The Green Revolution in Europe: How Different Initiatives Create New Jobs

The European Union is on the threshold of an ambitious future, with the green transition and digitalisation as key drivers of economic and social transformation. At the same time, the EU faces significant challenges related to demographic change and the need for environmental and social solutions that respond to the needs of different regions.

Bulgaria, in particular, faces critical problems, but can also take advantage of the new opportunities that the green transformation brings if it manages to direct its investments in key sectors and retrain the workforce.

Stories from Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Croatia show how successful adaptation to the green transition can be both economically beneficial and socially just. They were shared during the "Just Transition in Pernik" international conference, organized by Brand Media Bulgaria, publisher of Economic.bg, as part of the European project "Career Transition of Opportunities".

Between 1 and 2.5 million new jobs

The green transition, digital transformation and demographic changes are the main challenges that the EU must overcome, said Kaloyan Kolev, European Commission representative in the Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion. These processes are complicated by the war in Ukraine, as Europe must simultaneously increase its competitiveness and respond to social and environmental needs.

Europeans clearly express their desire for the transition to be just," Kolev pointed out, referring to recent surveys.

At the same time, according to him, Bulgaria is facing serious problems, such as having the highest mortality rate in the EU related to air pollution.

The green transition will lead to the creation of between 1 and 2.5 million new jobs in the EU by 2030. However, these changes will not affect all regions and sectors equally.

85% of companies in the EU are experiencing a shortage of personnel with the necessary skills to deal with the green and digital transition," Kolev emphasized.

In Bulgaria, the situation is particularly critical. Only 10% of workers have received training in the last year, one of the lowest rates in the EU. Key skills for the future include engineering and digital competences needed to install technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels.

According to Kolev, the investments needed for the green transition are unprecedented. By 2030, the European Union needs an additional 92 billion euros to increase its production capacity in the field of technologies to achieve zero emissions. In this context, the EU is proposing several financial mechanisms to ensure social justice and economic sustainability.

Kolev outlined some of the more important financial instruments that are key to a successful transformation. In addition to the already known ones - the Just Transition Fund, the European Social Fund, and the Recovery and Resilience Plan - a Social Climate Fund with a budget of 65 billion euros is to be launched in 2026.

For Bulgaria, the green transition is not only an environmental challenge but also an opportunity for economic transformation.

Investments must be directed towards developing quality jobs and retraining so that the affected regions can adapt to the new realities," said Kolev.

He stressed that the active role of social partners, local authorities and civil society is essential for the successful use of European funds and instruments.

Kolev concluded with the message that the transition to climate neutrality is not just a challenge, but also a chance for regions in Bulgaria to transform themselves and attract investment. “We cannot guarantee the future of these regions, but we can create huge development opportunities,” he concluded.

The Slovenian example and cooperation with business

Tadej Špitalar told the story of the Zasavje region, moving from a coal mining industry to innovation and modern development. Located in the heart of Slovenia, this region has built its economy on rich brown coal deposits, which have been the basis of local industry for over 250 years. The area played a key role in Yugoslavia's energy network, with two large power plants, and its iconic 360-meter chimney remains a symbol of its industrial past.

The mine's closure in 2014 led to the loss of over 6,000 jobs, with unemployment soaring to 20% and GDP per capita falling to the lowest level in the country. The lack of a just transition deepens social and economic problems, but the municipality is moving towards new opportunities.

Closing the mines was a real transition for us, but it was definitely not just.”

The city joined the Coal Regions in Transition (CRiT) initiative in 2017, and two years later the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM). The region has been allocated €75 million, of which €9.36 million will finance the transformation of the abandoned coal sites into a modern industrial area.

One of the main drivers of innovation is the company Dewesoft, which created the first accelerator in Slovenia – Katapult. With the help of JTF, they will expand their activities in the new industrial zone, supporting start-ups and sustainable businesses. Thus, the region is reorienting itself from coal to innovation. The Slovenian example shows how industrial heritage can be used to build a sustainable future.

