassy in Ukraine (FCDO), we are expanding our partnerships and engaging industrial and mono-industrial communities that face the challenges of recovery and economic reorientation. In this context, we are publishing the position of industrial and coal communities regarding the need to systematically take into account the specific characteristics of these territories in Ukraine’s state recovery policy.
Public position on integrating the specific situation of industrial and coal mining communities into the reconstruction process of Ukraine
Ukraine’s economy is experiencing immense negative consequences and pressure caused by the full-scale russian invasion.
The aggressor is deliberately destroying key sectors of the country’s economy, occupying industrial communities in the East and intensifying shelling of energy infrastructure facilities and industrial enterprises across Ukraine: those extracting and processing coal, oil and gas; electricity and heat generation facilities (TPPs/CHPs); metallurgical enterprises and more.
These enterprises are located within our communities and have ensured social and economic stability for decades: providing jobs, tax revenues to local budgets, and basic services for the population.
Of course, the situation is not the same in all of our communities.
There are communities relocated from temporarily occupied territories that lack access to their resources and have suffered a significant loss of human capital. In many of them, up to 90% of social, industrial, and residential infrastructure has been destroyed; there is a serious problem of integration into host communities and significant uncertainty regarding the legal status of both relocated and occupied communities.
There are front-line communities that also directly feel the consequences of the war: damage and destruction of social and critical infrastructure, as well as property of various forms of ownership; relocation of residents and local businesses; environmental degradation; increased social tensions; and a deterioration in the mental health of local residents.
There are communities located further from the frontline that feel fewer direct consequences of attempted occupation but face their own risks and problems: attacks on energy facilities, labor shortages, worsening demographic and financial capacity, reintegration of veterans and integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs), the need for infrastructure modernisation, etc.
Despite the different scales of losses, all these communities face similar challenges: lack of resources, decline in economic activity, and the need to restore resilience. Each type of community has its own scale and level of complexity of problems and challenges, but all are united by a common goal – restoring economic activity and bringing people back.
We also understand that Ukraine’s European integration process and the transposition of EU rules and standards into national legislation imply the gradual “greening” of the economy and a reduction in dependence on fossil fuels. This creates both risks and potential opportunities for us. In our view, the full-scale war has only accelerated these processes due to the destruction of production capacities — our communities are already facing a major challenge of structural economic transformation. For industrial and coal communities, this process has a common nature: the search for a new economic model aligned with carbon neutrality requirements, one that ensures jobs, energy security, and a decent quality of life.
Therefore, we, the leaders of industrial and coal communities of Ukraine, believe that our communities require enhanced attention, support, and integration of their interests into national strategic planning processes for reconstruction and industrial development. For example, when updating the National Economic Strategy, the State Regional Development Strategy, and the National Energy and Climate Plan.
Mechanisms to assist the transformation of coal regions already exist, and other mono-industrial communities that are already facing the same risks require similar support. This can be done by expanding existing state and international just transition programs to cover all communities that have experienced or are beginning to experience structural difficulties in the process of implementing the requirements for the decarbonisation of economic activity, regardless of their sectoral specialisation. At the same time, it is important to strengthen the social component of such programs, because a just transition must be not only about infrastructure and production, but first and foremost about people – creating decent conditions for living, working, and for the development of young people. Without this, the risk of depopulation in industrial and coal communities will only increase. It is also important to foresee in the future the expansion of existing financial mechanisms for a just transition, primarily a dedicated program by the European Investment Bank announced in June 2025.
At the same time, the processes already launched for coal regions must be deepened, synchronised with reconstruction efforts and the formulation of key characteristics of Ukraine’s post-war economic development model, and move into the stage of active implementation. In this context, the actual implementation and monitoring of the State Target Program for the Just Transition of Ukraine’s Coal Regions until 2030 is particularly important. In the coming years, preparations should also begin for updating and extending this program until 2040.
A separate decision is needed to address the lack of proper regulation of the legal status of relocated and occupied communities. Due to the absence of a clear state strategy, communities cannot forecast further steps or determine in what format they should operate. There are numerous legislative gaps and inconsistencies that must be addressed. State policy regarding the rights and support of internally displaced persons also requires improvement – both those who lost their homes since 2014 and those displaced after 2022.
All communities, regardless of their status, share a common goal: to create conditions for people to return, for economic recovery, and for a decent life after the war.
Signatories:
- Verbky Village Territorial Community, Secretary of the Verbky Village Council
Yevdokiia Dmytrivna Shakhova - Dobropillia City Territorial Community, Head of the Dobropillia City Military Administration of Pokrovsk District
Andrii Oleksandrovych Bondarenko - Druzhkivka City Territorial Community, Head of the Druzhkivka City Military Administration
Andrii Viktorovych Pankov - Kalush City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Kalush City Council
Andrii Mykhailovych Naida - Kramatorsk City Territorial Community, Head of the Kramatorsk City Military Administration
Oleksandr Vasylovych Honcharenko - Kremenchuk City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Kremenchuk City Council
Vitalii Oleksiiovych Maletskyi - Mykolaiv Village Territorial Community, Head of the Mykolaiv Village Council
Viktor Mykolaiovych Odoevtsev - Nadvirna City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Nadvirna City Council
Zinovii Myroslavovych Andriiovych - Novovolynsk City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Novovolynsk City Council
Borys Serhiiovych Karpus - Novodonetske Settlement Territorial Community, Head of the Novodonetske Settlement Military Administration
Yurii Anatoliiovych Liulka - Okhtyrka City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Okhtyrka City Council
Pavlo Petrovych Kuzmenko - Pavlohrad City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Pavlohrad City Council
Anatolii Oleksiiovych Vershyna - Pokrovsk City Territorial Community, Head of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration
Serhii Viktorovych Dobriak - Slobozhanske City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Slobozhanske City Council
Dmytro Mykolaiovych Dikhtiar - Sloviansk City Territorial Community, Head of the Sloviansk City Military Administration
Vadym Mykhailovych Liakh - Toretsk City Territorial Community, Head of the Toretsk City Military Administration
Vasyl Serhiiovych Chynchy - Troitske Village Territorial Community, Head of the Troitske Village Council
Oleh Oleksandrovych Chupryna - Sheptytskyi City Territorial Community, Mayor of the Sheptytskyi City Council
Andrii Ivanovych Zalivskyi