Though every country’s transition from coal is unique
many governments around the world face the same challenges that Libiąż does as they navigate toward clean energy sources
steady process of repurposing of the land that once housed the Libiąż waste site is an example of what’s possible when communities take the first step towards converting coal dependence to a more diversified local economy
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The energy transition threatens to leave the world’s 32 million fossil fuel workers out in the cold
but there are examples of how to integrate them into tomorrow's workforce
Poland produces more coal than any other country in the EU
coal runs as deep through the culture as the rich seam of fossilised carbon runs beneath the ground
Libiąż is a mere extension of the Janina coal mine that sits two kilometres away
so vital are the mine and its waste heap to the town’s economy
This includes finding new vocations for its industrious and hardy coal community
Thermoplast, a local plastics processing and recycling company, has been one of the beneficiaries. The company has actively recruited and invested in Libiąż’s former miners. “We are constantly looking for new products and new technologies, and for this we also need people,” Piotr Dyba, a Thermoplast management board member, told the World Bank in autumn 2022
“The employees who come to us from the mining industry [are] the most useful employees.”
This symbiotic relationship did not come about by chance
It is the product of years of planning and cross-sectoral partnerships from an array of local stakeholders
templates are now emerging demonstrating how to do it right
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard
Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis
Under the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Net Zero by 2050 pathway
the transition to net zero brings substantial new opportunities for employment
with 14 million jobs created by 2030 thanks to new activities and investment in clean energy
and building retrofits and energy-efficient construction would require a further 16 million workers
these opportunities are often in different locations
skill sets and sectors than the jobs that will be lost as fossil fuels decline
Changes are already under way, with around half of the global energy workforce now employed in the clean energy sector. However, “though clean energy sectors will bring many new jobs, they will not necessarily be in the same locations, require the same skill set, or be of the same pay or quality as those that are lost”
“So matching the skill sets of workers today with the opportunities of tomorrow will be a large undertaking with many initiatives and training schemes needed to meet the challenge.”
A recent IEA report showcases some real-world initiatives that are rising to the challenge
workforce mapping exercises can provide clarity on employment in a region
allowing for better targeted policies; second
collaborative approaches between government
industry and workers – such as in Libiąż – produce the strongest results
“Any [just transition] programme needs to regenerate a community and not just create jobs,” says Nick Pesta
As the most carbon-intensive fossil fuel, coal has been hit hardest by the energy transition. The coal industry employs around 6.3 million workers worldwide – predominately in mining
as well as the manufacturing of specialised mining and conveying equipment
the coal industry has declined considerably in North America and Europe
Canada and the US have found successful approaches to redeploying their coal workforces
“The Spanish approach was very cooperative with the unions, who recognised there was no future in fossil fuels,” says de Pous. “There was an inclusive process that developed a plan involving retraining, reskilling, early retirement – the whole lot – and it has led to some very fast retiring of coal mines and plants.” Spain aims to phase out coal by 2030
Spain’s Just Transition Strategy picks out green vocational training as a key focus
It identifies territories with the greatest short-term vulnerabilities and proposes an ‘Urgent Action Plan for Coal Regions and Power Plants’ to address them
Spain is implementing regional ‘Just Transition Agreements' for coal power plants between the government
companies and workers (represented by the trade unions)
The agreements commit the national government to collaborate with the Spanish National Employment Service to offer affected workers vocational training and help finding a new job
They also call on coal plant owners to relocate workers where possible and to give them priority access to new jobs in restoration and decommissioning
the companies commit to upskilling and reskilling programmes
signed a Just Transition Agreement to protect 2,300 workers at 12 plants
bringing the total to 3,000 workers at 15 plants
As an example of the Just Transition Agreements working in practice
Endesa announced training courses that will begin in February 2023 as part of the company’s 'Futur-e' plan
in an effort to support local jobs while dismantling its coal plant in Carboneras and installing renewables facilities
Endesa has set aside more than €150,000 ($159,413) for the training courses in Carboneras
The company is planning to build over 1,200MW of renewable generation in Almeria
