About this Research Topic
The aim of this Research Topic is to untangle the increasingly complex relationship between a circular economy and (implicit or explicit) ideas about growth. There are multiple understandings of what a circular economy is or should be achieving in sustainable development. Similarly, the concepts of post/degrowth are also contested in that the various approaches differ both in terms of the basic normative questions, the objectives, and the basic assumptions regarding the possibilities of decoupling economic growth and resource consumption. Regardless of the various definitions, circular economy and concepts of post/degrowth must respect and operate within our planetary boundaries to pursue a path towards a sustainable development. The challenge is to reflect how a circular economy can move toward the direction to sustainability while still considering the debates on growth. Given the urgency for action, we aim to analyse and detangle the current range of perspectives and look for useful ways moving forward. We invite communities of different research disciplines to reflect on the opportunities and challenges of the relationship between circular economy, growth, and planetary boundaries.
Following a meeting initiated by European parliamentarians in Brussels at the end of May 2023, it has become clear that a movement on degrowth, post-growth or beyond growth has attracted the attention of mainstream policy circles. Several communities of research (sufficiency strategies, universal basic income etc.) have been investigating and pursuing non-growth strategies for some time, but these discussions seldom break into wider sustainability debates and are contrary to the almost universal search of policy makers for economic growth as the solution to social inequalities and (more paradoxically) environmental challenges.
Degrowth or post-growth discourses have so far predominantly operated on a very abstract conceptual discourse level, while concrete and coherent strategies have not been developed. Recent research has systemized the different and diverse approaches and instruments which are discussed within the broad postgrowth discourses. These discussions touch on diverse strands of discourse (e.g., social innovations or also sufficiency strategies), with longer research traditions, but have been conducted in isolation from one another both scientifically and practically. Thus, for example sufficiency-oriented approaches were often developed either as independent action orientations or as an "add on" to overarching (mostly) growth strategies, such as green growth strategies. Therefore, to stay with this example, these ideas need to be examined in the context of new debate around (post) growth and post-capitalism to consider how they might be integrated into overarching transformation strategies.
Meanwhile, the circular economy, an approach to increase resource efficiencies, is popular with governments and the UN as an environmental growth strategy and includes approaches that can be useful for decoupling from growth and is attracting attention from academics across the spectrum of approaches to growth. With regard to the field of action of the circular economy, we need to particularly consider a few things: on the one hand, the circular economy is interpreted as a pillar of green growth approaches with the aim of staying within planetary boundaries. On the other hand, the post-growth protagonists defy the possibility of decoupling, and with this, imply another socio-economic context for a (sustainable) circular economy. If the ultimate goal is that material orientation must be in compliance with planetary boundaries, to what extent can the proposed circular economy approaches achieve that?
The focus of this Research Topic will be on the question of how circular economy concepts relate to degrowth, post-growth or green growth, and what specific approaches are demanded.
We would like to explore two approaches: the notion of circular economy related to the different growth discourses and what requirements arise from the growth discourses for the form and nature of the circular economy.
In this Research Topic, we are keen to explore themes related to but not limited to:
• What role does circular economy play in the different (post-) growth discourses?
• What is the scope of current circular economy strategies (do they refer to planetary
boundaries and resource availability)?
• How do the strategies and the circular economy concepts deal with the decoupling issue (as well as rebounds effects)?
• How should a circular economy be designed to respect planetary boundaries? What does this mean in a multi-level system? Which transformation paths are conceivable? How can the planetary boundaries approach be reconciled with material and resource scarcities?
• What does a circular economy mean for the development model of the countries of the global South and their previous comparative economic advantages and their path orientation towards growth?
• How can cities and regions draw on circular concepts for development in a post/degrowth scenario?
• Are different research methods and methodologies needed for post/degrowth scenarios?
• What policy-relevant implementation strategies need to be further developed and applied?
• Are there other fields of action affected? What cross-cutting and integrative strategies need to be advanced? How can instruments that are intrinsic to and cut across fields of action be developed and interlinked?
• What are appropriate strategies for different actors? How should property rights and rights of disposal be designed in order to support a transformation into a circular economy? How do these relate to the growth discourse?
Following a meeting initiated by European parliamentarians in Brussels at the end of May 2023, it has become clear that a movement on degrowth, post-growth or beyond growth has attracted the attention of mainstream policy circles. Several communities of research (sufficiency strategies, universal basic income etc.) have been investigating and pursuing non-growth strategies for some time, but these discussions seldom break into wider sustainability debates and are contrary to the almost universal search of policy makers for economic growth as the solution to social inequalities and (more paradoxically) environmental challenges.
Degrowth or post-growth discourses have so far predominantly operated on a very abstract conceptual discourse level, while concrete and coherent strategies have not been developed. Recent research has systemized the different and diverse approaches and instruments which are discussed within the broad postgrowth discourses. These discussions touch on diverse strands of discourse (e.g., social innovations or also sufficiency strategies), with longer research traditions, but have been conducted in isolation from one another both scientifically and practically. Thus, for example sufficiency-oriented approaches were often developed either as independent action orientations or as an "add on" to overarching (mostly) growth strategies, such as green growth strategies. Therefore, to stay with this example, these ideas need to be examined in the context of new debate around (post) growth and post-capitalism to consider how they might be integrated into overarching transformation strategies.
Meanwhile, the circular economy, an approach to increase resource efficiencies, is popular with governments and the UN as an environmental growth strategy and includes approaches that can be useful for decoupling from growth and is attracting attention from academics across the spectrum of approaches to growth. With regard to the field of action of the circular economy, we need to particularly consider a few things: on the one hand, the circular economy is interpreted as a pillar of green growth approaches with the aim of staying within planetary boundaries. On the other hand, the post-growth protagonists defy the possibility of decoupling, and with this, imply another socio-economic context for a (sustainable) circular economy. If the ultimate goal is that material orientation must be in compliance with planetary boundaries, to what extent can the proposed circular economy approaches achieve that?
The focus of this Research Topic will be on the question of how circular economy concepts relate to degrowth, post-growth or green growth, and what specific approaches are demanded.
We would like to explore two approaches: the notion of circular economy related to the different growth discourses and what requirements arise from the growth discourses for the form and nature of the circular economy.
In this Research Topic, we are keen to explore themes related to but not limited to:
• What role does circular economy play in the different (post-) growth discourses?
• What is the scope of current circular economy strategies (do they refer to planetary
boundaries and resource availability)?
• How do the strategies and the circular economy concepts deal with the decoupling issue (as well as rebounds effects)?
• How should a circular economy be designed to respect planetary boundaries? What does this mean in a multi-level system? Which transformation paths are conceivable? How can the planetary boundaries approach be reconciled with material and resource scarcities?
• What does a circular economy mean for the development model of the countries of the global South and their previous comparative economic advantages and their path orientation towards growth?
• How can cities and regions draw on circular concepts for development in a post/degrowth scenario?
• Are different research methods and methodologies needed for post/degrowth scenarios?
• What policy-relevant implementation strategies need to be further developed and applied?
• Are there other fields of action affected? What cross-cutting and integrative strategies need to be advanced? How can instruments that are intrinsic to and cut across fields of action be developed and interlinked?
• What are appropriate strategies for different actors? How should property rights and rights of disposal be designed in order to support a transformation into a circular economy? How do these relate to the growth discourse?
Keywords: circular economy, growth concepts, degrowth, postgrowth, economic growth, sustainable development
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