Circular economy activism: Prefigurative action at work and in communities

Circular Economy (CE) is predominately approached through a technical and engineering paradigm, which aims to radically reduce waste by redesigning resource flows. This often ignores the CE’s social dimension. While the entrepreneurship and business model literatures do recognise the importance of people in CE transitions, this seminar goes a step further by understanding CE through an activism lens. Our argument builds on social movement perspectives of societal transitions, showing that change is often enacted by grassroots actors in everyday settings. Circular economy activism can take place in a variety of settings across business and society. Using examples to illustrate our argument, we will argue that the CE could not be practiced without people enacting it – in a multiple of ways – in everyday, practical settings at work and in communities.

Steffen Böhm is Professor in Organisation & Sustainability at University of Exeter Business School. His research focuses on the political economy & ecology of the sustainability transition. He has published seven books, including Ecocultures: Blueprints for Sustainable Communities (Routledge), Negotiating Climate Change in Crisis (Open Book Publishers) and Climate Activism (Cambridge). More details at steffenboehm.net

This is a hybrid event available in person (ARU Cambridge, LAB 107) and on Teams