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A total of 10.3 billion euros of federal funding and several hundred million euros of state funding have been allocated to support the structural transformation of the Lusatian coal district in Brandenburg, Germany. But are the projects targeted by this funding putting the region on course for a sustainable future?

A study published in the Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning by RIFS researchers casts doubt on the outlook. On the ground in Lusatia, even goals that are anchored in Germany's National Sustainable Development Strategy appear to play only a marginal role in decision-making.

To turn this around, the researchers argue, ministries will need to place more emphasis on sustainability and work together to allocate funding appropriately.

The researchers analyzed official documents and interviewed experts from politics, business and civil society to investigate the extent to which sustainability goals shape the transition process following the coal phase-out in the Lusatian coal district.

"We found that many of the interviewees have rather weak conceptions of sustainability and, as a consequence, their decision-making is not guided by the sustainability goals. Nevertheless, there are projects that address sustainability aspects, particularly in the areas of emissions reduction, climate protection technologies, education and health infrastructure.

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