Poland's Energy Transformation: A Story of Courage and Resilience

In a Polish region where coal has been the backbone of the economy until recently, a new story is beginning – the story of transformation inspired by the need for cleaner and more sustainable energy. Daniel Balinski, Just Transition Coordinator at ZE PAK, spoke about the path to a green future.

The company is among the first in the country to decide to abandon coal and embark on the path of decarbonization. It has set ambitious goals - zero emissions by 2026 and large-scale investments in green technologies, including a green hydrogen production chain.

One reason for this drastic change is the rising cost of carbon emissions. Between 2015 and 2021, despite efforts to reduce emissions, the cost of carbon emissions doubled.

The energy transformation must happen in Europe. The rising costs of carbon emissions make coal not only unsustainable but also economically unviable," Balinski stressed.

In 2020, ZE PAK closed three of its four coal-fired plants, replacing them with biomass power plants and starting construction of green hydrogen plants. One of their biggest successes was the creation of a social enterprise by a group of laid-off workers who, instead of losing their jobs, were trained and helped to start a new business.

These people specialized in heavy equipment and now have contracts with the Polish army. Instead of being left behind, they stayed on the job market and managed to develop."

The company is also implementing a €52 million-funded “Job After Coal” project. It targets people affected by the transformation, offering opportunities to find new jobs or start their own businesses.

Our goal was not just to create new jobs, but to ensure that they would be quality and sustainable," explained Balinski.

Despite the successes, challenges remain. Strict government regulations and inflexible spending rules sometimes slow down the process. “Energy transformation is difficult, especially for people who rely on the coal industry. But our example shows that with effort and cooperation, we can achieve a sustainable future,” he concluded.

Sustainable transition in the Czech Republic: A story from the Ústí coal region

In one of the largest coal regions in the Czech Republic, Ústí, a bold story of change and hope begins. Karel Tichy, an expert in the field of sustainable transition, presented the region's vision and progress in addressing the economic and social challenges posed by the abandonment of the coal industry.

The region is located on the border with Germany and is home to around 800,000 inhabitants. A historical focus on coal and industrialisation has shaped the local economy but has also left a legacy of unskilled labour, brownfield sites and dependence on the coal industry.

Nearly 20,000 people are directly or indirectly employed in the coal sector, which means that an uncontrolled shutdown of this activity could have serious consequences for the local economy and people's lives," says Tichy.

With the help of the Just Transition Fund (JTF), the region is developing a strategy based on four key pillars:

• Economic diversification – Promoting new industries, including clean technologies.
• Training and retraining of the workforce – Support for workers affected by the transition.
• New energy resources – Investments in renewable energy sources and hydrogen technologies.
• Brownfield Redevelopment – ​​Transforming mining sites and industrial zones into new economic hubs.

The total budget of the JTF for Ústí is around €600 million. These funds are targeted at key areas such as entrepreneurship, research and development, energy projects, digital innovation, circular economy and improving education.

These investments will not only help retain jobs but will also increase the quality of education and the qualifications of the workforce," emphasizes Tichy.

One of the most notable projects is the Green Mine initiative, led by energy giant 7 Group, which operates two large coal mines and a power plant in the region. The project aims to:

• Support workers – Retraining and assistance with redeployment to new industries
• Develop clean technologies – Production of hydrogen technologies, photovoltaics and wind turbines.
• Give advisory services – Individual support for workers in their transition to new jobs.

“We face many challenges, including complex government regulations and insufficient flexibility in spending rules. But we believe that sustainable development is possible,” says Tichy.

From Hobby to Business: The Story of a Croatian Video Game Developer

From a small Croatian village to the big stage of the gaming industry, the story of a video game developer is a journey filled with challenges and inspiration. For many, creating video games seems like something only available to huge studios and large corporations, but Mladen Bošnjak proves that with passion and perseverance, any dream can become a reality.

