Green Activism in the era of re-democratization: which factors determine the transition from coal towards alternative (greener) energy sources in Poland?

The literature on environmental politics in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) typically assumes that progressive change is more likely under centre-left governments, given the overlap between environmental NGOs and left-liberal party networks and greater inclination toward EU compliance on decarbonization. However, recent research on Poland suggests that variation in the pace of progressive environmental reforms depends on a more complex sequential interaction of multiple factors, including campaign framing strategies, the circulation of new information and data and the emergence of new activist networks. Focusing on the transition from coal in three regions of Poland – Zabrze (Upper Silesia), Bełchatow (Łódź region) and Konin (Eastern Wielkopolska) - this paper argues that whilst local political alignment clearly matters, it should be seen as a necessary but not sufficient condition for explaining successful transition from coal. We argue that four factors prove critical in explaining the pace of change: (i) the particular framing of local campaigns and actions; (ii) the density of local activist/civil society networks; (iii) local institutional capacities; and (iv) the prevailing local state-market preferences and environmental views.