Poland-Ukraine knowledge exchange

The tour was part of the 'Poland-Ukraine Knowledge Exchange Program' and was organised by the Just Transition team of the World Bank within the framework of the Initiative for coal regions in transition in the Western Balkans and Ukraine.

The Ukrainian delegation included representatives of central and local administrations as well as NGOs. The study tour consisted of three parts. First, in Silesia, participants visited multiple post-mining areas and held conversations with representatives of regional and local administration. Then they participated in the conference 'World Bank's Engagement in Just Transition in Poland' of the 'Support to Polish Coal Regions in Transition' project. (The project was implemented by the World Bank, the European Commission, the Polish government, and Poland’s coal regions in transition Dolny Śląsk, Śląsk, and Wielkopolska.) Lastly, the delegation visited Eastern Greater Poland, where lignite is mined in open casts by a private company. The company is committed to decarbonisation and is in the process of closing mines, converting power plants as well as repurposing land, including assembling PV farms on post-mining areas. The participants of the tour met with interest all the repurposing examples as well as pointed solutions that would work best in their local setting, and the tour was concluded with a positive overall impression.

Visiting Euro-Centrum Science and Technology Park in Katowice