How to globalize the circular economy

Geng, Yong; Sarkis, Joseph; Bleischwitz, Raimund

doi:10.1038/d41586-019-00017-z

Cited by 284 publications

(114 citation statements)

References 10 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

111

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The challenges facing the circular economy are manifold. A few of these, which are core concerns in this paper, have been delineated in the literature; relating to governance, economic, and organizational theory [7,8].…”

Section: The Circular Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

At the Nexus of Blockchain Technology, the Circular Economy, and Product Deletion

2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The circular economy (CE) is an emergent concept to rethink and redesign how our economy works. The concept recognizes effective and efficient economic functioning at multiple scales—governments and individuals, globally and locally; for businesses, large and small. CE represents a systemic shift that builds long-term resilience at multiple levels (macro, meso and micro); generating new business and economic opportunities while providing environmental and societal benefits. Blockchain, an emergent and critical technology, is introduced to the circular economy environment as a potential enabler for many circular economic principles. Blockchain technology supported information systems can improve circular economy performance at multiple levels. Product deletion, a neglected but critical effort in product management and product portfolio management, is utilized as an illustrative business scenario as to blockchain’s application in a circular economy research context. Product deletion, unlike product proliferation, has received minimal attention from both academics and practitioners. Product deletion decisions need to be evaluated and analyzed in the circular economy context. CE helps address risk aversion issues in product deletions such as inventory, waste and information management. This paper is the first to conceptualize the relationships amongst blockchain technology, product deletion and the circular economy. Many nuances of relationships are introduced in this study. Future evaluation and critical reflections are also presented with a need for a rigorous and robust research agenda to evaluate the multiple and complex relationships and interplay amongst technology, policy, commerce and the natural environment.

show abstract

Section: The Circular Economymentioning

confidence: 99%

At the Nexus of Blockchain Technology, the Circular Economy, and Product Deletion

2019

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Again, Industrial Ecology can play a leading role in research about the life cycle of construction materials, its environmental impacts and its users across a number of applications, as well as future sustainable management. Building upon existing strengths of working with multiregional input output tables, Industrial Ecology could support deriving tools for construction industry and urban development planners that minimize the use of sand and other environmentally intensive materials, promote a more circular economy (Geng et al., ) across regional users and at a global scale, and enable the market introduction of sustainable construction materials with new business models, 3D printing, reuse and recycling of demolition waste. Assimilating local knowledge will be useful too, as evidenced through experience from traditional flat mud roofs that are good at absorbing and evaporating rainwater.…”

Section: A Matter Of Weight?! Reconsidering Sand and Cementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mineral resources in the age of climate adaptation and resilience

Bleischwitz

2019

J of Industrial Ecology

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article discusses issues on resources availability to achieve climate adaptation and resilience for cities and infrastructures. In the age of climate change, there could be cascading failures through a range of infrastructure breakdowns. Direct and indirect damage costs could exceed what had been estimated in traditional risk assessments. This could be exacerbated through abrupt price peaks in international supply chains of minerals, and through events happening in remote parts of the world that affect extraction and vulnerable industries. The core argument made here is one of feedbacks: climate adaptation has significant resource implications, and how resources are being used will have implications on climate strategies. Industrial Ecology has a role to play assessing those interactions and providing a better grasp of the spatial dimension of material flows, partly to track those flows and align them to specific actors, and partly to address interlinkages across different flows and their stocks ('the resource nexus'). Methodological novelties are needed to better understand the resource base and the socio-economic dimension, especially on innovations and transitions that can help to cope with the challenges ahead. Altogether this would enable research to establish an evidence base on sustainable materials to deliver parts of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to reassess infrastructure assets and the mineral resources in the age of climate adaptation and resilience. K E Y W O R D S circular economy, climate change, economic analysis, materials efficiency, methods, resource management 1 INTRODUCTION Despite the ambitious long-term goal of the Paris Agreement to keep a global temperature rise this century well below 2 • C above preindustrial levels, climate change is ongoing. With the current CO 2 concentrations reaching the highest levels in the past 800,000 years, average global temperatures are increasing, intensifying societal challenges of coping with: rising sea levels; shifting vegetation zones; and more frequent and intense natural hazards. The media discusses weather extremes such as a 'hothouse' of warm temperatures and the degree to which this might or might not be related to climate change. Academia explores risks of self-reinforcing feedbacks that could put the Earth system towards a planetary threshold and would likely cause serious disruptions to ecosystems, society, and economies (Steffen et al., 2018). Both angles -media and science -are difficult to test against evidence. What is evident, however, is the urgent need to incorporate adaptation and resilience within planning, especially for the built environment. Planners, investors, policy makers and other relevant stakeholders have no other choice but to face risks and get prepared for disruptions and shocks related to climate change. 'Expect the unexpected' , originally coined by Oscar Wilde more than 100 years ago, is becoming a buzzword of modern management language.This article seeks to develop a perspective for mineral resou...

show abstract

“…Several urban locations have responded by initiating different and unique programs. Energy management, climate change adaptation, improved resource efficiency, smart recycling systems, and environmentally friendly transportation planning are example efforts (Geng et al, 2019;Czischke and Pascariu, 2015;Fujii et al, 2014;Gil and Duarte, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Accelerating the transition to equitable, sustainable, and livable cities: Toward post-fossil carbon societies

Geng

Fujita

Bleischwitz

et al. 2019

Journal of Cleaner Production

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Rapid urbanization brought many environmental issues, leading to an urgent need on urban environmental governance. This special issue aims to focus on such a topic so that cities can accelerate their transition to equitable, sustainable, and livable Cities. Twenty-six papers were selected in this special issue, with different foci on different topics in different cities. These papers can be categorized into the following: reviews, policy orientations, metric and indicators, consumer behaviors and lifestyles, innovative designs and implementations, and tools. These papers discuss various topics related with urban environmental governance and can provide valuable insights to those city managers so that they can improve their environmental governance and move their cities toward post-fossil carbon societies. By summarizing the key contributions of these papers, an integrated framework on effective urban environmental governance is proposed so that cities can increase their resources efficiency, reduce overall waste production, and respond global climate change.

show abstract

How to globalize the circular economy

Cited by 284 publications

References 10 publications

At the Nexus of Blockchain Technology, the Circular Economy, and Product Deletion

At the Nexus of Blockchain Technology, the Circular Economy, and Product Deletion

Mineral resources in the age of climate adaptation and resilience

Accelerating the transition to equitable, sustainable, and livable cities: Toward post-fossil carbon societies

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About