Regional Convergence in the Low-Carbon Transition: Insights from a Systematic Literature Review

The transition to a low-carbon economy generates structural, technological, energy-related, and social transformations within economies, calling for a renewed understanding of regional convergence dynamics. This study presents a systematic literature review of 109 articles examining regional convergence in the context of the low-carbon transition. The findings show that the low-carbon transition broadens the traditional understanding of convergence by introducing new determinants, analytical approaches, and methodological techniques. The review highlights that regional convergence is a context-sensitive process shaped by spatial, temporal, change-related, and interregional linkages. Building on these insights, this study proposes a conceptual framework that integrates convergence determinants with contextual factors influencing regional development pathways. The results also reveal important gaps in the existing literature and outline directions for future research, aiming at improving the analytical and policy relevance of convergence studies in the context of a low-carbon transition.