Who is Most Vulnerable to the Transition Away from Coal? Ruda Śląska Residents’ Preferences Towards Jobs and Land Repurposing

After Germany, Poland is the EU's second largest coal producer and consumer.1 96 percent of EU-27 hard coal production, or 54.4 million tons, is extracted in Poland (EURACOAL, 2020). In 2020, over 40 percent of the country's total energy supply (TES) and 70 percent of its electricity generation come from coal and lignite (IEA, 2022), the highest rate in Europe. Coal in Poland also continues to employ about 88,000 people directly in the mines, down from about 444,000 in 1989. Europe's commitment to stop its fossil fuel imports from Russia following Russia's invasion of Ukraine is slowing down Poland's coal phase-out to ensure energy security in Europe,2 but Poland remains committed to a complete coal mine closure by 2049