| dc.description.abstract | This study explores the ideal role of financiers in a circular economy (CE) in the Netherlands by 2050. Achieving the ideal role of financiers in the CE requires collaborative efforts among government, financial, business, and knowledge actors. To investigate this, 15 interviews were conducted with experts in finance and CE.
To achieve the desired transformation, changes across multiple levels, including individual, organizational, and societal levels are needed. Transition theories investigate distinct factors that contribute to both the resistance to change and the driving forces behind the transformation. The Arenas of Development (AoD) theory is derived from the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) and focuses on the networks and configurations of actors operating within specific arenas. The interviews reveal a consensus that within the Arenas of Development, the government actor world should act as enablers, inspiring innovation and adjusting regulations and legislation to promote circularity. Regulations should support, rather than hinder, financial and business actors, with pricing mechanisms like CO2 pricing incentivizing circular practices. The financial actor world, mentioned in the interviews, needs to communicate its needs to government actors to accelerate funding for circular practices and steer business actors using financial tools. Business actors are vital in signaling their needs to government and financial actors and should adopt circular principles at the core of their business models. They should promote a just distribution of benefits and collaborate within the supply chain. Knowledge actors should be more active in contact with the other actor worlds by providing education, expertise, and innovation to drive the transition toward circularity.
Visions of change are essential elements within transition studies as they provide a shared understanding of the future and serve as a driving force for transformative processes. Achieving a CE that fosters prosperity, resilience, and resource productivity while minimizing waste, necessitates collaboration among multiple stakeholders, including government, financial, business, and knowledge actors. This expanded version of the triple helix model emphasizes the indispensable role of all actors alongside each other. By 2050, a thriving CE can be achieved through strong collaboration, knowledge sharing, and shared goals among government, financial, business, and knowledge actor worlds. This collaborative effort will drive the transition towards a sustainable and circular future, realizing the shared vision of a prosperous, resilient, and environmentally responsible Netherlands. It requires aligning actions and strategies with circular principles, adopting a systemic approach, and fostering collaboration across the value chain. | |
