The Coal Transition in Datong: An Ethnographic Perspective

Audin, Judith

doi:10.22459/mic.05.01.2020.04

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Many of Kouquan's last residents feel "left-behind" (also noted in other contexts, e.g. Mah 2012: 7) witnessing the town fall into decay, in the context of a larger restructuring of the coal industry in Datong that created a lot of uncertainty and worry for families (Audin 2020). They also feel leftbehind by the urban renewal programme: the relocation programme aiming to solve the problem of land-subsidence due to decades of aggressive industrial mining has not been fully implemented in Kouquan.…”

Section: Dwelling Amongst Ruins and Ghostsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In the 1990s, new urban infrastructure emerged around the coal economy, and Kouquan Town became less relevant for consumption and services. In recent years, anti-pollution and de-capacity measures contributed to profound change both in the landscape and in the structure of the coal industry (Audin 2020). Issues of pollution, poor living standards, and landsubsidence impacted the local villages for decades.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Reconnecting Spatialities in Uninhabited Industrial Spaces: Ruination and Sense of Place in a Coal Town (Datong, Shanxi

Audin¹

2021

chinaperspectives

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Section: Dwelling Amongst Ruins and Ghostsmentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconnecting Spatialities in Uninhabited Industrial Spaces: Ruination and Sense of Place in a Coal Town (Datong, Shanxi

Audin¹

2021

chinaperspectives

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“…2020). Datong city is considered the coal capital of Shanxi for holding most of its coal reserves and employing a significant part of the working labour of the province (Audin, 2020). With the third largest coal mining enterprise in the country, Datong Coal Mine Group, the city itself has about 14% of Chinese coal production at peak time, as stated in Interview B, (May 18, 2021).…”

Section: Coal Industry Current Issues and Trendsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Policy engagements for a just decarbonisation: China’s 2060 carbon neutrality pledge’s ramifications on the coal industry workforce in Shanxi

Charriaut¹

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To achieve its ambitious carbon neutrality pledge by 2060, China, whose energy mix is still largely dominated by coal, must progressively phase out coal-fired power plants. Being highly polluting, coal is no longer perceived as suitable to promote a sustainable, clean, and long-standing economy. Shanxi, a landlocked northern province, is considered one of China’s most coal-dependent provinces and accounts for a colossal coal workforce depending on the industry. Such a transition will, therefore, considerably alter the economic prospects and labour relations of this province. Considering the inevitability to lay off coal workers, the objective of this thesis is to determine how just China’s policies are in the context of Shanxi’s decarbonisation and the impacts of the transition on coal workers. Specifically, it examines if Shanxi will lead a ‘just decarbonisation’, emphasising a just transition in industries to be decarbonised with respect to the right to decent work. To answer the main research question, this thesis conducted a qualitative content analysis of available policy documents that support coal workers in Shanxi, as well as semi-structured interviews with experts of China’s environmental policies. The analysis closely examined the formulation of support policies to determine whether they are mentioning keywords in alignment with the just decarbonisation concept. Through a human rights-based approach, the concept of environmental justice, and the political concept of fragmented authoritarianism, this paper found that numerous policies are available to support coal workers throughout unemployment and re-employment. These results suggest that different needs and employment difficulties are identified and highly recognised in the formulation of policy documents. Nevertheless, aspects of procedural justice, involving the use of participatory approaches, were the least retrieved in the policy analysis in consideration of China’s top-down bureaucratic structure. The thesis concludes that within various relevant policies, numerous measures are available to ensure a just decarbonisation, although the challenge of their successful implementation is not yet assured.

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Dark tourism goes underground: ghostly materialities of Japanese occupation in Datong, China

Hillier,

2024

Tourism Geographies

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The Coal Transition in Datong: An Ethnographic Perspective

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Reconnecting Spatialities in Uninhabited Industrial Spaces: Ruination and Sense of Place in a Coal Town (Datong, Shanxi

Reconnecting Spatialities in Uninhabited Industrial Spaces: Ruination and Sense of Place in a Coal Town (Datong, Shanxi

Policy engagements for a just decarbonisation: China’s 2060 carbon neutrality pledge’s ramifications on the coal industry workforce in Shanxi

Dark tourism goes underground: ghostly materialities of Japanese occupation in Datong, China

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