"I started making video games as a kid, as a hobby. It was something I did in my free time," says Bošnjak, who began his journey in 2002, when there were no schools or courses for game development in Croatia. However, he did not give up. This confidence came from the success of a group of Croatian developers who created a game worthy of comparison with the best titles of the time.

It was like a sign to me. If they can do it, then I can too," he says.

In 2011, he created his first major game, an FPS title, in collaboration with a Canadian friend. He then started working at a virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) company in Zagreb, where they created a VR game in 2018. And he didn’t stop there. “I tried everything – PC games, VR and mobile games,” says the developer, who is convinced that trying different platforms is very important for success in the industry.

The Croatian town of Novska is the place that gives even greater impetus to Bosnjak's ambitions. It hosts an innovative gaming incubator that attracts young people to the city and on whose basis the ambitious gaming center project will also develop.

It was a small but very well-organized project. I immediately decided to start the company there because I was receiving financial support from the local authorities and the European Union. It was a chance I couldn't miss," he explains.

This led to the development of the video game Go Home Annie, which debuted in December. With the support of local authorities, the European Union, and the Croatian Audiovisual Center, Bošnjak was able to obtain funding for his project.

This was not only a Croatian story, but also a European one, because we managed to create cooperation with publishers from Lithuania," he adds.

Novska and stories like Bosnjak's are examples of how the transformation of coal-dependent regions can be directed towards innovative technologies that attract investors.

Green transformation in Northern Sweden: How collaboration is changing the region's future

Northern Sweden has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, thanks to a green transition that encompasses not only the region's industries but also the way of life of its residents. Two representatives of this process, Sara Brandell and Niklas Haggström, shared how their project in Luleå is not only helping the transition to sustainable development but also building a new economy and social structure in this distant but increasingly important region.

A few years ago, northern Sweden was almost isolated from the country's main industrial processes. No one came to visit the region, and now people are not only visiting but also deciding to stay here," says Haggström, head of the education project in Luleå.

Luleå, located about 150 kilometers south of the Arctic Circle, now attracts tourists not only for its unique ice trail, but also for its dynamically developing industrial and green economy.

Sara Brandell, project manager, adds: “Northern Sweden is now not only a place for tourism but also for investment. The green transformation that has started here has completely changed the face of the region. It is now at the center of many industrial innovations and new growth opportunities.”

However, there are serious challenges that need to be overcome to ensure the success of this process. "The region, which covers almost a third of Sweden, has only about 50,000 inhabitants. At the same time, the country's large southern cities, such as Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö, have about 7 million people. This difference is enormous, and the demographic demands create serious difficulties for our region," explains Hagström.

But they see a solution in attracting workers from other parts of Europe. "While many regions in Europe are struggling with high unemployment, we are trying to solve the problem of labor shortages," Brandell added.

One of the key drivers of the green transformation is education. Niklas and Sara are working on a project that will train workers in key industry skills for the transition. They plan to create a 20-week core training course that includes five different parts and will start in early February. “This is the first course of its kind in the region, and we are working together with large companies, such as mining and steel companies, to determine what skills the workforce will need,” says Häggström.

The project is fully funded by the Swedish government and is part of efforts for sustainable development in high-carbon industries, such as steel and mining.

These industries are among the biggest polluters in Sweden, and to make them cleaner and more efficient, we need to invest in the education and skills of the workforce," explains Häggström.

Their project shows how collaboration between the private sector, local authorities and educational institutions is crucial for the successful implementation of the green transformation. “Never before has there been such a level of collaboration between industries and local authorities in the region. Companies are now actively involved in identifying skills needs, and local authorities are providing the necessary education and infrastructure,” says Brandell.

The Luleå project is not only a learning initiative, but also part of a larger effort to develop new industrial parks and increase the region's population to 100,000 by 2040.

This is an ambitious goal, but we are confident that we will achieve it. More and more companies are starting to be interested in how we can support them in the development of new technologies and green industries," adds Häggström.

Co-Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Managing Authority. Neither the European Union nor the Managing Authority can be held responsible for them.

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov