In cooperation with RRA Zasavje, we commissioned the Study of Social Awareness of a Just Transition for the Zasavje and SAŠA coal regions.
The purpose of the study was to gain an in-depth insight into the opinions and views of the residents of the Zasavje and SAŠA regions on the just transition and the impact of green policies on their daily lives, work, and the future of the region. The goal of the study was to determine how residents perceive the just transition and how they assess the projects and measures that are already underway or planned in both regions. Particular emphasis was placed on exploring which areas local residents identify as most important for a successful transition to a more sustainable economy and how important they consider individual measures related to employment, energy, environmental sustainability, and quality of life to be. In addition, the survey focused on examining the level of awareness of individual projects, their impact on the community, and the challenges faced by individuals and communities closely linked to traditional industries such as coal mining.
The analysis is based on a survey of the local population and a quantitative analysis of attitudes, which provides an in-depth insight into the understanding of the just transition in the broader social and economic context of both regions. The data was collected in October 2024, and the analysis included a total of 895 individuals from both regions and other regions of Slovenia, using a representative sample methodology. The survey was conducted in both regions, and the interpretation of the results is carried out in both regions for both the narrower coal mining area and the wider area defined in the Zasavje Regional Just Transition Plan and the SAŠA Regional Just Transition Plan.
We will repeat the study once more by 2029, and it will serve as a basis for the formulation of further proposals and programmes (of the next programming period).
The findings show that the residents of the SAŠA region are well acquainted with the concept of the just transition (better than in Zasavje or in Slovenia in general). At the individual level, they consider the most important measures to be those related to the retraining of individuals due to the abandonment of coal and active support in finding new jobs. They also express great concern about ensuring heat for heating their homes. In terms of general social measures, they consider health services, transport infrastructure, and heating to be the most important. Among the projects to be implemented under the SAŠA Regional Just Transition Plan, the best known are the Šaleška Valley District Heating System Transformation Project and the Floating Solar Power Plant on Lake Družmirsko. Based on the measures planned under the regional plan, respondents consider the most important measures to be those in the areas of retraining, district heating transformation, economic promotion, and research, development, and innovation. They obtain most of their information about the just transition from the national media and the websites of local communities and the SAŠA Development Agency.