Germany’s Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment

Last updated: 2 August 2023

As part of its efforts to halve energy-related CO2 emissions by 2030, Germany intends to phase out coal-based power. To reach a broad social consensus on the coal phase-out plan, the federal government established a Commission on Growth, Structural Change and Employment (also known as the Coal Commission) in June 2018. It brought together representatives of environmental associations, scientists, trade unions, economic and energy associations, and representatives from the affected regions. Commission members met with coal mining regions to receive grassroots inputs on the challenges and opportunities in each area. In addition to recommendations on the pace of the coal phase-out, the Commission proposed that coal mining regions receive EUR 40 billion between 2020 and 2038 in transitional assistance, funded from the federal budget. The recommendations formed the basis of the German government’s just transition strategy for coal regions. 

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