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Journal of Environmental Law and Policy is an international, interdisciplinary journal that facilitates an understanding of environmental governance, policy and law issues not only by drawing upon and contributing to the environmental social sciences, but also linking the ecosystem health, natural resources, and social sciences. The aim of the journal is to promote communication among academia, government, business and industry, civil society groups, citizens’ action groups, and non-governmental organizations who are instrumental in the solving of environmental problems and grassroots level issues.
Demand-Pull Instruments to Support the Circular Economy: A Global Perspective
Eleanor Mateo *
Law School, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit, Brussels, Belgium
Email: Eleanor.mateo@uef.fi | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0126-887X
Topi Turunen
Law School, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, Helsinki, Finland
Email: topi.turunen@uef.fi | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4502-8088
Joonas Alaranta
Law School, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland
Registry of the Board of Appeal, European Chemicals Agency, Helsinki, Finland
Email: joonas.alaranta@uef.fi | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3197-6594
*Corresponding author
(2022) 02 (03) Journal of Environmental Law and Policy 102-138 https://doi.org/10.33002/jelp02.03.03
Accepted: 29 November 2022
No. of Abstract Views:
Published: 28 December 2022
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In recent years, transitioning to a more circular economy has been introduced as a policy objective in many jurisdictions across the globe with a view to achieving a sustainable society. However, the increasing attention paid to this issue has so far not led to a large-scale transformation of production processes and consumption. Instead, many circular economy innovations have remained niche and have not become the mainstream solutions. A plethora of regulatory, market, cultural and technological barriers limit the demand for, and consequently wide-scale adoption of, circular solutions. This article examines the potential offered by regulatory demand-pull instruments to overcome such barriers and to mainstream circular economy solutions. In particular, the article investigates innovative demand-pull instruments that have been used in various jurisdictions globally. This article analyses the instruments according to their types – i.e., command-and-control measures, economic incentives, information tools and public procurement – to gain a better understanding of the rationales, strengths, and limitations of these categories of instruments in creating a stable demand for the circular economy. The lessons learned from the regulatory innovations enable a more critical approach in determining the best combination of instruments and tools to implement sustainable circular solutions on a larger scale.
Keywords: Circular economy; Transition; Demand-pull instruments; Sustainability
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Eleanor Mateo, Topi Turunen and JoonasAlaranta, ‘Demand-Pull Instruments to Support the Circular Economy: A Global Perspective’ (2022) 02 (03) Journal of Environmental Law & Policy 102-138 https://doi.org/10.33002/jelp02.03.03
Mateo, E., Turunen, T.and Alaranta,J. (2022). Demand-Pull Instruments to Support the Circular Economy: A Global Perspective. Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 02(03): 102-138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33002/jelp02.03.03
Mateo, E., Turunen, T.,&Alaranta,J. (2022). Demand-Pull Instruments to Support the Circular Economy: A Global Perspective. Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 02(03), 102-138. https://doi.org/10.33002/jelp02.03.03
Mateo E., Turunen T.,AlarantaJ. Demand-Pull Instruments to Support the Circular Economy: A Global Perspective. Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 2022, 02(03), 102-138. https://doi.org/10.33002/jelp02.03.03
Mateo,Eleanor, Turunen, Topi,Alaranta,Joonas. 2022. “Demand-Pull Instruments to Support the Circular Economy: A Global Perspective”. Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 02 no. 03: 102-138. https://doi.org/10.33002/jelp02.03.03
Mateo, Eleanor, TopiTurunen andJoonasAlaranta. 2022. “Demand-Pull Instruments to Support the Circular Economy: A Global Perspective”. Journal of Environmental Law and Policy, 02(03): 102-138. https://doi.org/10.33002/jelp02.03.03
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