China's Coal Transition: Autonomous Trucks Threaten Millions of Jobs

• China faces challenges transitioning from its vast coal industry, impacting millions of jobs.
• Automation in mines, like Yimin, is displacing coal workers, who are shifting to roles like security or control room operators.
• Nearly half of the world's 6.1 million coal mining workers are in China, with Shanxi province alone projected to lose 350,000 jobs by 2030.
• While green industries create new jobs, older coal workers struggle to adapt, highlighting a social and economic identity crisis for coal-dependent communities.
• China's "just transition" efforts, seen in cities like Fuxin and Datong, involve diversifying economies but face challenges in providing new opportunities and retaining youth.

Why It Matters: China's energy transition threatens millions of jobs and global climate efforts.