Match Circular Economy and Urban Sustainability: Re-investigating Circular Economy Under Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Abstract

The concept of circular economy (CE) offers an innovative and systematical approach to address a number of urban sustainability issues, via exploring symbiotic ways to design circular urban systems and optimizing the materials and energy metabolism of cities, so as to mitigate environmental footprints. Urban sustainability is highlighted as a critical issue in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) proposed by United Nations; hence, in nature, circular economy could offer a number of solutions towards SDGs in urban scope. As trade-offs, circular economy also potentially causes negative impacts to business-asusual scenario, which is easily to be ignored. To highlight this scientific issue, this paper identified and matched the role of circular economy in realizing 17 SDGs in urban scope. How circular economy strategy could potentially affect the SDGs, whether positive or negative, were comprehensively evaluated. We expect such findings could support an equilibrium decision-making on circular economy promotion in cities, rather than an optimum solution to a single target under the triple bottom line of sustainability.

A Framework to Evaluate the Social Life Cycle Impact of Products under the Circular Economy Thinking

“…Furthermore, they highlighted the impact of CE on the creation of new jobs as well as on society's participation in new economic forms and relationships, such as the shared economy. It is also worth noting that many authors have tried to link CE with the 17 SDGs [58][59][60]. By examining the impacts of circular business models on sustainability, Pieroni et al [61] have highlighted that the most critical societal aspects that could be adopted by firms are social well-being, local people engagement, employment, ethical sourcing, and business longevity.…”

Integrating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Urban Climate Plans in the UK and Japan: A Text Analysis

“…More frequent and intense storms are already threatening small and medium-sized enterprises and could upend entire industries without more ambitious remedial efforts. At the same time, shifts to a green economy and efforts to make urban infrastructure resilient can create jobs and spark business models that contribute to a safer climate and achieve other SDGs [10]. A particularly attractive opportunity for cities in this space is making systems of consumption and production (SDG12) less resource-intensive and more sustainable-a change that will also lower emissions and build resilience.…”

M-GRCT: A Dynamic Circular Economy Model for the Optimal Design of Waste Management Systems in Low-Income Municipalities

“…To build this closed-loop structure, the key tasks in the circular economy are reuse, restore, remanufacture and recycle. In this way, it is intended to reduce the input and waste of resources and, as a consequence, pollution [ 21 , 22 ]. Applying circular economy approaches in waste management systems provides the following benefits [ 23 ]: (i) provision of affordable waste collection services to all income areas, (ii) increase in the amount of waste collected and recycled, (iii) health improvement at household levels, (iv) reduction in GHG emissions, (v) direct and indirect job creation and (vi) increase in the application of compost to improve agricultural soil fertility.…”