which could offer job opportunities for workers from the Carboneras plant
Across the Atlantic, the US POWER Initiative looks to direct federal assistance to communities and regions facing job losses from the coal sector’s decline
POWER – today spearheaded by the Appalachian Regional Commission – has invested more than $319m in 395 projects in 358 coal-dependent counties throughout the Appalachian region (which produces the lion’s share of US coal)
These investments are expected to create or retain more than 36,600 jobs and leverage more than $1.5bn in private investment into the area
turbine manufacturers and construction workers can apply their skills to clean energy power plants
The UK government has reached an agreement with its North Sea oil and gas industry to manage the economic transition and transformation of the region and its fossil fuel workers. The North Sea Transition Deal foresees public and private investments of up to £16bn ($19.7bn) by 2030 in clean energy technologies
a voluntary commitment by the sector to source 50% local content for energy transition projects by 2030
and support for up to 40,000 direct and indirect jobs as part of efforts to decarbonise offshore oil and gas production
but there are some missing pieces in the puzzle
believes there should be a shared international database that documents the skills required for clean energy industries
as well as for a more digital and automated economy
“Communities shouldn't have to start from scratch in imagining what their economic opportunities are in a regenerative or sustainable economy – because it is a heck of a lot more than just clean energy jobs,” he says
“There are a couple of software companies that are trying to do this," he adds
"ETH Zurich [a university] and SkillLab [an Amsterdam-based tech start-up] are doing some really interesting work on skill assessment and categorisation.”
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Achieving a truly just energy transition for fossil fuel workers will be a Herculean challenge
“The slogan ‘leave no one behind’ sounds good
but there has never been a transition in the history of mankind where someone has not been left behind,” says de Pous
“But it is an addressable challenge,” insists Bloch
He points out that the pace of economic and technological systems change has steadily increased in recent decades
while it took 40 years for the US to reach market saturation for landline telephones
the same process took ten years for mobile phones
“You had people working on the old telephone system who were similarly having to be reskilled," he says
the new mobile phone industry needed those workers
we have done this before – every time is different
There will always be pathfinders who light the way
Thermoplast now employs 163 people and has grand plans for expansion
“We see development opportunities here,” says Dyba
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Kraków’s Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski blesses a plaque in memory of Helena Kmieć in Libiąż, Poland, on Feb. 6, 2018. Screenshot from @archidiecezjakrakowska8170 YouTube channel.Members of the tribunal overseeing the beatification process of Helena Kmieć — who was stabbed to death in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba in 2017, at the age of 25 — will be sworn in May 10
at a ceremony in the chapel of the Bishop’s Palace in Kraków
Tribunal members will hear from witnesses and gather other evidence to determine whether Kmieć displayed heroic virtue
before the advent of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger
Kmieć was a user of instant messaging apps
said that when the Polish millennial’s writings were gathered ahead of the formal opening of her beatification cause
“We collected what we could collect in terms of Helena’s writings,” he told Vatican Radio in April
“She left behind very few of these writings that are so strictly understood.”
“But it’s a sign of the times — when examining the compatibility of the writings of candidates for beatification with the teachings of the Church
Most of her communications were written through electronic media and not through traditional letters or other messages written on paper
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Her mother died a few weeks after her birth
and she was raised by her father and stepmother
She attended school in the nearby town of Libiąż
where she was recognized as intellectually gifted
After winning a scholarship to Leweston School
an independent school in southwest England
she majored in chemical engineering and technology at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice
She attended Mass almost daily during her studies, as well as helping children at a Caritas community center, and taking part in the university chaplaincy’s activities. Throughout her education, she also honed her talent for singing
As a student, she encountered the Missionary Volunteering Salvator group
run by the Society of the Divine Savior (Salvatorians)
she led a summer camp for children in Galgahévíz
Kmieć worked for a time as a flight attendant for Wizz Air
she oversaw a parish committee welcoming pilgrims attending World Youth Day in Kraków
she outlined her motivation for mission work
“I have been given God’s grace … and I have to share this gift,” she wrote
but are there for me to use to help others.”
