On the circular bioeconomy and decoupling: implications for sustainable growth

Giampietro, Mario

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.05.001

Cited by 376Bioeconomy and Sustainability DevelopmentSustainability and Ecological Systems AnalysisSustainable Development and Environmental Policy

On the circular bioeconomy and decoupling: implications for sustainable growth

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Giampietro, Mario·2019·Ecological Economics

DOI 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.05.001

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Abstract

This paper explores the existing confusion around the conceptual definitions and interpretations of the term circular bioeconomy. The co-existence of diametrically opposite interpretations of the concept indicates lack of a serious discussion of its theoretical foundations. Two narratives on circular bioeconomy are explored in depth: (i) the new economic paradigm based on technological progress (the economics of technological promises) that seeks perpetual economic growth; (ii) an entropic (thermodynamic) narrative that reflects on the limits on economic growth imposed by nature. The latter narrative makes a distinction between primary, secondary and tertiary resource flows and helps to identify what can and cannot be re-circulated within the metabolic pattern of social-ecological systems. Adopting the biophysical view, it becomes clear that the industrial revolution represented a linearization of material and energy flows with the goal to overcome the low pace and density of biological transformations. The required level of productivity of production factors in contemporary developed economies (flows per hour of labor and per hectare of land use) is orders of magnitude larger than the pace and density of supply and sink capacity of natural processes. Relying on nature to ‘close the loop’ will simply slow down the economic process. • Confusion around the concept of circular bioeconomy is explored • The concept is linked to Georgescu-Roegen's fund-flow model • The industrial revolution was a movement from a circular to a linearized economy • Dependence on renewable ecological fund-flows slows down the economic process • Current productivity of productions factors is incompatible with circular bioeconomy

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The bioeconomy is an emerging field whose definitions and interpretations are surrounded by confusion.
“Similar to the circular economy, the bioeconomy is an emerging field whose definitions and interpretations are also surrounded by confusion (Aguilar et al., 2019; Giampietro, 2019).”
From Circular Bioeconomy Concepts—A Perspective (2021) · cites this paper as Giampietro, 2019

