The Circular Economy (eBook)

This book provides an in-depth analysis of the concept of the Circular Economy (CE), as well as an assessment of the drivers and barriers for circular practices by firms, and its implications for managers in firms and public policy makers. It includes proposals for policy frameworks and instruments that will encourage the uptake of CE practices. 

The book is presented in three linked parts. The first part of the book provides a broad view of the topic, put into the wider context of sustainability. In the second part, the drivers of and barriers to the uptake of the CE are analysed, with a special focus on the micro-level not seen often in the previous studies on the CE. 

This book is of interest to researchers, policy makers and post-graduate students in areas such as environmental management and economics.

Dr. Pablo del Río is the head of the Environmental Economics Group (GEA) and a senior researcher at the Institute for Public Goods and Policies at the National Research Council of Spain (CSIC). He holds Ph.D. in Environmental Economics (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, UAM), M.Sc. in Economics and Business (UAM) and B.Sc. in Economics (UAM). He has spent two decades researching drivers to eco-innovation in the energy, industry and transport sectors. He has authored or co-authored more than one hundred journal papers and three books. 

Dr. Christoph P. Kiefer gained his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Alcalá, Spain. Currently, he is a senior researcher at Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI). Until 2020, he was a researcher at the Environmental Economics Group, Institute of Public Goods and Policies of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) in Madrid, Spain. Besides participating in two Horizon 2020 projects on the market uptake of solar thermal electricity (MUSTEC) and auctions for renewable energy support (AURES II), he also participated in a transdisciplinary platform regarding circular economy within CSIC and is a member of the research group of complex systems in social sciences (SCCS) applied to sustainable cities. His research areas and interest comprise the economic analysis of innovation and sustainability, specifically focused on eco-innovation in firms, the circular economy and renewable energy. 

Professor Javier Carrillo-Hermosilla gained his Ph.D. in Economics from Universidad de Alcalá (Madrid) and his MBA with honours from IE Business School. He is currently a full professor in the Department of Economics and Business at the University of Alcalá, Spain. He is also a lead researcher in the Complex Systems in Social Sciences Research Group and a research associate of the Institute for Economic and Social Analysis (IAES) and of the Banco Santander Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility. He previously chaired the Economics Department at the top-ranked IE Business School, where he co-founded in 2003 with Prof. Gregory C. Unruh a then groundbreaking initiative to study and promote circular economy, the Centre for Eco-Intelligent Management, under the chairmanship of William McDonough, co-creator of 'Cradle to Cradle' design. His advances in the field are expounded in numerous articles and works on environmental sustainability and technological change, published in international journals and books. 

Dr. Totti Könnölä, a managing director of Insight Foresight Institute, is an experienced executive, a advisor and a speaker in the realm of innovation, entrepreneurship and digitalisation to transform society towards sustainable pathways. He holds Dr.Tech and Lic.Tech in Systems Analysis from Helsinki University of Technology and M.Sc. in Environmental Economics from Helsinki University. He was an instrumental in scaling up the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and played an active role in the development of EU foresight capabilities and research and innovation policy benchmarking systems of the European Commission (JRC), including monitoring the innovation system of Finland. He is a co-author of one book and over hundred scientific publications, an experienced conference speaker and a member of scientific committees.