METHODOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO ASSESSING THE GREEN ECONOMY OF REGIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF MODERN TRANSFORMATIONS

Abstract

This paper examines the problems and prospects of society’s transition to a green economy, considering methodological approaches, and substantiates the necessity of its integration into contemporary economic processes. The study explores current transformational processes and universal principles for implementing green economy practices at the regional level. Priorities for creating new green sectors and ecological modernization are considered. An analysis of scholars’ methodological approaches to assessing the impact of green economy on overall economic development is conducted. The main advantages and opportunities of green economy are outlined.

The issue of methodology for assessing regional green economies is examined within the framework of interdisciplinary research that combines economic, environmental, spatial, and social analytics. Leading international organizations, including the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Commission (EC), the European Environment Agency (EEA), and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), have proposed their own indicator systems for measuring the progress of green reforms. Based on the conducted analysis, it is demonstrated that all international frameworks are based on the principle of integrating economic, environmental, and social components of development, but differ in analytical objectives, structure, and level of data aggregation. The OECD methodology is the most balanced from the standpoint of macroeconomic analysis, oriented toward monitoring green growth and suitable for adaptation to national statistical systems. The UNEP approach emphasizes the social effects of green economy and its impact on population well-being. The European Commission, within the Circular Economy Monitoring Framework, focuses on assessing the effectiveness of green transition policy and provides the highest level of sectoral detail. The EEA methodology has a distinctly eco-informational character, ensuring ecosystem monitoring. The GGGI approach is the most contemporary tool for comprehensive assessment of green growth  progress in terms of resource efficiency, social inclusivity, and innovation. The study proposes a comprehensive methodology for assessing the level of regional economy greening based on a multi-level system of analytical procedures. The implementation of systemic, index-integral, factorial, cluster, and scenario approaches enhances the objectivity of assessment, ensures inter-regional comparability, and scientific reliability of results. The research methodology encompasses eight consecutive stages: formation of an indicator system, data normalization, construction of an integral indicator using principal component analysis, regional classification, cluster analysis, examination of average values within clusters, scenario modeling, and determination of priority directions for enhancing ecological-economic potential of regions.

The practical significance of this research lies in creating a scientific foundation for assessing green transformation of Ukrainian regions, identifying territorial disparities, and developing targeted strategies for environmentally oriented development in the context of European approaches to green economy.