Bohumil Frantál, Chodkowska-Miszczuk, J. M., Filip Alexandrescu, > Franziska Stölzel, Petr Klusáček, Ondřej Konečný, Süsser, D., Agata Lewandowska, & Dominik Zieliński
The article presents the results of an international comparative study that covered residents of three mining regions: the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland. The study aimed to understand how local communities perceive the negative effects of coal mining, their attitudes towards mining, and their preferred pace of phasing out coal. The authors focused on people living near active open-pit mines, who have personal experience with both the environmental impact of mining and the consequences of mine closures for the local economy.
The results showed significant diversity in attitudes and perceptions between regions and within them. Residents of these areas have complex and often contradictory feelings towards coal, influenced by local geographic conditions, the scale of landscape impacts, and ties to place, community, and the coal industry itself. The most important factor determining attitudes towards coal was the perception of the negative environmental effects of mining. Professional connections to the coal sector, age, and gender were also significant, although their importance varied depending on the local context.
The study found that in the Czech Republic, most people oppose further coal mining, while in Germany and Poland, pro-coal attitudes prevail. The authors emphasise that the process of moving away from coal, the so-called just transition, is deeply rooted in local realities and cannot be carried out in isolation from the needs and experiences of residents. Energy changes evoke anxiety, a sense of lost identity, and distrust towards external initiatives, especially when they do not offer real alternatives for economic development. It is pointed out that education, community involvement in decision-making processes, and access to reliable information about the state of the environment are crucial for building acceptance of the energy transition.
Resources Policy Volume 101, February 2025, 105476