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Gulati, M., Jacobs, I. M., Jooste, A., Naidoo, D., & Fakir, S. (2013) · Aquatic Procedia · doi:10.1016/j.aqpro.2013.07.013 · Cited by 137 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Indeed, acknowledging the key role of the interlinkages between (embodied) water, energy, food and land-uses in stabilizing the functioning of social-ecological systems (including climatic conditions), it becomes evident that external limits to the expansion of economic activity do exist (Hoff, 2011; Bazilian et al.,…”
Background
Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization
(2014) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.52-0868 · Cited by 135 · cited 4× · see citing works
“The energy supply of modern society predominantly consists of a linear exploitation of non-renewable stocks of fossil energy allowing a density and pace of flows that are orders of magnitude higher than those of circular renewable fund flows, such as biomass (Smil, 2003; Smil, 2015; Giampietro and Mayumi, 2009).”
Influential
Energy and Society: The Relation Between Energy, Social Change, and Economic Development, by Fred Cottrell
Barber, B. (1956) · Political Science Quarterly · doi:10.2307/2145032 · Cited by 134 · cited 2× · see citing works
“This includes complex adaptive systems (Holland, 2006; Gell-Mann, 1994), autopoietic systems (Maturana and Varela, 1980; Maturana and Varela, 1992), self-modifying systems (Kampis, 1991), and metabolic-repair (M-R) systems that can operate as anticipatory systems (Rosen, 1958; Rosen, 1991); • The field of theoretical…”
Energy and Civilization: A History
Black, B. (2018) · Technology and Culture · doi:10.1353/tech.2018.0067 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Resource Accounting for Sustainability Assessment
(2014) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315866895 · Cited by 128 · cited 1× · see citing works
“9, they can be quantified only after defining, in a pre-analytical phase, a taxonomy of different accounting categories for the different forms they can take on (Giampietro et al., 2012; Giampietro et al., 2014).”
Background
Integrating water and energy models for policy driven applications. A review of contemporary work and recommendations for future developments
Khan, Z., Linares, P., & García‐González, J. (2016) · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2016.08.043 · Cited by 123 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Indeed, acknowledging the key role of the interlinkages between (embodied) water, energy, food and land-uses in stabilizing the functioning of social-ecological systems (including climatic conditions), it becomes evident that external limits to the expansion of economic activity do exist (Hoff, 2011; Bazilian et al.,…”
Background
Technological hype and disappointment: lessons from the hydrogen and fuel cell case
Bakker, S., & Budde, B. (2012) · Technology Analysis and Strategic Management · doi:10.1080/09537325.2012.693662 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Energy Analysis for a Sustainable Future: Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism
Giampietro, M., Mayumi, K. T., & Şorman, A. H. (2012) · International Linear Collider · Cited by 119 · see citing works
Self-citation
Handbook of Anticipation
Morley, N. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-31737-3 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
In the Servitude of Power: Energy and Civilization Through the Ages
Debeir, J.-C., Deléage, J., Hémery, D., & Barzman, J. (1991) · Cited by 115 · see citing works
Energy and food production
Bevan, D. (1977) · World Development · doi:10.1016/0305-750x(77)90031-6 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Environmental concerns in political bioeconomy discourses
Kleinschmit, D., Arts, B. J. M., Giurca, A., Mustalahti, I., Sergent, A., & Pülzl, H. (2017) · The International Forestry Review · doi:10.1505/146554817822407420 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Food Security and Fossil Energy Dependence: An International Comparison of the Use of Fossil Energy in Agriculture (1991-2003)
Arizpe, N., Giampietro, M., & Ramos-Martín, J. (2011) · Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences · doi:10.1080/07352689.2011.554352 · Cited by 102 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Indeed, with the event of the industrial revolution the agricultural sector moved from low external input to high external input agriculture (Giampietro, 1997; Arizpe et al., 2011).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Perspectives on bioeconomy
Aguilar, A., Wohlgemuth, R., & Twardowski, T. (2017) · New Biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.nbt.2017.06.012 · Cited by 97 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Thus combining the two messages of what should be done (the circular economy) and how it can be done (bioeconomy) into a single package (Aguilar et al., 2018; Staffas et al., 2013).”
Background
Gever, John, Robert Kaufmann, David Skole, and Charles Vorosmarty. Beyond Oil: The Threat to Food and Fuel in the Coming Decades. (A Project of Carrying Capacity, Inc.) Cambridge MA: Ballinger Publishing Co., 1986, xxxi + 304 pp., $@@‐@@34.95, $@@‐@@14.95 paper
Taylor, G. C. (1986) · American Journal of Agricultural Economics · doi:10.2307/1242166 · Cited by 91 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…1978; Smil, 1991; Smil, 2003; Smil, 2015; Smil, 2017; Smil, 2013; Ostwald, 1911; Soddy, 1926; Vernadsky, 1986; Cottrell, 1955; Debeir et al., 1991; Gever et al., 1991; Giampietro et al., 2012; Giampietro et al., 2013), the work of White (White, 1943) and Zipf (Zipf, 1941) in the disciplines…”
Narratives of biorefinery innovation for the bioeconomy: Conflict, consensus or confusion?
Bauer, F. (2018) · Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions · doi:10.1016/j.eist.2018.01.005 · Cited by 85 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Definitions and interpretations of the term ‘bioeconomy’ are surrounded by similar confusion (Bauer, 2018; Bugge et al., 2016; McCormick and Kautto, 2013).”
Background
Self-modifying systems in biology and cognitive science: A new framework for dynamics, information and complexity
Conrad, M. (1992) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/0303-2647(92)90030-3 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
