Over 100 participants attended the Forum. They represented coal communities, civil society, relevant ministries, diverse institutions from other European countries, and multilateral development banks. The key takeaways from the High-Level Forum included:

• Substantial work is needed across all levels, from national and local authorities to NGOs and community members, for a just post-war recovery and transformation.
• The importance of collaboration on the way towards the shared goal of Ukraine's sustainable and green recovery was highlighted by the speakers.
• Coal communities are actively uniting in the transformation process. For instance, the formation of the Association of coal communities of Ukraine is currently underway.
• The Ukrainian Government is set to take decisive steps in promoting a just energy transition. These measures include, for example, reaffirming the 2035 coal phase-out date and revisiting the State Target Program for the Just Transition of Coal Regions.

The summary of the Forum's discussions as well as recordings from day 1 and day 2 are accessible online.

The Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine and Ecoaction were co-organisers of the event’s second day. The first panel of the day featured presentations from the World Bank and the European Investment Bank, exploring financing options and support instruments available for Ukraine. Discussions encompassed grants, loans, technical assistance programs, and the implementation of these instruments at the municipal level. The second panel focused on planning and communities’ readiness to access funding.  The emphasis was on the significance of early planning for future funding access and on alignment with the EU acquis.

The Forum was organised by Ecoaction in partnership with the Ministry of Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development, the Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine, and in cooperation with the Agency for Reconstruction and Development within the framework of the project “New Energy – Facilitating Dialogue for Sustainable Development of Ukrainian Coal Regions”, implemented by partner organisations Germanwatch, Centre for Environmental Initiatives “Ecoaction”, Luhansk Regional Human Rights Centre “Alternatyva” with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany in cooperation with the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ).

Images courtesy of Ecoaction.