Bridging the gap between circular economy and climate change mitigation policies through eco-innovations and Quintuple Helix Model

• Published in: Technological forecasting & social change 2020-11, Vol.160, p.120246, Article 120246
• Main Authors: Durán-Romero, Gemma, López, Ana M., Beliaeva, Tatiana, Ferasso, Marcos, Garonne, Christophe, Jones, Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Business administration; Circular economy; Clean technology; Climate change; Climate change mitigation; Climate policy; Eco-innovation; Energy efficiency; Environmental policy; Humanities and Social Sciences; Innovations; Manufacturing industry; Material efficiency; Natural environment; Policies; Policy making; Production methods; Quintuple Helix Model; Resource efficiency; Sustainability; Sustainable business model; Technological change; Wastes
• ISSN: 0040-1625; 1873-5509
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2020.120246

•Climate goals need for a regenerative and integrative model in which natural systems are self-renewed.•New rationales between circular economy (CE) and climate change mitigation policies by examining the five actors of the QHM.•New insights on which eco-innovations may benefit the achievement of climate change mitigation goals.•CE eco-innovations at micro level indirectly relate to climate change mitigation through changes at meso and macro levels.•Policymakers must reinforce the necessity to simultaneously consider CE and climate change goals. Climate change represents an increasing threat to society and demands collaborative actions for changing technologies, production methods, and consumption. The concept of Circular Economy (CE) emerged aiming to increase the resource use efficiency and minimize resource inputs, waste and emissions generation. However, the contribution of CE eco-innovations to climate change mitigation goals, pushed by the Quintuple Helix Model (QHM) actors, is still unknown. This analytical review intends to fulfil this gap by investigating the main elements of the QHM that contribute to CE eco-innovations, namely companies, government, society, academia, and the natural environment. An analytical framework and theoretical propositions for future research are proposed. Eco-innovation technologies from energy, waste, transportation, construction and manufacturing sectors are discussed. Practical recommendations and implications for policymakers associated with CE and climate change policies and their interrelationship in terms of eco-innovations are also provided.