The Modern Theory of Energetics
Ostwald, W. (1907) · The Monist · doi:10.5840/monist190717424 · Cited by 78 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…1956; Odum, 1971a; Odum, 1971b; Ulanowicz, 1986; Holling, 1973); • A variety of fields dealing with social systems, including “energetics” (Lotka, 1956; Ostwald, 1907; Hall et al., 1986; Hall and Klitgaard, 2012; Leach, 1976; Pimentel and Pimentel, 2008; Slesser, 1978; Smil, 1991; Smil, 2003;…”
Socioeconomic pressure, demographic pressure, environmental loading and technological changes in agriculture
Giampietro, M. (1997) · Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment · doi:10.1016/s0167-8809(97)00050-9 · Cited by 71 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Indeed, with the event of the industrial revolution the agricultural sector moved from low external input to high external input agriculture (Giampietro, 1997; Arizpe et al., 2011).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Approaches for Quantifying the Metabolism of Physical Economies: A Comparative Survey: Part II: Review of Individual Approaches
Daniels, P. (2002) · Journal of Industrial Ecology · doi:10.1162/108819802320971641 · Cited by 68 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…1943) and Zipf (Zipf, 1941) in the disciplines of anthropology and sociology, respectively, and the recently-developed field of social ecology (Broto et al., 2012; Daniels, 2002; Fischer-Kowalski and Hüttler, 1998; Martínez Alier and Schlüpmann, 1987; Swyngedouw, 2006; Tainter, 1988; Wolman, 1965).”
Background
National Unity and Disunity: The Nation as a Bio-Social Organism.
McCormick, T. C., & Zipf, G. K. (1941) · American Sociological Review · doi:10.2307/2085518 · Cited by 62 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…Cottrell, 1955; Debeir et al., 1991; Gever et al., 1991; Giampietro et al., 2012; Giampietro et al., 2013), the work of White (White, 1943) and Zipf (Zipf, 1941) in the disciplines of anthropology and sociology, respectively, and the recently-developed field of social ecology (Broto et al.,…”
Background
Filters against folly : how to survive despite economists, ecologists, and the merely eloquent
Hardin, G. (1986) · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Introducing Anticipation
Poli, R. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-31737-3_1-1 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Perception and representation of the resource nexus at the interface between society and the natural environment
Giampietro, M. (2018) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su10072545 · Cited by 44 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…the complex of functional and structural components operating within a prescribed boundary that is controlled in an integrated way by the activities expressed by a given set of ecosystems (in the biosphere) and a given set of social actors and institutions (in the technosphere) (Giampietro, 2018a).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
The Essential Exponential! For the Future of Our Planet
Bartlett, A. A., & Ferguson, R. (2004) · American Journal of Physics · doi:10.1119/1.1811624 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Environmental accounting for ecosystem conservation: Linking societal and ecosystem metabolisms
Lomas, P. L., & Giampietro, M. (2017) · Ecological Modelling · doi:10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2016.12.009 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Self-citation
National unity and disunity: the nation as a bio-social organism.
Brown, J. F. (1941) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/h0052770 · Cited by 31 · cited 3× · see citing works
“, 2013), the work of White (White, 1943) and Zipf (Zipf, 1941) in the disciplines of anthropology and sociology, respectively, and the recently-developed field of social ecology (Broto et al.”
Background
The Political Economy of Food and Energy
Gregori, T. R. D. (1978) · Journal of Economic Issues · doi:10.1080/00213624.1978.11503567 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Planet under stress : the challenge of global change
Mungall, C., & Mclaren, D. (1990) · Oxford University Press eBooks · Cited by 20 · see citing works
The Economics of Stationary States. By A. C. Pigou. London: Macmillan and Company. [Toronto: The Macmillan Company of Canada.] 1935. Pp. xi, 326. ($3.25)
Curtis, C. A. (1935) · The Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science · doi:10.2307/136725 · Cited by 20 · cited 3× · see citing works
“Note that Pigou's use of the term ‘stocks’ assumes that the size of production factors inside the technosphere is independent from the interactions with the embedding environment (the biosphere; the ecological processes providing inputs of natural resources and absorbing wastes).”
Background
Anticipation in Agriculture
Giampietro, M. (2018) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-31737-3_23-1 · Cited by 19 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…the complex of functional and structural components operating within a prescribed boundary that is controlled in an integrated way by the activities expressed by a given set of ecosystems (in the biosphere) and a given set of social actors and institutions (in the technosphere) (Giampietro, 2018a).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Beyond oil: The threat to food and fuel in the coming decades
Jewell, W. J. (1988) · Resources Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/0921-3449(88)90009-2 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
The Economics of Stationary States.
Hicks, J. R., & Pigou, A. C. (1936) · The Economic Journal · doi:10.2307/2225135 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Mauro Bonaiuti (ed.): From bioeconomics to degrowth: Georgescu-Roegen’s “New Economics” in eight essays
Gowdy, J. M. (2015) · Journal of Bioeconomics · doi:10.1007/s10818-015-9208-1 · Cited by 3 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Bioeconomics was “a term intended to make us bear in mind continuously the biological origin of the economic process and thus spotlight the problem of mankind's existence with a limited store of accessible resources unevenly located and unequally appropriated” (p. 79 in (Gowdy, 2015)).”
Background

