Assessing circular economy transitions

Abstract

To push forward a transition towards a clean, zero-waste circular economy (CE), cities and regions need to embed circularity goals and principles into their policies and urban planning. Succeeding in this effort requires developing tools for assessing the progress towards CE and to inform the relevant policies through effective evaluation. The current assessment methods face challenges in integrating the relevant dimensions and lack adequate data. Notably, spatial, governance and social aspects of CE transitions are often overlooked. In this chapter, we draw upon the academic literature and real-world policy examples to evaluate critically the existing approaches to CE assessment. Based on this, we provide recommendations to enhance the assessment of CE transitions in cities and regions.