A transition management framework to stimulate a circular phosphorus system

Abstract

As the global population is projected to increase by two billion people by 2050, so will the demand for phosphorus (P), an essential nutrient for all living organisms and a major driver of eutrophication. To sustainably meet these challenges, we apply the conceptual framework of transition management (TM) to demonstrate how the trajectory of the current linear P use system could be strategically shifted toward a more circular P system. We present US case studies to examine P transitions management in intensive agriculture, wastewater disposal, and food waste management. Our goal is twofold. By first understanding past transitions in P management in the USA, we can build upon these insights for future management. This can then be applied to other global regions such as developing countries to bypass stages of transition as they intensify agriculture, incorporate sewers into cities, and expand waste management, to avoid becoming entrenched in unsustainable P management. We suggest how spaces for experimentation and collaboration can be created, how and which actor networks can be mobilized, and what action strategies and policies can be recommended to accelerate their transition to P sustainability. Our case studies show that while substantial improvements have been made, the transition toward a circular economy of P is far from complete. Our findings point to the value of utilizing TM for future progress in the US Development of TM frameworks for managing P in other regions of the world may enable them to achieve sustainable P development faster and more effectively than the USA.

Transforming the European Union's phosphorus governance through holistic and intersectoral framings

“…The linear phosphorus efficiency paradigm set out by the Roadmap [COM(2011)571, 2011] can be traced further into the circular economy, a concept that has been embraced by a long list of scholars as a potential basis for future policy framings (Scholz, 2017;van Leeuwen et al, 2018;Withers et al, 2018;Smol, 2019;Barquet et al, 2020;Geissler et al, 2020;Golroudbary et al, 2020;Rosemarin et al, 2020;Smol et al, 2020;Valve et al, 2020;El Wali et al, 2021;Peterson et al, 2021;Stamm et al, 2022, p. 618-619). The circular economy concept consists of two cycles: a biological cycle that returns organic material to the biosphere and a technical cycle that creates value through capturing and recirculating materials in the economy (Ellen Macarthur Foundation, 2013).…”

A transition management methodological framework towards an industrial symbiosis within a circular economy

“…Transitions are defined as "processes of structural change in social subsystems" that occur when dominant structures are put under strain, either by external changes or through an endogenous innovation process, to offer direction for the wicked challenges we are presently confronted with (Peterson et al, 2022).…”

“…Although there has been an increase in TM research, very few TM studies focus on issues related to CE and IS. Though Cramer, 2020a andPeterson et al, 2022 use the TM framework for implementing CE, none of them illustrates how the transition should be made and what steps should be followed. Shows that the governance of the CE implementation at the regional level can be organised in a more networked form of governance through TM.…”

“…This insight has fuelled research into new kinds of governance, generically labelled as TM or transition governance (Loorbach & Wijsman, 2013). The word "management" is derived from an overtly normative sustainability orientation: specifying where we want to be, what should be done, and how it should be done (Peterson et al, 2022).…”

“…The transition arena is a phase that can be used as a jumping-off point for learning and demonstrating a visible action that is accessible, encourages debates and discussions that change people's thoughts and perceptions, and can be adopted and owned by the community (Peterson et al, 2022). This action, in turn, would result in experiments that might present a higher percentage of collaboration between the different stakeholders and would ensure a more effective transition.…”