Flagged first, then by citations

3 of the 119 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 8

Cottrell, F.W., 1955. Energy and Society: The Relation Between Energy, Social Changes, and Economic Development. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Taylor & Francis G, Boca Raton, Fl cop.
Samuelson, P.A., Nordhaus, W.D., 2010. Economics. McGraw Hill.
Schrödinger, E., 1967. What Is Life & Mind and Matter. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Soddy, F., 1926. Virtual Wealth and Debt: The Solution of the Economic Paradox. Gordon Press.
Tamanoi, Y., Tsuchida, A., Murota, T., 1984. Une théorie entropique de l'économie et de l'écologie. Économie appliquée 37 (2), 279-294.
Tsuchida, A., Murota, T., 1985. Fundamentals in the entropy theory of water cycle, eco- cycle and human economy. In: Tsuchida, A., Murota, T., Kawamiya, N. (Eds.), Entropy Studies on Ecology and Economy.
Vernadsky, V., 1986. The Biosphere. Synergetic Press, Oracle, AZ.

Sorted by citations

Digitalization and energy consumption. Does ICT reduce energy demand?
Lange, S., Pohl, J., & Santarius, T. (2020) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106760 · Cited by 1,224 · see citing works
“…(Kallis, 2011; Kallis et al., 2018, 2012; Vandeventer et al., 2019; Weiss and Cattaneo, 2017), a-growth (van den Bergh, 2011; van den Bergh and Kallis, 2012), economies without growth (Jackson, 2016; Lange, 2018; Victor, 2019) and parts of the literature on a circular economy (Giampietro, 2019).”
Background
Biorefineries in circular bioeconomy: A comprehensive review
Ubando, A. T., Felix, C. B., & Chen, W. (2019) · Bioresource Technology · doi:10.1016/j.biortech.2019.122585 · Cited by 858 · see citing works
A typology of circular economy discourses: Navigating the diverse visions of a contested paradigm
Friant, M. C., Vermeulen, W. J. V., & Salomone, R. (2020) · Resources Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104917 · Cited by 658 · see citing works
“…to search engine results to ensure a broad and diverse range of literature (see for example Kirchherr et al., 2016). ecological economics (Giampietro, 2019; Millar et al., 2019; Temesgen et al., 2019), environment and sustainability sciences (Korhonen et al., 2018a; Repo et al., 2018;…”
BackgroundInfluential
The circular bioeconomy: Its elements and role in European bioeconomy clusters
Stegmann, P., Londo, M., & Junginger, M. (2020) · Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X · doi:10.1016/j.rcrx.2019.100029 · Cited by 594 · see citing works
“However, this only holds true if the CBE does not follow the paradigm of continuous economic growth (Giampietro, 2019), offsetting its potential benefits with excessive biomass use and rebound effects (Dalia D’Amato et al., 2018).”
Background
Integrating the green economy, circular economy and bioeconomy in a strategic sustainability framework
D'Amato, D., & Korhonen, J. (2021) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107143 · Cited by 368 · see citing works
Circular economy, degrowth and green growth as pathways for research on sustainable development goals: A global analysis and future agenda
Ureña, L. J. B., Plaza‐Úbeda, J. A., Vázquez‐Brust, D., & Yakovleva, N. P. (2021) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107050 · Cited by 361 · see citing works
Analysing European Union circular economy policies: words versus actions
Calisto Friant, M., Vermeulen, W. J. V., & Salomone, R. (2021) · Sustainable Production and Consumption · doi:10.1016/j.spc.2020.11.001 · Cited by 404 · see citing works
“…social justice and global ustainability also needs to be further researched and understood, specially taking into account the impacts of entropy and the reound effect ( Mayumi and Giampietro, 2019 ; Millar et al., 2019 ; oreau et al., 2017 ; Murray et al., 2017 ; Temesgen et al., 2019 ).”
BackgroundInfluential
Latest eco-friendly avenues on hydrogen production towards a circular bioeconomy: Currents challenges, innovative insights, and future perspectives
Qureshi, F., Yusuf, M., Kamyab, H., Vo, D., Chelliapan, S., Joo, S., & Vasseghian, Y. (2022) · Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2022.112916 · Cited by 285 · see citing works
Circular Bioeconomy Concepts—A Perspective
Tan, E. C. D., & Lamers, P. (2021) · Frontiers in Sustainability · doi:10.3389/frsus.2021.701509 · Cited by 317 · see citing works
“A circular bioeconomy is also interpreted as an idea to stimulate the economic growth of developed economies that combines a desirable “what” (circular economy) with a feasible, viable, and desirable “how” (bioeconomy) (Giampietro, 2019).”
Background
Bioenergy and bio-products from bio-waste and its associated modern circular economy: Current research trends, challenges, and future outlooks
Jain, A., Sarsaiya, S., Awasthi, M. K., Singh, R., Rajput, R., Mishra, U. C., Chen, J., & Shi, J. (2021) · Fuel · doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2021.121859 · Cited by 273 · see citing works
The quest for a circular economy final definition: A scientific perspective
Nobre, G. C., & Tavares, E. M. (2021) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127973 · Cited by 225 · see citing works
Circular business models: Current aspects that influence implementation and unaddressed subjects
Salvador, R., Barros, M. V., da Luz, L. M., Piekarski, C. M., & de Francisco, A. C. (2019) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.119555 · Cited by 176 · see citing works
From elite folk science to the policy legend of the circular economy
Giampietro, M., & Funtowicz, S. O. (2020) · Environmental Science & Policy · doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2020.04.012 · Cited by 174 · see citing works
Self-citation
What Circular economy indicators really measure? An overview of circular economy principles and sustainable development goals
de Oliveira, C. T., & Oliveira, G. G. A. (2022) · Resources Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106850 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Waste-derived nanobiochar: A new avenue towards sustainable agriculture, environment, and circular bioeconomy
Sani, M. N. H., Amin, M., Siddique, A., Nasif, S. O., Ghaley, B. B., Ge, L., Wang, F., & Yong, J. W. H. (2023) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166881 · Cited by 166 · see citing works
The social contribution of the circular economy
Valencia, M., Bocken, N. M. P., Loaiza, C., & Jaeger, S. D. (2023) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137082 · Cited by 178 · see citing works
The circular economy and bioeconomy in the fashion sector: Emergence of a “sustainability bias”
Colasante, A., & D’Adamo, I. (2021) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129774 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
The transformation to a circular economy: framing an evolutionary view
Chizaryfard, A., Trucco, P., & Nuur, C. (2020) · Journal of Evolutionary Economics · doi:10.1007/s00191-020-00709-0 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
“(see, e.g., D’Amato et al. 2019; Giampietro 2019).”
Circular Bio-economy—Paradigm for the Future: Systematic Review of Scientific Journal Publications from 2015 to 2021
Venkatesh, G. (2021) · Circular Economy and Sustainability · doi:10.1007/s43615-021-00084-3 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
“decoupling from environmental impacts [298], while Giampietro (2019) [334] describes”
Background
‘The economy’ as if people mattered: revisiting critiques of economic growth in a time of crisis
Spash, C. L. (2020) · Globalizations · doi:10.1080/14747731.2020.1761612 · Cited by 135 · see citing works
“tems of resource throughput and low entropy dependency (Giampietro, 2019).”
Background