“The greatest gift is that I know God and I can’t keep it to myself
On Jan. 8, 2017, she began a six-month mission at a children’s orphanage run by the Servant Sisters of Dębicka in Cochabamba
a man named Romualdo Mamio Dos Santos broke into the orphanage
He encountered Kmieć and struck her 14 times with a knife
Her killer was later given a 30-year jail sentence
Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz celebrated Kmieć’s funeral Mass on Feb. 19, 2017, and she was buried at the cemetery at Libiąż. She was posthumously awarded Poland’s Gold Cross of Merit
was appointed postulator of her cause in December 2022
he submitted a request to Kraków’s Archbishop Marek Jędraszewski to open the diocesan stage of her beatification cause
Following consultations with the Polish bishops’ conference and after obtaining consent from the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, Jędraszewski announced the opening of Kmieć’s cause in an April 7 decree
an opinion spontaneously appeared among the faithful about her holy life devoted to God and the Church
Many people prayed and continue to pray through her intercession.”
“The example of the Servant of God can certainly be an inspiration for people — especially young people — to pursue their vocation to holiness with great passion and commitment through volunteering and missionary activity.”
The decree appealed to “all those who have any documents
letters or information regarding the Servant of God
both positive and negative,” to submit them by June 30
At the May 10 ceremony, which will be live streamed
tribunal members appointed by Jędraszewski will take an oath promising to carry out their tasks diligently and confidentially
all later tribunal sessions will take place behind closed doors
The tribunal may decide to set up a subsidiary tribunal in the Archdiocese of Cochabamba
In an interview published May 7 on the Kraków archdiocese’s website, Fr. Wróbel said that a miracle would be a requirement for Kmieć’s beatification.
“Only in the case of a martyrdom process is a miracle not required,” he said. “For a beatification process to proceed on the grounds of martyrdom, certain criteria must be met, including that the death inflicted by the perpetrator must be due to either hatred of the faith or virtue derived from it.”
“We verified the perpetrator’s motivations. This was not the case with Helena.”
--> Not that I have delusions of sanctity, but I pity the committee that would have to read through all my electronic communication. Just my comments here at The Pillar could fill volumes.
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The beatification cause of a young Polish woman who worked as a flight attendant on a budget airline before serving as a lay missionary in Bolivia will take a step forward Friday.
at a ceremony in the chapel of the Bishop\u2019s Palace in Krak\u00F3w
Tribunal members will hear from witnesses and gather other evidence to determine whether Kmie\u0107 displayed heroic virtue
Kmie\u0107 was a user of instant messaging apps
said that when the Polish millennial\u2019s writings were gathered ahead of the formal opening of her beatification cause
\u201CWe collected what we could collect in terms of Helena\u2019s writings,\u201D he told Vatican Radio in April
\u201CShe left behind very few of these writings that are so strictly understood.\u201D
\u201CBut it\u2019s a sign of the times \u2014 when examining the compatibility of the writings of candidates for beatification with the teachings of the Church
He added: \u201CShe often wrote email messages
the saints are moving with the times.\u201D
Share
Helena Agnieszka Kmie\u0107 was born on Feb
She attended school in the nearby town of Libi\u0105\u017C
she majored in chemical engineering and technology at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice.
She attended Mass almost daily during her studies, as well as helping children at a Caritas community center, and taking part in the university chaplaincy\u2019s activities. Throughout her education, she also honed her talent for singing.
As a student, she encountered the Missionary Volunteering Salvator group
she led a summer camp for children in Galgah\u00E9v\u00EDz
Kmie\u0107 worked for a time as a flight attendant for Wizz Air
she oversaw a parish committee welcoming pilgrims attending World Youth Day in Krak\u00F3w
\u201CI have been given God\u2019s grace \u2026 and I have to share this gift,\u201D she wrote
but are there for me to use to help others.\u201D
\u201CThe greatest gift is that I know God and I can\u2019t keep it to myself
On Jan. 8, 2017, she began a six-month mission at a children\u2019s orphanage run by the Servant Sisters of D\u0119bicka in Cochabamba
He encountered Kmie\u0107 and struck her 14 times with a knife
Cardinal Stanis\u0142aw Dziwisz celebrated Kmie\u0107\u2019s funeral Mass on Feb. 19, 2017, and she was buried at the cemetery at Libi\u0105\u017C. She was posthumously awarded Poland\u2019s Gold Cross of Merit
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he submitted a request to Krak\u00F3w\u2019s Archbishop Marek J\u0119draszewski to open the diocesan stage of her beatification cause
Following consultations with the Polish bishops\u2019 conference and after obtaining consent from the Vatican\u2019s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, J\u0119draszewski announced the opening of Kmie\u0107\u2019s cause in an April 7 decree.
