The Spatial Footprint of EU Green Transition Policies: Assessing Socio‑Economic Vulnerability in Greek Regions

The Green Transition, the shift to a climate‑neutral economy, has been a top priority on the European policy agenda in recent years. While its environmental and economic objectives are ambitious, its socio‑economic effects might be uneven across regions, shaped by structural weaknesses, institutional capacity, and geographic characteristics. This study aims to assess the socio-economic vulnerability of Greek regions to Green Transition policies by examining both their exposure to the transition’s impacts and their capacity to cope with emerging challenges and opportunities. Using a multidimensional and integrated approach, we develop three composite indices to capture exposure, adaptability, and overall socio-economic vulnerability. The findings reveal a clearly uneven spatial footprint of the Green Transition in Greece: while all regions are expected to be significantly affected, some face disproportionately higher vulnerability. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to ensure a fair and inclusive transition across all regions.