The Legal Transition towards a Circular Economy

By 2 de Dezembro, 2022No Comments

These results answer our research question on how SMEs can manage their transition to CE in an integrated and strategic manner. We discovered three pillars (governance, relationships and innovation) that have already received attention in the business literature. However, previous studies focusing on CE in the SME context have failed to adopt an integrated approach or focus on the TM approach, which characterizes the transformation from a linear to a circular economy (Chen et al., 2020; de Sousa Jabbour, 2019; Thorley et al., 2022; Zhu et al., 2022). As a result, we have developed a conceptual framework that highlights the fact that these three founding pillars act together and that their management evolves during the transition to UE. Over the past ten years, many publications on the subject of CE have been produced. However, less research has revealed ways to implement a circular approach in SMEs during the transition to CE (Cramer, 2020). European Investment Bank (EIB) (2020). EIB Guide to the Circular Economy. Support for the circular transition. Retrieved 2 May 2022. www.eib.org/en/publications/the-eib-in-the-circular-economy-guide) The Circular Economy Accelerator portal (Versnellingshuis) can help your company with its circular economy plans or ideas, or answer your questions about knowledge, network partners, legislation or funding.

The portal is a partnership between the Confederation of Dutch Industry and Employers (VNO/NCW), the Royal MKB-Nederland Association for SMEs, the sustainability think tank Green Brain and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Saidani, M., Yannou, B., Leroy, Y., & Cluzel, F. (2017). How to evaluate the performance of products in the circular economy? Proposed requirements for the design of a circular measurement framework. Recycling, 2(1), 6 doi.org/10.3390/recycling2010006 Third, TM theory recommends catalyzing the efforts of different actors involved in transitions in relation to the same drivers of change. According to this recommendation, this framework could also be used at sectoral level (in the form of an aggregated analysis of SMEs` self-positioning systems) to assess the maturity of sectors in relation to these three key dimensions. The existence of a synthetic view of the `state of the art` in relation to how SMEs in a given sector approach CE in relation to the aspects addressed or neglected can help policymakers to carry out more targeted interventions. This catalytic role could also be taken up by professional associations, which may be closer to certain local areas and conditions. In other words, a first assessment of the approach taken by SMEs with a territory vis-à-vis the JV can activate different ways to facilitate the development of circular networks and value chains (e.g.

by creating platforms for meeting customers and suppliers of secondary raw materials). Oncioiu, I., Căpuşneanu, S., Türkeș, M. C., Topor, D. I., Constantin, D. M. O., Marin-Pantelescu, A., & Hint, M. S. (2018). The sustainability of Romanian SMEs and their participation in the circular economy. Durability, 10(8), 2761.

doi.org/10.3390/su10082761 Other recommendations to align the circular economy with existing environmental legislation also play a key role. The research question underlying this study is: What are the main and fundamental pillars that need to be managed by SMEs to achieve a strategic transition to CE? Answering this question highlights some fundamental concepts on which the transition from a linear to a circular economy must be based, based on an integrated vision of business that claims that the CE cannot be achieved through a piecemeal approach. The reference to transition theory highlights the fact that the management of these pillars by SMEs during their transition to the circular economy is essential to accelerate this change by providing adequate knowledge and resources, as the transition process has different characteristics at different levels of maturity (Holzer et al., 2021). The expected outcome of this study is the development of a conceptual framework that contributes to the literature on JV and SMEs and can also serve as a reference point, which can provide SMEs with a qualitative tool at enterprise level to monitor their progress towards JV and to enable policy makers to have an overview of the progress made by SMEs towards a circular economy and the support measures therefore needed. furnish. The pandemic experience associated with COVID-19 has significantly increased attention to environmental and societal issues, highlighting the need for disruptive change at the macro and micro levels (Dolnicar and Zare, 2020; Gene Lozano & Barreiro, 2021; Srisathan and Naruetharadhol, 2022). The shock of the COVID-19 pandemic has also led to a rapid increase in small business growth (Litton and Solomon 2017). As a result, SMEs should be aware of their central role in the transition to a more global green economy and actively manage their transition processes. The ability to see the path to sustainability as a transition that needs to be managed both at the global and corporate level is important for companies themselves, who should be aware of their transformative role in structural global change, as well as for regulators, policymakers and institutions that should adapt their efforts to support circular pathways by taking a dynamic approach.

that is consistent with business development in the context of sustainability. The bioeconomy has attracted the attention of policymakers who, motivated by the EU`s orientation, encourage investments to reduce fossil fuel consumption with the aim of mitigating climate change and reducing dependence on scarce natural resources. The bioeconomy can have a positive impact on the transition from a linear to a circular economy as long as the EC includes the concept of circular bioeconomy (European Commission, 2018). The target company with whom we tested our framework produces biogas, a technology that enables bioenergy production through a biologically mediated process known as anaerobic digestion, after which different microorganisms follow different metabolic pathways to break down organic matter. Electricity production from biogas in Europe increased from 3652 GWh to 88 986 GWh between 1990 and 2018 (International Energy Agency website data, 2021). Germany is the largest biogas producer in the EU with 66% of all biogas plants, followed by Italy (10%) and France (5%) (Guidehouse Netherlands, 2020). Lombardy is the first region in Italy to invest in biogas technology with an installed capacity of more than 250 MV (Guidehouse Netherlands, 2020). Kazancoglu, I., Kazancoglu, Y., Kahraman, A., Yarimoglu, E., & Soni, G.

(2020). Examining barriers to the circular supply chain in the textile industry from the perspective of stakeholders. International Journal of Logistics Research and Applications, 30, 71-91. doi.org/10.1080/13675567.2020.1846694 SMEs contribute significantly to Europe`s GDP and play a central role in the ecological transition (European Commission, 2020). Scientists as well as international and national institutions strive to support SMEs in this project by developing relevant knowledge and providing funding for this purpose. SMEs, on the other hand, show a different sensitivity to UE. Chen et al. (2020) compare the integrated frameworks used for circular business model studies in the context of transition flow processes proposed by BSI (The British Standards Institution), WBCSD (World Business Council for Sustainable Development) and the C2C BIZZ (Cradle to Cradle) project, focusing on the positioning and role of analytical tools in these contexts. Hernández-Chea, R., Jain, A., Bocken, N. M.

P., & Gurtoo, A. (2021). The business model in sustainability transitions: a conceptualization. Durability, 13, 5763. doi.org/10.3390/su13115763 The contributions of this study are twofold. As an important contribution to the theory, this study fills gaps in the literature on the application of a circular approach in SMEs and highlights the importance of a dynamic vision and integrated management of various key dimensions. We conceptualize the transition associated with the CE from a business perspective by proposing a theoretical framework that highlights the different attitudes of SMEs towards the founding pillars of the CE based on their knowledge and awareness of the circular economy. The positive attitude of large companies towards the EC is also justified by the current availability of resources such as financial, tangible and intangible assets as part of the governance approach. Indeed, the pursuit of competitive advantage in global markets has long served as an incentive to promote efforts to ensure sound and sustainable governance (Salvioni et al., 2022b) (for example, through ad hoc committees within different boards dealing with sustainability issues and the establishment of effective risk management systems to reduce risks associated with ESG dimensions). transparent communication with stakeholders to strengthen these relationships (e.g., through integrated reporting and structured stakeholder engagement projects) and continued focus on innovation in products, processes and business models.