The 6th Europe-China workshop on clean energy transition

Coal regions worldwide are undergoing profound industrial restructuring. Both China and Europe face multiple practical challenges in pursuing energy transition and green growth, underscoring the urgent need for cross-regional exchange of experience and policy learning, including:

• Geopolitics and structural constraints: Geopolitical and trade tensions slow transition momentum, while structural path dependency further constrains economic diversification.
• Energy–climate policy trade-offs: Persistent tension between ensuring energy security and achieving emissions reduction goals.
• Economic competitiveness pressures: Rising energy costs and evolving policy frameworks are weakening industrial competitiveness, especially in energy-intensive sectors. Slow development of alternative industries, resulting in weaker regional growth and persistently high unemployment.
• Territorial inequality risks: Widening regional disparities, with less-developed areas bearing a disproportionate transition burden.
• Governance and implementation gaps: Barriers in transition financing, stakeholder participation, and long-term sectoral transformation.

In Europe, high energy costs and evolving climate and trade-related policy frameworks are placing additional pressure on industrial competitiveness, increasing uncertainty for energy-intensive industries. The development of alternative industries in former coal regions has also progressed slowly in some areas, contributing to persistent employment challenges during the transition process. Meanwhile, the Just Transition Fund continues to encounter implementation barriers related to fund allocation, stakeholder participation, and long-term industrial transformation.

Against this backdrop, this workshop is convened in Wuppertal, Germany, focusing on the economic revitalization and just transition of coal regions in China, Germany, and Poland. The discussions will discuss how to strengthen regional and industrial competitiveness while advancing green growth. Participants will explore practical approaches including multi-level governance mechanisms, innovative transition financing, deep decarbonization of traditional industries, pathways for alternative industries, and cross-regional cooperation. Through dialogue and comparative exchange among the three countries, the conference aims to identify transferable policy tools and financing models that can support coal regions in sustaining economic vitality and employment while progressing toward net-zero emissions.

Programme
You can find the programme for the event in the download area below.

We look forward to your participation and an energising discussion!