A Just Transition Fund for climate-neutral EU regions

Briefing 13-10-2020

The EU aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030, and achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The transition to clean energy will be a challenge for those regions highly dependent on fossil fuels and high-emission industries, in particular regions with a high level of employment in the coal sector. The new Just Transition Fund, complementing the existing cohesion policy funds, will provide support to address the social, economic and environmental impacts of the transition in the most affected territories. This paper looks at the new fund and its allocation mechanism; it focuses on the EU coal industry and the potential for clean energy solutions in a selection of coal regions; and finally, it gives an overview of the level of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU by NUTS2 region.