Introduction

This chapter discusses the circular economy (CE) in relation to narratives around economic development and economic growth. The concept of CE focuses on a set of principles that offer an operational vision of concrete paths to sustainable production and consumption systems and thus to a sustainable economy. The CE approach highlights the importance of changing the current linear model into a system that is regenerative and restorative by design. In 2015 the European Commission adopted the CE concept as part of the European Union’s 2020 strategy initiative ‘to modernise and transform the European economy, shifting it towards a more sustainable direction’. Despite the limitations, different goals and ongoing conceptual development within the CE, there seems to be consensus that the CE has, potentially, much to offer in augmenting existing efforts at environmental sustainability and solving global environmental challenges. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.