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Governance, Innovation and Eco-Friendly Regional Energy Transitions

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Florian Weber

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Guest Editor

Department of European Social Research, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
Interests: cross-border cooperation; urban development; energy transitions

Dr. Teva Meyer

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Guest Editor

CRESAT, University of Haute-Alsace, 68100 Mulhouse, France
Interests: energy geographies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The diversity of energy sources leads to a variety of energy transition paths on a global scale. With the European Green Deal, the European Union has set out to become the first continent to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. However, this goal is neither uncontroversial nor can it only be realized in a top-down manner—it is up to EU member states to bring the plan to life. The extent to which fossil fuels continue to be used on a global scale, the role of nuclear power, and how renewable energy is dealt with all vary a great deal. With the Special Issue “Governance, Innovation and Eco-Friendly Regional Energy Transitions”, we are aim to address these issues and ask what role governance processes play. In addition, what is regarded as innovative and forward-looking will be decisive in this context. We are particularly interested in regional ways of implementing energy transitions. The journal Sustainability also aims to discuss an understanding of sustainability that goes hand in hand with such energy transitions. Against this background, this Special Issue seeks contributions at the crossover of governance—at both the regional and local level—and sustainable energy transitions, in the hope of showcasing current research perspectives

Prof. Dr. Florian Weber
Dr. Teva Meyer
Guest Editors

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Research

38 pages, 1867 KB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Municipal Energy Transition—Evaluating Support and Citizens’ Awareness Levels in the Post-Mining Region in Poland

by Izabela Jonek-Kowalska

Sustainability 2026, 18(6), 2897; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18062897 - 16 Mar 2026

Viewed by 387

Abstract

Operationally, energy transition takes place at the local level, that is, in cities and rural municipalities. Its effectiveness is, therefore, dependent on individual actions undertaken in enterprises and households. It also constitutes a particularly challenging task for industrial regions with centuries-old mining traditions. Meanwhile, the opinions of residents living in mining cities receive little attention in the literature. For these reasons, this study used survey research conducted in 19 Silesian cities with county rights and on a representative sample of 1863 residents. In this way, answers were sought to the following research questions: (1) How do urban residents in a developing economy in a post-mining region assess their knowledge regarding environmental protection and energy transition? (2) How do they evaluate local authorities’ actions concerning the replacement of non-ecological heating sources in households? The analysis of results employed descriptive statistics and non-parametric statistical tests, identifying differences in respondents’ assessments according to gender, age, education, and place of residence. The analyses conducted indicate that residents assess their environmental awareness as average. They also rate their knowledge of the energy transition below average, despite being in the midst of it. The assessments of men, older individuals, and those with vocational and secondary education are higher in both cases than the assessments of women, younger generations, and respondents with primary, post-secondary, and higher education. Respondents also rate financial and informational–educational support for heating source replacement as average. Importantly, however, these actions are noticed and appreciated. They meet the expectations of less formally educated individuals (formal education level: primary, vocational, and secondary). However, they do not generate enthusiasm among those with post-secondary and higher education, whose environmental needs and expectations may be higher. The level of financial support, and to a lesser extent informational–educational support, differs significantly among the studied cities, indicating the absence of a coherent regional policy. This may also result in deepening environmental disparities and inequalities in quality of life among the studied urban centers. The two-dimensional assessment reveals that the majority of the examined cities fall into the stagnator category, exhibiting average levels of both environmental awareness and institutional support for energy transition. The most favorable prospects for effective energy transition are observed in Gliwice and Żory, while Zabrze, Świętochłowice, and Jastrzębie-Zdrój—post-mining cities burdened by limited development potential and financial constraints—demonstrate the least promising outlook. The conclusions and recommendations derived from this article directly align with the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 7—Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7)—which addresses energy transition, including the adoption of clean heat sources. They also support the development of sustainable cities, thereby contributing to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11—Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Governance, Innovation and Eco-Friendly Regional Energy Transitions)

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