The technique is never neutral. How methodological choices condition the generation of narratives for sustainability
Saltelli, A., Benini, L., Funtowicz, S. O., Giampietro, M., Kaiser, M., Reinert, E. S., & van der Sluijs, J. P. (2020) · Environmental Science & Policy · doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2020.01.008 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
“Neo-classical economics portrays the economic process as a selfsustaining merry-go-round between production and consumption of goods and services, in which the crucial role of the environment in providing primary inputs and recycling wastes is simply not considered (Giampietro, 2019).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Decoupling Economic Development from the Consumption of Finite Resources Using Circular Economy. A Model for Developing Countries
Scheel, C., Aguiñaga, E., & Bello, B. (2020) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su12041291 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Sustainable circular cities? Analysing urban circular economy policies in Amsterdam, Glasgow, and Copenhagen
Friant, M. C., Reid, K. M., Boesler, P., Vermeulen, W. J. V., & Salomone, R. (2023) · Local Environment · doi:10.1080/13549839.2023.2206643 · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Transition to a Sustainable Circular Society: More than Just Resource Efficiency
Friant, M. C., Vermeulen, W. J. V., & Salomone, R. (2023) · Circular Economy and Sustainability · doi:10.1007/s43615-023-00272-3 · Cited by 107 · see citing works
“…[112], in China [113], in Quebec [114], in the USA [115], in various European cities [116–121], and at the EU level [14, 15, 122, 123] 6 Because of these socio-ecological impacts of the linear capitalist system, some scholars call it a social and environmentally entropic system 31,93,96,130.”
Ecosystem services and climate action from a circular bioeconomy perspective
Sharma, R., & Malaviya, P. (2023) · Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2023.113164 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Progress on microalgae cultivation in wastewater for bioremediation and circular bioeconomy
Satya, A. D. M., Cheah, W. Y., Yazdi, S. K., Cheng, Y., Khoo, K. S., Vo, D. N., Bui, X. D., Vithanage, M. S., & Show, P. L. (2022) · Environmental Research · doi:10.1016/j.envres.2022.114948 · Cited by 105 · see citing works
Advances in the Food Packaging Production from Agri-Food Waste and By-Products: Market Trends for a Sustainable Development
Cristofoli, N. L., Lima, A. R., Tchonkouang, R. D., Quintino, A. C., & Vieira, M. C. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15076153 · Cited by 101 · see citing works
“…a replacement for linear flows of materials and nonrenewable resources exploring biologically-based products and services such as valuing agricultural waste addressing several objectives for sustainable development, the circular bioeconomy stands out as a key concept for sustainability [11,14,15].”
Background
The Circular Economy in Europe
Kovacic, Z., Strand, R., & Völker, T. (2019) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780429061028 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Conceptual evolution of the bioeconomy: a bibliometric analysis
Mougenot, B., & Doussoulin, J.-P. (2021) · Environment Development and Sustainability · doi:10.1007/s10668-021-01481-2 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Biorefinery: A comprehensive concept for the sociotechnical transition toward bioeconomy
Conteratto, C., Artuzo, F. D., Santos, O. I. B., & Talamini, E. (2021) · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2021.111527 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Apologists for growth: passive revolutionaries in a passive revolution
Spash, C. L. (2020) · Globalizations · doi:10.1080/14747731.2020.1824864 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
“It provides the magic bullet solution (for criticisms of decoupling see Fletcher & Rammelt, 2017; Giampietro, 2019; Parrique et al., 2019).”
Background
Going beyond definitions to understand tensions within the bioeconomy: The contribution of sociotechnical regimes to contested fields
Béfort, N. (2020) · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2020.119923 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
High Fiber Cakes from Mediterranean Multipurpose Oilseeds as Protein Sources for Ruminants
Serrapica, F., Masucci, F., Raffrenato, E., Sannino, M., Vastolo, A., Barone, C. M. A., & Francia, A. D. (2019) · Animals · doi:10.3390/ani9110918 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
“As a result of production intensification, the current agri-food sector in developed countries is characterized by considerable materials’ consumption and waste streams to be disposed, so that it can be configured according to a model of linear economy [1].”
Background
From pro-growth and planetary limits to degrowth and decoloniality: An emerging bioeconomy policy and research agenda
Ramcilovic‐Suominen, S., Kröger, M., & Dressler, W. (2022) · Forest Policy and Economics · doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2022.102819 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“The goal is to decouple economic growth from environmental impacts (Albert, 2020; Giampietro, 2019).”
Background
Integrating Multi-Criteria Techniques in Life-Cycle Tools for the Circular Bioeconomy Transition of Agri-Food Waste Biomass: A Systematic Review
Perdomo, F. A., & González‐Curbelo, M. Á. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15065026 · Cited by 77 · see citing works
“Yet, there is emerging evidence that highlights potential obstacles and trade-offs [11,12].”
Background
Socio-technical imaginaries of a circular economy in governmental discourse and among science, technology, and innovation actors: A Norwegian case study
Hermann, R. R., Pansera, M., Nogueira, L. A., & Monteiro, M. S. A. (2022) · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121903 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
Circular Bioeconomy Research for Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Innovations, Gaps, and Actions
Feleke, S., Cole, S. M., Sekabira, H., Djouaka, R., & Manyong, V. M. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13041926 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
“These present a strong economic, social, and environmental justification for bringing together aspects of the two concepts into a single framework called circular bioeconomy (see [27] for a more nuanced understanding of the concept).”
Background
The bioeconomy and its untenable growth promises: reality checks from research
Eversberg, D., Holz, J., & Pungas, L. (2022) · Sustainability Science · doi:10.1007/s11625-022-01237-5 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
“Their thorough revision of the core tenets that ‘green growth’ ideas rest on has begun gradually entering the bioeconomy debate not only through radically provocative work such as that of Mario Giampietro (2019), but also through sober accounts like the one by Bringezu et al.”
BackgroundInfluential
The ‘bioeconomics vs bioeconomy’ debate: Beyond criticism, advancing research fronts
Allain, S., Ruault, J., Moraine, M., & Madelrieux, S. (2021) · Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions · doi:10.1016/j.eist.2021.11.004 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Envisioning just transformations in and beyond the EU bioeconomy: inspirations from decolonial environmental justice and degrowth
Ramcilovic-Suominen, S. (2022) · Sustainability Science · doi:10.1007/s11625-022-01091-5 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
