Abstract
The objectives of this study are: to construct composite measures of human capital and of the three SD pillars: economic, social and environmental; to analyse their regional differentiation; to estimate the impact of human capital on the level of each of the SD pillars. The analysis covers NUTS 2 regions of the CEE countries in the year 2022. A measure of human capital was constructed adopting the Local HDI approach. The indicators of the SD pillars were constructed as geometric means of diagnostic variables. A SUR model was used to estimate the impact of human capital on the level of each pillar. The estimation results indicated a strong effect of human capital on the economic and social pillars and a much weaker effect on the environmental pillar. A significant impact of EU membership on the social and environmental pillars was also found.
References
Addai, K., Serener, B., & Kirikkaleli, D. (2023). Can environmental sustainability be decoupled from economic growth? Empirical evidence from Eastern Europe using the common correlated effect mean group test. Regional Sustainability, 4(1), 68-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2023.03.003
Ali, M., Egbetokun, A., & Memon, M. H. (2018). Human Capital, Social Capabilities and Economic Growth. Economies, 6(1), 2. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies6010002
Ben-Salha, O., & Zmami, M. (2024), The impact of human capital on the load capacity factor in the Middle East and North Africa. Economics and Environment, 91(4), 940. https://doi.org/10.34659/eis.2024.91.4.940
Bye, B., & Faehn, T. (2022). The role of human capital in structural change and growth in an open economy: Innovative and absorptive capacity effects. The World Economy, 45(4), 1021–1049. https://doi.org/10.1111/twec.13184
Campbell, S. G, & Üngör, M. (2020). Revisiting human capital and aggregate income differences. Economic Modelling, 91, 43-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econmod.2020.05.016
Cichowicz, E., & Rollnik-Sadowska, E. (2018). Inclusive Growth in CEE Countries as a Determinant of Sustainable Development. Sustainability, 10(11), 3973. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10113973
Dai, J., Ahmed, Z., Alvarado, R., & Ahmad, M. (2024). Assessing the nexus between human capital, green energy, and load capacity factor: policymaking for achieving sustainable development goals. Gondwana Research, 129, 452-464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2023.04.009
Dasrizal, D., Juita, E., Heryadi, D. Y., Ansar, M., & Putuhena, J. D. (2023). Assessing Environmental Sustainability: Integrating Ecological and Social Perspectives. Global International Journal of Innovative Research, 1(3), 247–253. https://doi.org/10.59613/global.v1i3.44
Demirgüç-Kunt, A., & Torre, I. (2022). Measuring human capital in middle income countries. Journal of Comparative Economics, 50(4), 1036-1067. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jce.2022.05.007
Devassia, B. P., Karma, E., & Muço, K. (2024). Role of Human Capital as a Driver for Sustainable Development (SDG) in Western Balkan Countries. Journal of Lifestyle and SDGs Review, 4(2), e02051. https://doi.org/10.47172/2965-730X.SDGsReview.v4.n02.pe02051
Dierking, W., Stern, H. L., & Hutchings, J. K. (2020). Estimating statistical errors in retrievals of ice velocity and deformation parameters from satellite images and buoy arrays. The Cryosphere, 14(9), 2999–3016, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-14-2999-2020
Eurostat Database. (2024, July). General and Regional Statistics. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/data/database
Farcnik, D., & Istenic, T. (2020), The Importance of Human Capital for Sustainability. In V. Zabkar, & T. Redek (Eds.), Challenges on the Path Toward Sustainability in Europe (pp. 237-252). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978- 1-80043-972-620201013
Filho, W. L. (Ed.). (2023-2024). Implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals – Regional Perspectives. Springer. https://www.springer.com/series/16878
Foroudi, P., Marvi, R., Cuomo, M. T., & D’Amato, A. (2024). Sustainable Development Goals in a regional context: conceptualising, measuring and managing residents’ perceptions. Regional Studies, 58(1), 2373871. https://doi.org/10.1080/00343404.2024.2373871
Fraumeni, B. (2021). Measuring Human Capital. Cambridge: Academic Press.
Grossman, G. M., & Krueger, A. B. (1995). Economic growth and the environment. The quarterly journal of economics, 110(2), 353-377. https://doi.org/10.2307/2118443
Guloglu, B., Caglar, A. E., & Pata, U. K. (2023). Analyzing the determinants of the load capacity factor in OECD countries: evidence from advanced quantile panel data methods. Gondwana Research, 118, 92-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2023.02.013
GUS. (2011). Wskaźniki zrównoważonego rozwoju Polski. https://stat.gov.pl/obszary-tematyczne/inne-opracowania/inne-opracowania-zbiorcze/wskazniki-zrownowazonego-rozwoju-polski,5,1.html (in Polish).
Herbst, M., & Rok, J. (2013). Mobility of human capital and its effect on regional economic development: Review of theory and empirical literature (MPRA Paper No. 45755). University Library of Munich. Germany. https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/45755.html
Jovovic, R., Draskovic, M., Delibasic, M., & Jovovic, M. (2017). The concept of sustainable regional development – institutional aspects, policies and prospects. Journal of International Studies, 10(1), 255-266. https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-8330.2017/10- 1/18
Judge, G. G., Griffiths, W. E., Hill, R. C., Lütkepohl, H., & Lee, T. C. (1991). The Theory and Practice of Econometrics. (2nd Edition). Wiley.
