TY - JOUR
T1 - Eco-innovation pathways to a circular economy: Envisioning priorities through a Delphi approach
AU - de Jesus, Ana
AU - Antunes, Paula
AU - Santos, Rui
AU - Mendonça, Sandro
N1 - info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/5876/147274/PT#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/5876/147442/PT#
The first author is supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the grant Ref: SFRH/BD/52295/2013 and CENSE (Center for Environmental and Sustain ability Research).
PY - 2019/8/10
Y1 - 2019/8/10
N2 - The present research seeks insights on potential “transformative” eco-innovation pathways towards a “Circular Economy”. By taking a neo-Schumpeterian perspective on sustainability transition and adopting a bottom-up foresight methodology, namely a (3-stage)policy-learning Delphi approach drawing on a (29-strong)panel of experts belonging to a variety of institutional sectors (public, business, academic actors, as well as NGOs)from diverse geographical backgrounds (11 countries across 3 continents), the study explores Circular Economy's key characteristics and appraises the fundamental strategies and trade-offs that must be understood and managed for transition. The evidence gathered through the participatory exercise, contrasted with prior knowledge from systematic literature reviews, suggests that Circular Economy is both a holistic concept and an operational tool. Results strongly suggest systemic eco-innovation, powered by multidimensional policies, as the key to unlock deep transition. In particular, over the next 20 years Circular Economy development is more than technological and economic puzzle-solving; it will be contingent on the ability to creatively overcome real political trade-offs and broader societal challenges needing to include in their action more social and behavioural considerations.
AB - The present research seeks insights on potential “transformative” eco-innovation pathways towards a “Circular Economy”. By taking a neo-Schumpeterian perspective on sustainability transition and adopting a bottom-up foresight methodology, namely a (3-stage)policy-learning Delphi approach drawing on a (29-strong)panel of experts belonging to a variety of institutional sectors (public, business, academic actors, as well as NGOs)from diverse geographical backgrounds (11 countries across 3 continents), the study explores Circular Economy's key characteristics and appraises the fundamental strategies and trade-offs that must be understood and managed for transition. The evidence gathered through the participatory exercise, contrasted with prior knowledge from systematic literature reviews, suggests that Circular Economy is both a holistic concept and an operational tool. Results strongly suggest systemic eco-innovation, powered by multidimensional policies, as the key to unlock deep transition. In particular, over the next 20 years Circular Economy development is more than technological and economic puzzle-solving; it will be contingent on the ability to creatively overcome real political trade-offs and broader societal challenges needing to include in their action more social and behavioural considerations.
KW - Circular economy
KW - Delphi
KW - Eco-innovation
KW - Policy
KW - Sustainability
KW - Transition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85065494682&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.049
DO - 10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.04.049
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85065494682
SN - 0959-6526
VL - 228
SP - 1494
EP - 1513
JO - Journal of Cleaner Production
JF - Journal of Cleaner Production
ER -