A Future Without Coal

Coal provides an estimated 7.3 million jobs globally (.15% of jobs around the world), wages, and crucial revenue for public services. Between the need to move away from non-renewable sources of energy to address climate change and the increasing price of coal relative to other energy sources, there is a pressing demand for figuring out how to make sure 7.3 million people can make a living without coal and how to support the communities that rely on coal for public sector revenue. How do we replace these jobs and revenue, and should this be used as an argument against transitioning to renewables? Let's take a look at the global level first - the top coal producers in the world and the economic impacts of coal production globally.

According to modeling by Professor Robert Pollin of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network's Zero Carbon Action Plan (ZCAP), in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, coal production must be phased out by 2030.

While it might seem that this means 55,988 jobs will be lost in the coal sector immediately, the transition away from coal use will necessitate a more gradual phase-out over the next 9 years. This means that as the coal industry steadily contracts, just transition mechanisms to replace lost jobs and lost tax revenue can ramp up incrementally versus having to replace all 55,988 jobs and all lost tax revenue immediately. Per the ZCAP report, taking into account voluntary retirements, there will be about 4,500 or less displaced coal workers per year from 2021- 2030. Enabling a just transition will require supporting these 4,500 former coal workers per year and associated lost public revenue. 

There is a need to find solutions to fiscal dependence and create mechanisms for a just transition for the communities and workers involved in the coal industry. A case study in Colorado and findings from the ZCAP suggest ways forward. Below, find a map of two Colorado coal counties who are adapting to the changing world and prioritizing a just transition in the process.

(Click through the slideshow below!)

Based off of the work of Professor Robert Pollin in the ZCAP report, the following considerations must be prioritized to ensure a just transition.

1. Policies must ensure that jobs in the clean energy sector provide good wages, benefits, and working conditions. Examples include policy to support strong labor unions and effective job training programs.
2. Policies should be developed in partnership with communities most impacted. This includes development of strategies to replace lost revenue and address tax-base dependency on fossil fuels.
3. Policies must target specific communities for a just transition for coal-dependent workers and communities. This will entail re-employment and pension guarantees for all displaced workers; support for lost income for displaced workers; support for retraining; and federal and state-level support of  reclamation  and  repurposing  projects, as well as investment in coal-dependent communities and their economic development.

The progress made in Colorado and other coal dependent communities around the world reinforces the need for policies that direct funding currently subsidizing the coal industry to coal communities instead; that create a sustainable economy; and that respect coal workers and their roots in their communities.

The progress made in Colorado also indicates that with careful planning and a focus on the real impact on people and communities, we can transition away from coal and other polluting energy into a clean energy future.