Managing Coal Mine Closure: Achieving a Just Transition for All
Transitioning of economies to clean energy has emerged as a global priority, particularly in the fight against climate change. This has seen an increased investment in renewable energy. The African Development Bank, for example, increased significantly the share of renewable energy in its total lending to the energy sectors, from 14% to 100% between 2015 and 2017.
A new report by the World Bank 'Managing Coal Mine Closure: Achieving a Just Transition for All' offers solutions to how governments can prepare for and manage coal mine closures and the associated impacts on communities and people’s livelihoods.
The report reviews evidence of mine closures across the world and draws on experiences from 11 World Bank-financed projects and other global experiences. It shows that because the global coal mine industry has shifted from West to East, "future coal mine closures and associated job losses will be concentrated in Asia. It is anticipated the top three global coal producers, China, India, and Indonesia will be affected the most by any closures."