Economic Complexity (EC) methods have gained increasing popularity across
fields and disciplines. In particular, the EC toolbox has proved particularly
promising in the study of complex and interrelated phenomena, such as the
transition towards a greener economy. Using the EC approach, scholars have been
investigating the relationship between EC and sustainability, proposing to
identify the distinguishing characteristics of green products and to assess the
readiness of productive and technological structures for the sustainability
transition. This article proposes to review and summarize the data, methods,
and empirical literature that are relevant to the study of the sustainability
transition from an EC perspective. We review three distinct but connected
blocks of literature on EC and environmental sustainability. First, we survey
the evidence linking measures of EC to indicators related to environmental
sustainability. Second, we review articles that strive to assess the green
competitiveness of productive systems. Third, we examine evidence on green
technological development and its connection to non-green knowledge bases.
Finally, we summarize the findings for each block and identify avenues for
further research in this recent and growing body of empirical literature.Comment: 57 pages, 1 figur