Coal-mining communities in economically less developed areas, including the Western Balkans, suffer from severe pollution due to outdated technologies, poor environmental standards, the weak rule of law and its implementation mechanisms. Those communities face additional problems as they traditionally rely on coal mining as a major source of employment and economic activity. The study focuses on Serbia as a representative case of post-socialist Western Balkans society. Serbia’s energy consumption depends largely on coal production. Kolubara and Kostolac are the largest open-pit coal-mining regions in Serbia, whose municipalities are among the top-ranked in terms of income in the country, but face challenges in reducing environmental impacts. Their local communities are potentially the most vulnerable to the effects of the green transition process. Possible modes for their transformation will be proposed based on the best-case examples from Germany, Poland, and the UK, literature analysis and interviews with relevant stakeholder representatives.