Regional socio-economic capacity for environmental transition: a typology of European regions

Environmental transition is often assessed through environmental performance indicators or policy implementation outcomes. This study does not directly measure environmental transition pressures or environmental outcomes. Instead, it examines the uneven socio-economic capacity structures through which such pressures are likely to be absorbed, mediated or amplified across European regions. Environmental transition is conceptualized as a structural process that reorganizes labour markets, skill systems, digital infrastructures, and social protection mechanisms. The central question is how socio-economic capacities differ across regions in shaping their ability to mediate these pressures. Using harmonized Eurostat data at the NUTS 2 level for 2015–2022, the analysis operationalizes regional capacity across four domains: labour absorption, human capital adaptability, digital mediation, and social resilience. Indicators are standardized and summarized through domain-specific principal component analysis. A configurational clustering approach is then applied to identify structured regional regimes. The results reveal three distinct socio-economic capacity regimes, spatially patterned across Europe and reflecting differentiated configurations of inclusion, adaptability, and vulnerability. The findings demonstrate that environmental transition unfolds within a stratified territorial landscape rather than across a uniform socio-economic field.