Is circular economy the key to transitioning towards sustainable development? Challenges from the perspective of care ethics

The Sustainable Development Goals represent a global consensus on the urgency to preserve the conditions that make life possible on this planet and ensure a future of wellbeing for humanity. Transforming consumption and production processes is a fundamental priority of this development agenda. Circular Economy has emerged as an alternative model, given its potential for value creation, while generating social and environmental positive impacts. An exploratory study carried out in Navarra (Spain) shows its potentiality for socio-economic and environmental benefits as well as technological, organizational, financial, institutional and social challenges. However, through the lenses of care ethics and gender, we argue that Circular Economy entails a wider range of opportunities and defies for entrepreneurs, organizations, institutions, economics and society as a whole. The transformational changes at societal level that it implies and the complexity of socio-ecological systems make necessary a holistic approach and foresight to design strategies, policies and programs to turn economic activities into loops of care for people and the environment. Circular Economy frameworks, methodologies and tools need to strengthen its social dimension. Appropriate institutional arrangements and strategic leadership are necessary to make this paradigm shift contribute towards sustainable development.