“Regarding circularity, only a portion of the materials and energy sources that we use can be recycled, as a large share of primary materials is degraded through use and recycling itself is energy intense (Giampietro 2019; Parrique et al. 2019).”
Background
Regional sustainability: Pressures and responses of tourism economy and ecological environment in the Yangtze River basin, China
Zhu, K., Zhou, Q., Cheng, Y.-F., Zhang, Y., Li, T., Yan, X., Alimov, A., Farmanov, E., & Dávid, L. (2023) · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · doi:10.3389/fevo.2023.1148868 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
“Along with the first industrial revolution, an increasing number of problems emerged in the natural environment on which people depend, such as the increasing demand for ecological resources, the varying degrees of environmental destruction, and the gradual degradation of the natural ecology (Giampietro, 2019).”
Background
The circular bioeconomy: a driver for system integration
Schipfer, F., Burli, P., Fritsche, U., Hennig, C., Stricker, F., Wirth, M., Proskurina, S., & Serna-Loaiza, S. (2024) · Energy, Sustainability and Society · doi:10.1186/s13705-024-00461-4 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“[79] Furthermore, Giampietro and Haas et al. [59, 80] highlight the importance of better understanding ecological funds’ recycling capacity.”
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Food, energy or biomaterials? Policy coherence across agro-food and bioeconomy policy domains in the EU
Muscat, A., de Olde, E. M., Kovacic, Z., de Boer, I. J. M., & Ripoll‐Bosch, R. (2021) · Environmental Science & Policy · doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2021.05.001 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
A Socio-economic Indicator for EoL Strategies for Bio-based Products
D'Adamo, I., Falcone, P., Imbert, E., & Morone, P. (2020) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2020.106794 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Natural capital accounting perspectives: a pragmatic way forward
Turner, K. R., Baďura, T., & Ferrini, S. (2019) · Ecosystem Health and Sustainability · doi:10.1080/20964129.2019.1682470 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
“The CiE sits between these boundaries, see Figure 1, in thermodynamic terms this is an ‘open system’ which inevitably stresses the environmental boundaries and risks the crossing of thresholds and tipping points (Giampietro 2019).”
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Institutional quality and bioeconomy performance in European countries: Unveiling the evidence
Barra, C., & Falcone, P. (2024) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2024.108188 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Resources, Collaborators, and Neighbors: The Three-Pronged Challenge in the Implementation of Bioeconomy Regions
Bezama, A., Ingrao, C., O’Keeffe, S., & Thrän, D. (2019) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su11247235 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
The more things change, the more they stay the same: promises of bioeconomy and the economy of promises
Eversberg, D., Koch, P., Lehmann, R., Saltelli, A., Ramcilovic‐Suominen, S., & Kovacic, Z. (2023) · Sustainability Science · doi:10.1007/s11625-023-01321-4 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“In other words, is not the successive revision of policies and the broader rhetorical integration of socio-ecological concerns a sign that policymaking itself follows the logic of the ‘promise cycle’ observed in industrial innovation (Befort 2021; Joly 2013), in which initially exaggerated claims are inevitably disapp…”
BackgroundInfluential
Home Bio-Waste Composting for the Circular Economy
Sulewski, P., Kais, K., Gołaś, M., Rawa, G., Urbańska, K., & Wąs, A. (2021) · Energies · doi:10.3390/en14196164 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“Thus, CE based on the C2C paradigm strives to become a way of decoupling economic growth from resource extraction and natural environment degradation [2,21,30,31], although this assumption is not doubt-free [32].”
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A life cycle assessment perspective on biodiesel production from fish wastes for green microgrids in a circular bioeconomy
Kiehbadroudinezhad, M., Merabet, A., & Hosseinzadeh-Bandbafha, H. (2022) · Bioresource Technology Reports · doi:10.1016/j.biteb.2022.101303 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Moving towards a sustainable circular bio-economy in the agriculture sector of a developing country
Khan, F. H., & Ali, Y. (2022) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2022.107402 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
The future of circular environmental impact indicators for cultural heritage buildings in Europe
Foster, G., Kreinin, H., & Stagl, S. (2020) · Environmental Sciences Europe · doi:10.1186/s12302-020-00411-9 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Prospectives for the development of a circular bioeconomy around the banana value chain
Fiallos-Cárdenas, M., Pérez-Martínez, S., & Ramirez, A. D. (2021) · Sustainable Production and Consumption · doi:10.1016/j.spc.2021.12.014 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Socio-technical discourses of European electricity decarbonization: Contesting narrative credibility and legitimacy with quantitative story-telling
Renner, A., & Giampietro, M. (2019) · Energy Research & Social Science · doi:10.1016/j.erss.2019.101279 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“Indeed, the uncontested endorsement of economic story-telling represents a formidable filter against uncomfortable knowledge about the sustainability predicament [100].”
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Land use for United States power generation: A critical review of existing metrics with suggestions for going forward
Wachs, L., & Engel, B. A. (2021) · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2021.110911 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Food sustainability trends - How to value the açaí production chain for the development of food inputs from its main bioactive ingredients?
Barbosa, J. R., & de Carvalho, R. N. (2022) · Trends in Food Science & Technology · doi:10.1016/j.tifs.2022.04.005 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Deconstructing substitution narratives: The case of bioeconomy innovations from the forest-based sector
Giurca, A., & Befort, N. (2023) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2023.107753 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Advances in the insect industry within a circular bioeconomy context: a research agenda
Hamam, M., D’Amico, M., & Vita, G. A. D. (2024) · Environmental Sciences Europe · doi:10.1186/s12302-024-00861-5 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“For this reason, the circular bioeconomy has often been criticized for being unlikely to increase the consumption of natural resources, including energy, water, and minerals, through the mere recycling of components and products [23, 25].”
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Six policy perspectives on the future of a semi-circular economy
van den Bergh, J. C. J. M. (2020) · Resources Conservation and Recycling · doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104898 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Emergy unsustainability index for agricultural systems assessment: A proposal based on the laws of thermodynamics
Artuzo, F. D., Allegretti, G., Santos, O. I. B., da Silva, L. X., & Talamini, E. (2020) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143524 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Bioremediation strategies of palm oil mill effluent and landfill leachate using microalgae cultivation: An approach contributing towards environmental sustainability
