The transition to a low-carbon economic model is a radical paradigm shift that requires transformation at all levels, from individual behaviour to entire economic sectors. But it’s also an unprecedented opportunity to reinvent our relationship with the economy, one that respects nature and planetary boundaries.
Eliza Barnea, Just transition campaigner, Romania | 5 August 2024
The focus must be on creating decent, sustainable jobs as the foundation of an economic system that serves both people and the environment.
Challenges of the just transition
It’s projected that the green transition will create approximately 1 million new jobs across the EU by 2030. This transformation will require supporting workers in updating their skills and shifting the focus of the education system towards life-long learning. With the EU committed to decarbonise its economy by 2050, fossil fuel industries will either be phased out or undergo radical technological transformations.
Recognising the vulnerability of mono-industrial regions dependent on polluting industries, such as EU’s coal-mining regions, the Just Transition Fund supports the workforce in transitioning to a low-carbon economy as one of its main objectives. In Romania, which has committed to phasing out coal by 2032, almost EUR 300 million from the Just Transition Fund has been allocated to this end for the country’s six beneficiary counties.
Whether it involves updating existing competencies or learning a completely new set of skills, workers in declining industries must be supported with complex, integrated interventions. These may include financial, logistical, psychological, or family-oriented measures to facilitate the transition between sectors and ensure the sustainability of new occupations.
Reskilling for a green future
An inspiring example of a programme that supports professional retraining in emerging green domains is RenewAcad, a network of counselling and professional training centres for renewable energy in Romania and the largest of its kind in southeastern Europe. These centres are dedicated to individuals in areas dependent on coal-based energy production, but not exclusively.
The academy takes advantage of the easily transferable technical skills of mining sector technicians, providing them with both practical and theoretical knowledge to become technicians and specialists in the solar, wind, or energy distribution renewable sectors. At the end of this programme, participants can access well-paid jobs in the installation, operation, and maintenance of renewable projects and electrical networks through recognised certifications.
Easier and cleaner working conditions and competitive salaries in the fast-growing renewable energy sector can be an additional motivation for the workforce to transition from the mining industry to renewables-focused sectors.
Already present in several cities in Romania, RenewAcad recently launched a new counselling and professional retraining centre in Rovinari, Gorj, implemented with the support of the Equal Opportunities Foundation, the Renewable Energy School of Skills (RESS), and funding from OMV Petrom.
Gorj remains the most affected region undergoing decarbonisation in Romania, with around 8,000 employees of Oltenia Energy Complex (OEC) still active in the coal mining industry. This means there’s an acute need for alternative, decent, and sustainable jobs. Organised in partnership with OEC, the course will initially prepare current OEC employees to take part in the construction of new photovoltaic parks, which are part of OEC’s restructuring plan.
Partnerships for success
Creating the opportunities and infrastructure for reskilling and upskilling requires broad and integrated partnerships between public institutions, the private sector, educational institutions, and civil society, aimed at accompanying workers throughout the process. Grassroots and personalised support measures, although time- and resource-intensive, are the only way to ensure the workforce undergoes a smooth transition.
These initiatives must be complemented by policies and programmes that encourage the development of high value-added, emerging green sectors that reintegrate workers into the labour market. After all, a just green transition can only be achieved if workers are able to recognise and seize the opportunity to secure decent, clean jobs and a better life.
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Location: Romania
Project: Just transition
Tags: RePowerTheRegions | Romania | just transition | renewables
