TY - CHAP
T1 - Limits to Sustainable Development Goals
T2 - Discussing Lessons from Case Studies in (Un)sustainable Production
AU - Kopnina, Helen
PY - 2022/6/10
Y1 - 2022/6/10
N2 - Closed-loop production strategy, which aims to retain the highest utility and value of products, components, and materials at all times, aims to address resource depletion as part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12, concerned with “responsible consumption and production.” The circular economy is based on the 9R principles, supporting closed-loop systems, such as the circular economy and Cradle to Cradle (C2C), promising absolute decoupling of resource consumption from economic activity. However, while the SDGs single out “inclusive economic growth” as an overarching aim, economic growth is the cause of unsustainability, and absolute decoupling is impossible. This chapter addresses broader lessons from the critical assessment of products that strive toward or claim full circularity. This chapter discusses some supposedly “circular” or C2C products analyzed by business students. These case studies have taught the students more significant lessons concerning the limitations and paradoxes of production. The discussion section delves into the subject of how applying “ideal” and “realistic” circularity principles can help students to develop critical thinking about the SDGs in general and “responsible production and consumption” in particular.
AB - Closed-loop production strategy, which aims to retain the highest utility and value of products, components, and materials at all times, aims to address resource depletion as part of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12, concerned with “responsible consumption and production.” The circular economy is based on the 9R principles, supporting closed-loop systems, such as the circular economy and Cradle to Cradle (C2C), promising absolute decoupling of resource consumption from economic activity. However, while the SDGs single out “inclusive economic growth” as an overarching aim, economic growth is the cause of unsustainability, and absolute decoupling is impossible. This chapter addresses broader lessons from the critical assessment of products that strive toward or claim full circularity. This chapter discusses some supposedly “circular” or C2C products analyzed by business students. These case studies have taught the students more significant lessons concerning the limitations and paradoxes of production. The discussion section delves into the subject of how applying “ideal” and “realistic” circularity principles can help students to develop critical thinking about the SDGs in general and “responsible production and consumption” in particular.
KW - Circular economy
KW - Cradle to Cradle (C2C)
KW - Degrowth
KW - Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132366205&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-94293-9_11
DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-94293-9_11
M3 - Chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85132366205
SN - 9783030942922
T3 - CSR, Sustainability, Ethics and Governance (CSEG)
SP - 201
EP - 216
BT - Towards a Circular Economy
A2 - Alvarez-Risco, Aldo
A2 - Rosen, Marc A.
A2 - Del-Aguila-Arcentales, Shyla
PB - Springer
CY - Cham, Switzerland
ER -