Circular Economy in Cities: A Strategic Approach Towards a Sustainable Society?
2017 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 20 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
Increasing environmental and social pressure caused by human activity requires action toward a sustainable society. As our population grows and the proportion living in urban areas increases, cities are in a unique position to affect change. This has led to Circular Economy (CE) gaining momentum in municipalities as a tool for their city. Despite this momentum, there is lack of clarity about what CE is, how it can be most effectively implemented, and its relationship to strategic sustainable development (SSD).
This research synthesized definitions of CE used in the field and investigated 21 cities worldwide to see how their municipalities have implemented CE practices. Using the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), the implemented actions were critically examined for their strategic contribution toward a sustainable society.
The findings suggest that CE is defined broadly, and interpreted differently by different users. In some cases, this presents challenges for its strategic use. The CE actions examined are concluded to be within the boundaries of a sustainable society, as defined by the FSSD. Their strategic approach is determined to be largely positive, with some exceptions. Depending on its application, CE is concluded to be a useful, albeit insufficient, tool for municipalities working toward SSD.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2017. , p. 66
Keywords [en]
Circular Economy, Sustainable Cities, Strategic Sustainable Development, Sustainability, Urban Development, FSSD
National Category
Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:bth-14486OAI: oai:DiVA.org:bth-14486DiVA, id: diva2:1108675
Subject / course
SL2514 Master's Thesis (60 credits) in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability
Educational program
SLASL (Master programme in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability
Supervisors
Examiners
2017-06-222017-06-122018-01-13Bibliographically approved