An Empirical Assessment of the Green Energy Transition, Sustainable Development, and Socioeconomic Impacts Under the New Normal Framework in the European Union

The transition toward climate neutrality and sustainable energy systems is reshaping economic structures, labor markets, and social well-being across the European Union, reconfiguring production patterns, altering sectoral competitiveness, and redefining labor market dynamics. This study analyzes the socioeconomic impact of the green transition in the EU member states during the 2013–2022 period. Hierarchical clustering is applied to group countries based on nine indicators reflecting energy transition and environmental performance, and six indicators capturing socioeconomic outcomes, while controlling for economic prosperity through GDP per capita. The analysis assesses whether convergence in the intensity of green transition adoption translates into a convergence in socioeconomic outcomes. Empirical results highlight that the transmission of green transition dynamics into socioeconomic effects is neither uniform nor linear, and uniform policy frameworks are insufficient, supporting the adoption of differentiated strategies that simultaneously advance environmental objectives and safeguard social and economic cohesion.