It said: \u201CAfter the death of Helena Kmie\u0107
Many people prayed and continue to pray through her intercession.\u201D
\u201CThe example of the Servant of God can certainly be an inspiration for people \u2014 especially young people \u2014 to pursue their vocation to holiness with great passion and commitment through volunteering and missionary activity.\u201D
The decree appealed to \u201Call those who have any documents
both positive and negative,\u201D to submit them by June 30
At the May 10 ceremony, which will be live streamed
tribunal members appointed by J\u0119draszewski will take an oath promising to carry out their tasks diligently and confidentially.
In an interview published May 7 on the Krak\u00F3w archdiocese\u2019s website
Wr\u00F3bel said that a miracle would be a requirement for Kmie\u0107\u2019s beatification.
\u201COnly in the case of a martyrdom process is a miracle not required,\u201D he said
\u201CFor a beatification process to proceed on the grounds of martyrdom
including that the death inflicted by the perpetrator must be due to either hatred of the faith or virtue derived from it.\u201D
\u201CWe verified the perpetrator\u2019s motivations
Over the past few years the Catholic world has been fascinated by the life and example of Bl. Carlo Acutis, a "computer geek" who will be canonized a saint sometime in the next year
announced the opening of the cause of beatification and canonization of Helena Kmieć
She was born in the same year as Carlo Acutis (1991)
as the second daughter of Jan Kmiecia and Agnieszka Bejska
Helena lost her mother only a few weeks after birth
She was raised in a deeply Catholic family
In 2000 Helena received her first Holy Communion
and six years later the sacrament of Confirmation
After high school she pursued engineering studies at the Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice
It was during her university studies where she began to volunteer and seek after missionary work
Helena decided to join the Salvator Missionary Volunteer Service of the Congregation of Salvatorian Priests
she was sent to Galgahéviz in Hungary for her first mission.
The postulator for her beatification process noted that "Helenka was delighted with the idea of the founder of our Salvatorian religious congregation
who once said that 'As long as there is only one man in the world who does not know and love Jesus Christ
During her missionary work she visited Zambia
On her application to be accepted on these missionary trips she wrote the following:
or DDDDD ("A Gift Gratuitously Given from God to Give [others]” in Polish "Dar Darmo Dany Do Dawania") and I have to share this Gift
the talents that I develop – are not intended for me
The biggest gift is that I know God and I can't keep it to myself
Helena Kmieć went on a mission to Bolivia in 2017 and was tragically killed on January 24
though the her murderer was not motivated by her practice of the faith
meaning that she is not considered a martyr
Her cause for canonization is being pursued based on her "heroic virtues."
According to the National Catholic Register
"When Father Król visited Helena’s family shortly after learning about her tragic death
he said that although her parents’ sadness was undeniable
Barbara nevertheless expressed joy that Helena had received Holy Communion the evening before being killed and so died in a state of grace."
