Seven​ ​Golden Rules for open and inclusive just transition planning at the regional level.

PETITION TOOL

The seven rules below establish guidance for regional and national authorities developing strategies for, and implementing the just transition at regional level.
They are particularly relevant to the ‘country teams’ who discuss and plan the transition, eventually selecting projects to apply for EU funding, under the EU Coal Regions in Transition Initiative.
The full implementation of these rules will ensure effective stakeholder participation in the process of selecting and implementing projects with a view to enable a speedy, socially just regional transformation beyond coal in line with the EU’s obligations under the UN Paris Climate Agreement.

Under these rules, authorities should:

1. Publicise the intention to establish a partnership or group for planning the just transition as early as possible. A clear and open invitation should be placed in an accessible location, ​at least three weeks before the date of the first meeting of the group. Authorities should make use of multiple channels, including social media

2. Strive to include a representative range of partners at all meetings and in all processes relevant to the just transition. They should follow the ​European Code of Conduct on Partnership​. Meetings to plan and prepare a just transition should therefore always involve

a. competent regional, local and other public authorities, in addition to central government

b. economic and social partners, including trade union representatives

c. bodies representing civil society, including environmental and social partners

They should include ​at least one local NGO representative and one national NGO representative, selected in a transparent manner. Authorities should also endeavour to involve a representative of the local community, such as a mayor

3. Give all partners equal status and voting rights. All partners should be involved in the development of a long term strategic transition plan and criteria for the selection of projects adhering to this strategy, as well as in the process of project appraisal and selection

4. Provide all partners with the same information and documents, at the same time and​at least two weeks in advance of the meeting. Project lists, including proposed projects and selection criteria, should be transparent and accessible

5. Establish transparent feedback mechanisms for comments and input in committees and processes

6. Ensure that the minutes of all committee meetings are publicly available, as well as the list of participants and any decisions on projects, no later than ​two weeks after the meeting

7. Facilitate community and public engagement in the transition process. All documents and decisions should be open for broad public consultation. There should be simple and clear procedures for the public to bring project ideas and to comment on existing project proposals or transition plans

2 Seven Golden Rules for open and inclusive just transition planning at the regional level

Seven Golden Rules for open and inclusive just transition planning at the regional level 3

This paper was issued by the Europe Beyond Coal campaign in July 2019.
Europe Beyond Coal is an alliance of civil society groups working to catalysethe closures of coal mines and power plants, to prevent the building of any new coal projects and hasten the just transition to clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Our groups are devoting their time, energy and resources to this independent campaign to make Europe coal-free by 2030 or sooner.
https://beyond-coal.eu/

Contact:
Katie Treadwell Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office ktreadwell@wwf.eu Alexandru Mustață Campaign Coordinator, Bankwatch Romania alexandru.mustata@bankwatch.org

https://eko-unia.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Seven-Golden-Rules.pdf