The phase-out of coal as a source of energy is one of the most important strategies to reach the objectives of the Paris Agreement and protect the planet from global warming. Coal mining and coal-fired energy, however, have sustained national and global economies for many decades. Coal mining regions in particular, face significant challenges now that global and local climate commitments are calling for the end of coal. How can coal regions transform their economies in order to sustain local livelihoods, economic activities and jobs? How can these regions make sure that the transition from coal to other sources of livelihood is a just transition that leaves no one behind?

The training programme on Job-rich local economic development strategies for a just transition in coal mining regions, offered in the framework of the project “Innovation Regions for a Just Energy Transition” aims to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders in and around coal mining regions to design and implement local economic development strategies that attract investment, create employment and promote private sector development in coal mining regions.

The training programme is designed for:

• National government representatives involved in the coal transition (Ministries of Labour, Planning, Mining, Finance, Economic Development, Women’s Affairs)
• Local government representatives in coal mining regions in Indonesia, India, Mongolia, South Africa, Thailand, and Viet Nam
• Private sector representatives, including employers’ organizations, nationally and in coal mining regions in Indonesia, India, Mongolia, South Africa, Thailand, and Viet Nam
• Workers’ representatives nationally and in coal mining regions in Indonesia, India, Mongolia, South Africa, Thailand, and Viet Nam
• Civil society organizations and academia involved in the coal transition

The course will introduce local economic development planning processes, local economy assessments, strategy making and strategy implementation. It will pay due attention to aspects of stakeholder engagement and partnership building, as well as systems and structures to work across different levels of Government. At the end of the training course, participants will understand the phases of local economic development processes, the institutional aspects of strategies to promote strong and diversified local economies and the research efforts required to support local economic development. Participants will familiarize themselves with the theoretical aspects as well as with case studies of regions and territories that successfully steered economic development and diversification processes and encouraged job-rich investments in the local economy.

The course will strengthen participants’ understanding of the role of economic diversification, local economic development, investment promotion, business enabling environments and social inclusion in advancing a just transition in coal mining regions. Participants will analyse past and on-going experiences with coal phase out in countries around the world and extract lessons learnt. The programme will enhance their capacity to develop effective, well-integrated and participatory interventions in coal mining regions.

The key topics covered in the on-line training programme are:

• Just transition in coal regions: drivers and opportunities for job-rich local economic development strategies
• Economic diversification and coal phase-out
• Local economic development through a gender-sensitive and inclusive perspective
• Business enabling environment
• Investment promotion
• Action planning 101

The IKI-supported project “Innovation Regions for a Just Energy Transition” (IKI-JET) aims at supporting key stakeholder of coal regions to plan for and implement regional just energy transition pathways away from coal and towards a low-carbon energy system.

The Just Energy Transition in Coal Regions Interregional Platform (JET-CR Platform) forms part of IKI JET project. Through the JET-CR Platform, the consortium members offer different kind of support for coal regions, including the modular capacity development programmes described in this note.

The training programme serves both as a forum to further strengthen the JET-CR communities of practice and as a thematic introduction to further capacity building efforts.