Ahmad, I., Ibrahim, N. N., Abdullah, N., Iwamoto, K., Mohamad, S. E., Khoo, K. S., Cheah, W. Y., Ling, T. C., & Show, P. L. (2022) · Chinese Chemical Letters · doi:10.1016/j.cclet.2022.107854 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Bioeconomy as a societal transformation: Mentalities, conflicts and social practices
Eversberg, D., & Fritz, M. (2022) · Sustainable Production and Consumption · doi:10.1016/j.spc.2022.01.021 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
Ecological impacts and limits of biomass use: a critical review
Arodudu, O. T., Holmatov, B., & Voinov, A. A. (2020) · Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy · doi:10.1007/s10098-020-01911-1 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
“However, we should realize that recycling of resources entails costs and may slow down the economic processes (Haberl and Geissler 2000; Giampietro 2019).”
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A readiness level framework for sustainable circular bioeconomy
Holden, N. M. (2022) · EFB Bioeconomy Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bioeco.2022.100031 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
A Framework for Assessing the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in the Circular Bioeconomy
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Theoretical Research on Circular Economy and Sustainability Trade-Offs and Synergies
Morales, M. E., Batlles‐delaFuente, A., Cortés‐García, F. J., & Ureña, L. J. B. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su132111636 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“The European Union (EU) has increased interest in CE issues, revealing potential trade-offs with sustainability goals [28,29] as of 2011.”
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Circular cities: an evidence map of research between 2010 and 2020
Vanhuyse, F., Haddaway, N., & Henrysson, M. (2021) · Discover Sustainability · doi:10.1007/s43621-021-00059-2 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Transition to a Sustainable Bioeconomy
Hinderer, S., Brändle, L., & Kuckertz, A. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13158232 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“Hence, to operate within the biosphere’s boundaries, current economic growth needs to slow down to a level that aligns with the biosphere’s supply capacity for renewable resources and its regeneration capacity for ecological externalities from economic activities [35,36].”
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Reflections on the popularity of the circular bioeconomy concept: the ontological crisis of sustainability science
Giampietro, M. (2023) · Sustainability Science · doi:10.1007/s11625-022-01267-z · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Self-citation
Kinetics of glucosinolate hydrolysis by myrosinase in Brassicaceae tissues: A high-performance liquid chromatography approach
Pardini, A., Tamasi, G., Rocco, F. D., Bonechi, C., Consumi, M., Leone, G., Magnani, A., & Rossi, C. (2021) · Food Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.129634 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Optimizing water-energy-food nexus: achieving economic prosperity and environmental sustainability in agriculture
Ansari, A., Wuryandani, S., Pranesti, A., Telaumbanua, M., Ngadisih, Hardiansyah, M. Y., Alam, T., Supriyanta, S., Martini, T., & Taryono, T. (2023) · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.3389/fsufs.2023.1207197 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
“Moreover, biofertilizers can improve soil structure, promote beneficial microbial 10.3389/fsufs.2023.1207197 Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 03 frontiersin.org activity, and reduce the risk of nutrient runoff (Giampietro, 2019; Yue and Guo, 2021; Peña-Torres et al., 2022).”
BackgroundInfluential
Overarching Business Models for a Circular Bioeconomy: Systematising archetypes
Salvador, R., Barros, M., Pieroni, M. P. P., Silva, D. A. L., Freire, F., & de Francisco, A. D. (2023) · Sustainable Production and Consumption · doi:10.1016/j.spc.2023.11.010 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
“So far, the CBE has been underexplored (Stegmann et al., 2020), and its concept is under development (Giampietro, 2019).”
Life cycle assessment of a novel bipolar electrodialysis-based flow battery concept and its potential use to mitigate the intermittency of renewable energy generation
Mora, M. A. M., Pijpers, J. J. H., Antonio, A. C., de la Cruz, J., & Calderón, A. M. A. (2021) · Journal of Energy Storage · doi:10.1016/j.est.2021.102339 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Bioeconomic fiction between narrative dynamics and a fixed imaginary: Evidence from India and Germany
Friedrich, J., Najork, K., Keck, M., & Zscheischler, J. (2021) · Sustainable Production and Consumption · doi:10.1016/j.spc.2021.12.026 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“…by this notion, some authors even propose that the bioeconomy be perceived as a “panacea” by policy makers for obstacles to ultimately reconciling the effort s to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the limitations of the planet’s life support systems ( Giampietro, 2019 ).”
The Japanese Circular Economy and Sound Material-Cycle Society Policies: Discourse and Policy Analysis
Arai, R., Friant, M. C., & Vermeulen, W. J. V. (2023) · Circular Economy and Sustainability · doi:10.1007/s43615-023-00298-7 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“At present, policies and practices rely heavily on technologies such as incineration and recycling (R7-8), yet reliance on these measures will not lead to an effective circulation and conservation of limited resources [83–86].”
Trends and policy in bioeconomy literature: a bibliometric review
Gould, H., Kelleher, L., & O'Neill, E. (2023) · EFB Bioeconomy Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bioeco.2023.100047 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
The Main Research Characteristics of the Development of the Concept of the Circular Economy Concept: A Global Analysis and the Future Agenda
Meseguer-Sánchez, V., Gálvez‐Sánchez, F. J., Moreno, V. M., & de Bobadilla, G. W. F. (2021) · Frontiers in Environmental Science · doi:10.3389/fenvs.2021.704387 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
“This limited theoretical development leads to unclear practical implications for sustainability (Giampietro, 2019), resulting in some ambiguity regarding the circular economy.”
Background
Empowering the transition towards a circular economy through empirically-driven research: Past, present, and future
Genovese, A., Ponte, B., Cannella, S., & Domínguez, R. (2023) · International Journal of Production Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ijpe.2022.108765 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Towards a Sustainable Bioeconomy through Industrial Symbiosis: Current Situation and Perspectives
Bijon, N., Wassenaar, T., Junqua, G., & Dechesne, M. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14031605 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“This institutional vision of BE suggests an increase in technological innovation to foster economic growth and increase the use of biomass resources in all economic sectors [25,29], which is likely to result in generally weak sustainability [10,36,42,51].”
Background
Sustainable Development Goals and End-of-Life Electric Vehicle Battery: Literature Review
Akram, M. N., & Abdul-Kader, W. (2023) · Batteries · doi:10.3390/batteries9070353 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