At the moment her life is being investigated by the Archdiocese of Krakow to determine if her cause can be passed on to Rome for final consideration
A documentary was produced in 2018 that looked at her heroic life
though it is currently only available in Polish
Click here to see a slideshow of images
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THE Polish Church is opening a beatification process for a young lay missionary
who was employed as Wizzair cabin crew after completing A levels in England
She was later stabbed to death during a bungled robbery while working with nuns in Bolivia
“This has taken a great deal of preparation
but we’re very happy the Vatican has now approved the process
and we can already call her a servant of God,” the Church’s official postulator
to find your place in the Church and share your God-given abilities and convictions with others
It isn’t necessary to withdraw from the world.”
of canonical inquiries that could lead to the eventual canonisation of Helena Kmieć (1991-2017)
before joining the Polish Society of the Divine Saviour
He told the Church Times that Kmieć had gained “happiness and fulfilment” from five years as a mission volunteer after discovering her “calling to spread the gospel”
He said that she would be recognised for her “heroic virtues” rather than as a martyr
and a certified miracle would be required to confirm her sanctity and award her the title of “Blessed” as a prelude to her being proclaimed a saint
Kmieć belonged to Poland’s Light-Life renewal movement
and became a noted singer and guitarist while completing an engineering degree at the Silesian University of Technology and working with the Hungarian-owned Wizzair airline
Sent to Hungary in 2012 to teach children at a summer school
she later ministered to street children in Zambia
and also co-organised the Church’s 2016 World Youth Day festival
Kmieć helped Polish Immaculate Conception nuns to complete work on a new orphanage
but was brutally murdered by an overnight intruder just 16 days into her mission
whose convicted killer was given a 30-year prison sentence without parole
a former secretary to Pope St John Paul II
The beatification postulator, Fr Wrobel, said that Kmieć’s example of “saintliness at a young age” could be compared to that of Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991-2006), the London-born teenage computer evangelist beatified in October 2020 (News, 9 October 2020)
using their energies and talents in various ways for God and the Church,” the Salvatorian priest said
“Although we hope this process can be carried out quickly
it must be handled carefully and thoroughly
But we are already receiving reports and accounts of graces received from her”
The director of communications for Leweston School
said that Kmieć’s sixth-form place had been arranged by the Polish branch of United World Colleges
A new position of Chaplaincy Prefect had been created for her by the then chaplain and chair of governors
which was still worn by the school sacristan
“She’s remembered for having a huge impact on her year group
many of whom came back after her death and planted a tree in her memory,” Ms Worsley said
Nicholas Reed Langen examines the Supreme Court ruling on gender
We are a partnership of six diverse and welcoming congregations in the northern districts of Milton Keynes
offering a rich tapestry of worshipping traditions – Anglican
USPG is looking to appoint 3 Trustees (lay or ordained) committed to global mission within the Anglican Communion
The Diocese of Gloucester is looking for a practical team member to join the Department of Mission and Ministry who brings a creative and flexible approach as we seek to develop and implement innovative approaches to collaborative ministry across the Diocese
The Bishop of Lincoln seeks an ordained colleague to lead in vocational discernment within the Diocese
The Diocese of London is delighted to welcome applications for the position of Area Director of Ministry (Willesden) and Diocesan Clergy Wellbeing Adviser
run jointly by Sarum College and The Church Times
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Transitioning countries away from coal—the world's most dominant and most carbon-intensive source of energy—is crucial to ensuring a clean energy future.
A well-managed retirement of coal power plants and a massive scale-up in clean energy are essential to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and the targets of the Paris Agreement
A "Just Transition for All" initiative puts people and communities at the center of the transition
The initiative works with stakeholders to create the plans
and reforms needed to mitigate environmental impacts
The World Bank has decades of experience supporting countries where coal mines and power plants are closing
wherever they are in the transition process
This includes looking at the interdependencies between the decommissioning of coal assets—such as mining
and power plants—and developing renewable energy programs to take their place
we have provided more than $3 billion to support governments close coal mines and power plants and ensure a Just Transition that safeguards jobs and income in affected communities
The World Bank has built an approach based on lessons learned from decades of transition experience
and local authorities worldwide develop clear roadmaps focusing on governance structures
and the remediation and repurposing of former mining lands and coal-fired power plants
In every region—from the world's largest coal producers and consumers to the smallest—we help governments learn
and implement Just Transition for All principles and practices that put people and the environment at the center of the transition away from coal
are organized around three focus areas: 1) governance
and 3) repurposing of former mining land and other assets
and actions that together can mitigate the impact of coal mine closure on affected people and communities
Active stakeholder engagement at each phase of transition and within each focus area is crucial