Impact of Climate Change and the Green Transition on Human Capital: A Review of the Evidence from Europe and Central Asia

Countries in Eastern and Central Europe and Central Asia (ECA) are increasingly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, which are escalating in both frequency and severity, and disrupting human capital—the health, skills, and productivity of individuals— across multiple domains. However, there has been a lack of systematic documentation of these impacts in ECA countries, limiting opportunities for evidence-based policy making. This paper pulls together information on climate change and human development from a variety of sources including news media, humanitarian sources, gray literature and academic research. The evidence collected shows clearly that climate change is leading to adverse health outcomes, disrupting education, reshaping job markets, and driving displacement across ECA, and is affecting vulnerable groups more than others. The paper and its accompanying database represent an initial step in filling this knowledge gap, providing a resource that can support targeted, data-driven policy responses essential to fostering resilient human capital in the region.