“17 of 27 Table 12 summarizes the papers reviewed that talk about environmental beneﬁts.”
Background
The Circular Economy and Climate Change: The State of National and Global Evidence on Mitigation Potential
Wiedenhofer, D., Streeck, J., Wiese, F., Verdolini, E., Mastrucci, A., Ju, Y., Boza‐Kiss, B., Min, J., Norman, J., Wieland, H., et al. (2025) · Annual Review of Environment and Resources · doi:10.1146/annurev-environ-111523-102441 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
The industrial decarbonization paradigm: Carbon lock-in or path renewal in the United Kingdom?
Herman, K. S., Hall, J. K., Sovacool, B. K., & Iskandarova, M. (2025) · Ecological Economics · doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108628 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Innovation in the bioeconomy: Perspectives of entrepreneurs on relevant framework conditions
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The making of sustainability: ideological strategies, the materiality of nature, and biomass use in the bioeconomy
Boyer, M., Kusche, F., Hackfort, S., Prause, L., & Engelbrecht-Bock, F. (2022) · Sustainability Science · doi:10.1007/s11625-022-01254-4 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“…keep pace with the requirements for production and consumption of goods and services (MartínezAlier 2002), due to the dramatic difference between the pace of production and density of energy inputs of fossil-based resources on the one hand and biogenic resources on the other (Giampietro 2019).”
BackgroundInfluential
Is the EU shirking responsibility for its deforestation footprint in tropical countries? Power, material, and epistemic inequalities in the EU’s global environmental governance
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“First, multiple studies indicate that absolute decoupling cannot be achieved globally under the logic of continuous economic growth (Giampietro 2019; Parrique et al. 2019).”
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The bioeconomy in Germany: A failing political project?
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Sustainable Production of Pigments from Cyanobacteria
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Synergy of eco-innovation with on-farm practices enhances circularity beyond conventional nutrient recovery framework
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Harnessing biostimulants from biogas digestates for high-value resource recovery: a review
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The SDGs and the bio-economy: fostering land-grabbing in Africa
Ashukem, J.-C. N. (2020) · Review of African Political Economy · doi:10.1080/03056244.2019.1687086 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
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“Giampietro (2019) argued, based on an analysis of global socio-metabolic flows, that tertiary flows (such as manure, or waste in general) depend upon primary energy sources (soil, water, air) and secondary flows (fodder, livestock).”
BackgroundInfluential
A review of microalgae-based biorefineries approach for produced water treatment: Barriers, pretreatments, supplementation, and perspectives
Pessôa, L. C., Cruz, E. P., Deamici, K. M., Andrade, B. B., Carvalho, N. S., Vieira, S. R., da Silva, J. B. A., Pontes, L. A. M., de Souza, C. O., Druzian, J. I., et al. (2022) · Journal of environmental chemical engineering · doi:10.1016/j.jece.2022.108096 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
ISO 59000 Standards for the Circular Economy: a Call for Accuracy
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Desertification and Degradation Risks vs Poverty: A Key Topic in Mediterranean Europe
Rodrigo‐Comino, J., Salvia, R., Egidi, G., Salvati, L., Giménez‐Morera, A., & Quaranta, G. (2021) · Cuadernos de Investigación Geográfica · doi:10.18172/cig.4850 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“They are intrinsically defined by a complex synergy between environmental and social drivers (Giampietro, 2019; Bekun et al., 2019).”
Background
The Role of Consumers in Business Model Innovations for a Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy
Lang, S., Minnucci, G., Müller, M., & Schlaile, M. P. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15129573 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“At the same time, a BE is not sustainable per se, depending on the underlying vision or imaginary (e.g., [16–18 ,29,30 ,86 ,87 Innovation is undoubtedly a key element in the transition towards a sustainable CBE.”
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Integrating Circular Bioeconomy and Urban Dynamics to Define an Innovative Management of Bio-Waste: The Study Case of Turin
Taffuri, A., Sciullo, A., Diemer, A., & Nedelciu, C. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13116224 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Factors and actions for the sustainability of the residential sector. The nexus of energy, materials, space, and time use
Pérez-Sánchez, L. À., Velasco-Fernández, R., & Giampietro, M. (2022) · Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.rser.2022.112388 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Self-citation
Just transition governance to avoid socio-economic impacts of lignite phase-out: The case of Western Macedonia, Greece
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Beyond circularity! Integration of circularity, efficiency, and sufficiency for nutrient management in agri-food systems
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“However, nutrient circularity and associated concepts (recovery and reuse, circular economy, bioeconomy) are on occasion presented as an end goal, because they solve problems of resource constraints and pollution (Giampietro 2019; Harder et al. 2021; van der Wiel et al. 2019).”
When Do Supply Chains Strengthen Biological and Cultural Diversity? Methods and Indicators for the Socio-Biodiversity Bioeconomy
Saes, M. S. M., Saes, B. M., Feitosa, E. R. M., Poschen, P., Val, A. L., & Marcovitch, J. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15108053 · Cited by 26 · see citing works

Authors: Giampietro, M.
Affiliations: Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES)
Corresponding author: Giampietro, Mario
ORCID: Giampietro, Mario
Venue: Ecological Economics
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2019-08
Volume: 162
Pages: 143-156
ISSN: 0921-8009 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.05.001
OpenAlex: W2943950764
Cited by: 376
References: 119
Citations by year: 2026: 31 · 2025: 48 · 2024: 50 · 2023: 62 · 2022: 73 · 2021: 69 · 2020: 31 · 2019: 11 · 2014: 1
FWCI: 95.43
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: hybrid
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (vor)
Locations: Ecological Economics (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MDM2015-0552)
European Commission (HORIZON2020, 689669)
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MDM-2015-0552)
Topics: Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Bioeconomy and Sustainability Development
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Engineering › Sustainability and Ecological Systems Analysis
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Sustainable Development and Environmental Policy
Keywords: circular bioeconomy, decoupling, sustainable growth, limits to growth, biophysical economics, Georgescu-Roegen, resource flows, Industrial Revolution, thermodynamic limit, social-ecological systems

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On the circular bioeconomy and decoupling: implications for sustainable growth

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