Circular Economy in the Framework of Sustainable Development Policy

Abstract

The economic and social transformations that have taken place since the industrial revolution have created important benefits in the development and growth processes of countries. However, besides these benefits, problems occurring at the environmental level caused certain damages to the development processes. Unfortunately, the policies developed in this context were not sufficient. In the Paris agreement signed in 2015, the signatory countries undertook to make the necessary arrangements to minimize environmental damage. Accordingly, there are various policy recommendations regarding the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Apart from this agreement, many policies, programs and action plans are currently being developed to minimize environmental problems. One of the most important developments in this area is the green economic transformation and circular economy (CE). Although CE is a concept that includes the reuse of resources, it includes many elements that support green economic transformation, such as waste management, energy management, and reduction of carbon emissions. In addition, the CE refers to an economic model to produce goods and services in sustainable way which is waste and consume materials (water, energy and etc.) By the way, the CE supports SDG 17 goals. Therefore, the transition to a CE is an important step that will support sustainable development. With zero waste projects already implemented by Turkey, it has contributed significantly to the resource management and environmental sustainability. In addition, within the scope of the zero waste target in the 11th development plan, it is aimed to increase the recycling rate from 13% to 35% in 2023. It is stated that with the widespread use of the practice, the number of buildings recycled will increase significantly. In addition, waste management is one of the key elements in the environmental policy of the European Union. The purpose of waste management is indicated as “protect the environment and human health and help the EU’s transition to a circular economy” in the EU Implementation Report (2018). In addition, The EU has created a CE Action Plan to orient the current economic development model towards a more sustainable one. This action plan includes a transition plan to a CE where the value of products, materials and resources will be preserved for as long as possible and waste generation will be minimized. Climate change and the effects it has created have revealed the need for changes in many areas, especially in economic and political theories and approaches. Studies in this field are also widespread in the economics literature. With this book in your hand, we tried to open a new window to the circular economy discussions. We hope that these studies, which include very valuable academicians, will shed light on the circular economy discussions.