Contested circular economy and mixed social implications from practice : A scoping review
Liu, K. (2024). Contested circular economy and mixed social implications from practice : A scoping review. Sustainable Development, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.3229
Published in
Sustainable DevelopmentAuthors
Date
2024Copyright
© 2024 The Author(s). Sustainable Development published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
‘Circular economy’ is a popular term used by various parties to refer to the necessary transition towards a sustainable future. Yet, there is still no consensus on its definition or application, the current discourse favours an approach that focuses on the technical improvement of material flows while neglects the social considerations. Consequently, despite circular economy's popularity, various social concerns have also been raised, including justice and equity. To better understand its social implications, this article reviews studies that reveal the social impacts of various practices that claim or are deemed to be circular economy. Using the scoping review method, the article finds that the categories most frequently reflected in these studies include livelihood, health, value, identity and community. However, the claimed impacts are often conditional and contradictory. These results suggest that circular economy still requires substantial theoretical and empirical development to better align it with the principle of sustainable development. Acknowledging the diversity of voices in the current circular economy field can be a starting point for stakeholders in terms of future research, policymaking and practice, while further transdisciplinary collaborations should also be explored.
...
Publisher
WileyISSN Search the Publication Forum
0968-0802Keywords
Publication in research information system
https://converis.jyu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/243571703
Metadata
Show full item recordCollections
Related funder(s)
European CommissionFunding program(s)
MSCA Innovative Training Networks (ITN)
The content of the publication reflects only the author’s view. The funder is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
Additional information about funding
This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skło-dowska-Curie grant agreement No 955518.License
Related items
Showing items with similar title or keywords.
-
Circular economy and the separated yet inseparable social dimension : Views from European circular city experts
Liu, Kang (Elsevier, 2024)Circular economy has received significant attention worldwide for its potential to reconcile ecological limits and economic development. Europe, in particular, has made it a policy focus for achieving its climate ambitions. ... -
Ecosocial innovations enabling social work to promote new forms of sustainable economy
Matthies, A.‐L.; Peeters, J.; Hirvilammi, T.; Stamm, I. (Wiley-Blackwell, 2020)Social work research and practice that address environmental sustainability have already become prominent. However, a change in unsustainable economic structures is also urgently needed. This study explored emerging ... -
Kestävää siirtymää ei tule ilman sosiaalista oikeudenmukaisuutta
Matthies, Aila-Leena (Toinen Aatos Oy, 2024)Monet kestävän siirtymän ratkaisut – esimerkiksi kiertotalous – ovat osoittautuneet kestämättömiksi sosiaalisen kestävyyden ja heikoimmassa asemassa olevien näkökulmasta. Talouden ja tekniikan korostamisen rinnalle tarvitaan ... -
Planetary well-being and sustainable business : A work in progress
Mäkelä, Marileena; Aaltonen, Valtteri A.; Baumeister, Stefan; Kuhmonen, Irene; Käyrä, Minna; Mäkinen, Tuuli; Näyhä, Annukka; Onkila, Tiina; Sarja, Milla; Sarna, Bhavesh; Suikkanen, Johanna (Routledge, 2024)Businesses have a significant impact on global environmental and social sustainability. To address the related issues, the concept of sustainable business has been introduced, which refers to the practices that businesses ... -
Ecosocial Innovations as Part of Social and Solidarity Economy : Local Models for a Sustainable Development
Stamm, Ingo Peter; Hirvilammi, Tuuli; Matthies, Aila-Leena; Närhi, Kati (Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Sao Paulo, 2017)The paper first introduces the concept of ecosocial innovations. These are local organizations embedded in social and solidarity economy, which combine ecological and social challenges in their work. They are successful ...