Kim, D., & Go, S. (2020). Human Capital and Environmental Sustainability. Sustainability, 12(11), 4736. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12114736
Kościńska, J. & Herbst, M. (2019). An interdisciplinary approach to the persistent effects of Polish partitions on educational achievements. In M. Molema, & S. Svensson (Eds.), Regional Economic Development and History (part II, chapter 4). London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429445545
Kozera-Kowalska, M. (2024). Human capital for the green economy. Economics and Environment, 88(1), 674. https://doi.org/10.34659/eis.2024.88.1.674
Krugman, P. R. (1991). Geography and Trade. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Liu, G., & Fraumeni, B. M. (2020). A Brief Introduction to Human Capital Measures. National Bureau of Economic Research Working Paper, 27561. https://doi.org/10.3386/w27561
Long, H., Feng, G. F., Gong, Q., & Chang, C. P. (2023). ESG performance and green innovation: An investigation based on quantile regression. Business Strategy and the Environment, 32(7), 5102-5118. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.3410
Ma, Y., Loh, L., & Yin, Z-J. (2025). Integrating economics, environment, social, and governance (EESG): A more comprehensive sustainable framework. Innovation and Green Development, 4(1), 100199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.igd.2024.100199
Mensah, J. (2019), Sustainable development: Meaning, history, principles, pillars, and implications for human action: Literature review. Cogent Social Sciences, 5(1), 1653531 https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2019.1653531
Mincer, J. (1984). Human capital and economic growth. Economics of Education Review, 3(3), 195-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7757(84)90032-3
Nuralina, K., Baizholova, R., Aleksandrova, N., Konstantinov, V., & Biryukov, A. (2023). Socio-economic development of countries based on the Composite Country Development Index (CCDI). Regional Sustainability, 4(2), 115-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.regsus.2023.03.005
OECD. (2001). The Well-being of Nations. The Role of Human and Social Capital. https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/the-well-being-of-nations_9789264189515-en.html
Payab, A. H., Kautish, P., Sharma, R., Siddiqui, A., Mehta, A., & Siddiqui, M. (2023). Does human capital complement sustainable development goals? Evidence from leading carbon emitter countries. Utilities Policy, 81, 101509, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jup.2023.101509
Purvis, B., Mao, Y. & Robinson, D. (2019). Three pillars of sustainability: in search of conceptual origins. Sustainable Science, 14, 681–695. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-018-0627-5
Raszkowski, A., & Bartniczak, B. (2019). Sustainable Development in the Central and Eastern European Countries (CEECs): Challenges and Opportunities. Sustainability, 11(4), 1180. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11041180
Sairmaly, F. A. (2023). Human Capital Development and Economic Growth: A Literature Review on Information Technology Investment, Education, Skills, and Productive Labour. Jurnal Minfo Polgan, 12(1), 679-693. https://doi.org/10.33395/jmp.v12i2.12491
Stec, M., Grzebyk, M., Caputa, W., & Krawczyk-Sokołowska, I. (2024). A comparative analysis of the level of sustainable development in Polish voivodeships in 2012 and 2021. Economics and Environment, 89(2), 766. https://doi.org/10.34659/eis.2024.89.2.766
Suborna, B. (2021), Human Capital, Economic Growth, and Sustainable Development Goals: An Evaluation of Emerging Economies. In M. Shahbaz, M. S. Mubarik, & T. Mahmood (Eds.), The Dynamics of Intellectual Capital in Current Era (pp. 129-148). Singapore: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-1692-1_6
Sueyoshi, T., Mo, F., & Wang, D. D. (2022). Sustainable development of countries all over the world and the impact of renewable energy. Renewable Energy, 184, 320-331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.1 1.015
Terra dos Santos, L., Frimaio, A., Giannetti, B. F., Agostinho, F., Liu, G., & Almeida, C. (2023). Integrating Environmental, Social, and Economic Dimensions to Monitor Sustainability in the G20 Countries. Sustainability, 15(8), 6502. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086502
UNESCO. (2006). Indicators of sustainability: reliable tools for decision making. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000150005
United Nations. (2023). Core Indicators for Sustainability and SDG Impact Reporting: Training Manual https://unctad.org/publication/core-indicators-sustainability-and-sdg-impact-reporting-training-manual
Widuto, A. (2022). Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in EU regions. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/659415/EPRS_BRI(2020)659415_EN.pdf
Yahya, W. B., Adebayo, S. B., Jolayemi, E. T., Oyejola, B. A., Sanni, O. O. M. (2008). Effects of non-orthogonality on the efficiency of seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) models. InterStat Journal, May 29. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/216601512_Effects_of_Non-orthogonality_on_the_Efficiency_of_Seemingly_Unrelated_Regression_SUR_Models
Yu, J., & Jing, L. (2024) Dynamic linkages between human capital, natural resources, and economic growth – Impact on achieving sustainable development goals. Heliyon, 10(14), e33536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33536
Zellner A. (1962). An efficient method of estimating seemingly unrelated regression equations and test for aggregation bias. Journal of American Statistical Association, 57(298), 348–368. https://doi.org/10.2307/2281644

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Economics and Environment