Power struggles in policy feedback processes: incremental steps towards a circular economy within Dutch wastewater policy

Abstract

Environmental problems are usually not tackled with path-departing policies but rather with incrementally adjusted or unchanged policies. One way to address incremental change is the policy feedback approach, which initially focussed on self-reinforcing feedback and path-dependency. Today, self-undermining feedback is also increasingly being studied, centring on agency and change. However, it is unclear precisely how actors use power in policy feedback processes. Therefore, this study applied a power perspective and the policy arrangement approach to a case study of the reorientation towards a circular economy in Dutch wastewater policy between 2008 and 2018, which resulted in incremental instead of fundamental policy change. Here it was observed that self-undermining feedback was generated from 2008 onwards but the balance quickly shifted back to self-reinforcing feedback, indicating that the analysed power struggles led to incremental change. These dynamics resemble a shift from the so-called paths and forks (i.e. fork in the road) towards the boomerang pattern (i.e. returning to its original position) of policy change. The patterns are explained by focussing on powerful actors that resist change through the use of incremental reforms, the ongoing struggles of these actors in facilitating self-reinforcing feedback and the role of interpretation in using feedback as a resource. Overall, this study provides a nuanced understanding of incremental change by directing attention to the power struggles of actors in policy feedback processes. For practitioners, the study emphasises the importance of power struggles in enabling a circular economy.

An Integrated Assessment Framework for Transition to Water Circularity

“…Regarding formal institutions, current circular initiatives have a narrow focus on the water sector. There are no adequate legal frameworks for water reuse and aquifer storage and recovery, and the environmental policy in the Netherlands has issues in terms of its consistency and continuity (see, e.g., [64]). Regarding informal institutions, collaborative water management exists to jointly manage the competing water issues in Westland.…”

Guam and the Circular Economy: Is the Island Ready? A look at the Phase I (Discovery Phase) Results of an Organization Development Action Research Study

“…Cradle-to-cradle, linear economy, sustainability, and zero-waste; all of these terms and more are associated with the concept of circular economy (Braungart & McDonough, 2009;Ellen MacPherson (n.d.); Esposito et al, 2018). Conceptually, circular economy (CE) is fairly new, however it has begun to embed itself throughout the world: Europe Falcone (2019); Ampe et al (2021); North America Ghosh (2020); Asia-Pacific Ogunmakinde (2019); Zhu et al (2019); Jang et al (2020); South America Márquez and Rutkowski (2020), and Africa Andriamahefazafy and Failler (2022). CE is making its way into the vernacular of all organizations, the public sector, the private sector; nonprofits and for-profit entities (Urbinati et al, 2017;Lüdeke-Freund et al, 2019).…”

Economic Sustainability in Wastewater Treatment Companies: A Regional Analysis for the Iberian Peninsula

“…Accordingly, the regional agendas aim at identifying opportunities for accelerating and transitioning to more efficient and sustainable use of resources and reconciling together with regional stakeholders [26]. Yet, despite the establishment of the Green Deal by the European Commission in 2019, political progress has been tenuous in terms of achieving long-term sustainability goals [27]. Wastewater policy measures have been primarily guided by considerations of cost efficiency and large-scale infrastructure [28], incapable of preventing excessive water consumption and of supporting the pillars of sustainable development [29].…”