Lack of social impact in urban circular economy transitions

This research paper from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the extent to which current literature addresses the social impacts of transitioning cities to circular economies, finding a significant lack of comprehensive evidence beyond employment and governance.

• The study finds that social impacts are rarely considered in research on circular cities. When they are addressed, the scope is limited primarily to governance practices and employment, with a particular focus on workers in the informal sector.
• There is a lack of a coherent overview regarding the intended and unintended social consequences of transitioning to circular cities, which may obstruct effective policy and practice decision-making.
• Further research is required to understand the effects of circular economies on specific social areas, including health, culture, and the aspirations and fears of people.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2021). Lack of social impact in urban circular economy transitions. https://www.sei.org/publications/lack-social-impact-urban-circular/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Lack of social impact in urban circular economy transitions. 2021. https://www.sei.org/publications/lack-social-impact-urban-circular/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Lack of social impact in urban circular economy transitions |date=24 September 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/lack-social-impact-urban-circular/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2021lack, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Lack of social impact in urban circular economy transitions}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = sep, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/lack-social-impact-urban-circular/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }