Main conclusions from the report
- The Eastern Wielkopolska region is in an unfavourable economic condition compared to the rest of the Wielkopolska Region, especially in terms of the unemployment rate and average salary. However, ZE PAK Group stands out positively, offering salaries comparable to those achieved on average in Warsaw or Poznań.
- Further rate of reduction in employment in ZE PAK as a result of limiting the activity of lignite mines and power plants will be faster than the rate of natural retirement of employees. Therefore, the company and the sub-regional authorities are faced with the challenge of how to ensure the funding and implementation of the company’s employee re- and up-skilling programmes and land repurposing programs.
- In particular, Funds from the Just Transition Fund should support the transformation of the labor market and prioritize investments strategically linked to the realisation of the European Green Deal, in order to use the competencies of the ZE PAK’s employees and take advantage of the growing demand for technologies and products in a low-carbon economy.
- The region’s decarbonisation scenarios until 2030 predict an increase in employment in the RES value chain in Eastern Wielkopolska and it will be sufficient to compensate for the decline in the number of employees in the lignite sector and related sectors.
- The realization of the optimistic scenario will permanently contribute to the creation of approx. 10,000 more new jobs in the region in the power sector alone compared to the baseline scenario.
Please cite as:
Hetmański M., et al,, Just transition in Eastern Wielkopolska: diagnosis & guidelines, report by Instrat for WWF Poland, 2021.