About the Publication
14/11/2025
Deconstructing security discourse in circular economy governance: Towards an inclusive approach to circular transformation
Summary
This doctoral thesis by Eugène Petelin of the Mistra Geopolitics Programme at Lund University, explores the role of security discourse in shaping prioritisation among circular solutions to sustainability challenges and explains the connections between security discourse and implications of circular transformation.
The circular transformation can address global environmental challenges by altering production and consumption systems. Meanwhile, the directionality of this transformative change depends on political priorities in multiple socioeconomic contexts, which can be affected by geopolitical considerations and security concerns. Deconstructing security discourse in the governance of the circular economy illuminates diverse perspectives in the policy process. The findings of this thesis can be used to evaluate the security and geopolitical implications of circular policies and initiatives, inform political debates, and support marginalised circular solutions to ensure an inclusive circular transformation.
Policy recommendations
- Political debate over circular initiatives at the local, national, or global levels should engage representatives from a broad range of non-governmental institutions, including public-private environmental NGOs, think tanks, and local communities.
- Transformative CE governance at the national level should ensure that Human, Ecological, and International Security discourses in the CE are institutionalised.
- An evaluation of national and local circular policies should include an assessment of whose specific concerns they address, why these concerns should be prioritised over others, how the suggested solutions address these concerns, and what ensures that adverse impacts on other groups are avoided. T
- An evaluation of macro-level circular initiatives should include potential implications for global governance, market structure, global resource flows, global leadership, North-South disparities, and global environmental security. This assessment should consider both direct impacts and adverse effects.
Conclusion
These findings suggest a conceptual understanding of the role of the security discourse in the CE governance. At the same time, proving the hypothesis that CE governance is influenced by security discourse requires more evidence connecting a dominant security discourse to circular policies, adopted in a particular context.
These findings explain the implications of circular transformation influenced by security concerns. To some extent, these findings suggest that the circular transformation triggered by security discourse can have adverse security and geopolitical consequences. More empirical evidence can be obtained by exploring the connection between the dominant security discourse in a particular context and ex post outcomes of circular policies.
In summary, the results of this study can help future CE studies relate conceptually to security, and broaden the spectrum of applicable solutions. The developed frameworks can be used to evaluate the security and geopolitical implications of circular policies and initiatives, inform political debates, and support marginalised circular solutions to ensure an inclusive circular transformation.
Citation and funder
Petelin, E. (2025). Deconstructing Security Discourse in Circular Economy Governance: Towards an Inclusive Approach to Circular Transformation. [Doctoral Thesis (compilation), Environmental and Energy Systems Studies]. Department of Technology and Society, Lund University.
This thesis is written by Eugène Petelin at Lund University and is a deliverable of the Mistra Geopolitics programme Phase II, Mistra Geopolitics research school. The programme is funded by Mistra, the Swedish foundation for strategic environmental research.
Authors of this publication
