Collection: Industrial Pact Working Papers
The management of cities and regions has increasingly taken into account sustainability factors as an important element of public policy. As part of a gradual process, regional management is no longer seen as a suite of separate functionalities, but as a whole that aims to be more than the sum of its parts. The purpose of this article is to contextualise the concept of the circular economy, and how it can influence public policy in this region, reflecting on the role of local authorities. The circular economy provides for the utmost resource efficiency, feedback in production and marketing systems, and positive closure to product life-cycles. In order to bring about such a system, we need a paradigm shift in the way we produce and consume. Beyond the radical commitment to save the planet, the possibilities for economic development associated with the circular economy can be highly substantial.