Environmental sciences, sustainable development and circular economy: Alternative concepts for trans-disciplinary research

TLDR

Transdisciplinary research requires integrating natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, and management, but differing conceptual frameworks and vocabularies make collaboration challenging. The paper investigates three alternative environmental concepts—circular economy, environmental sciences, and sustainable development—by clarifying their meanings, interrelationships, and the epistemological and practical challenges they pose to transdisciplinary researchers. The authors examine these concepts by analyzing their epistemological and practical implications for transdisciplinary research. The study highlights that the circular economy concept differs from environmental sciences and sustainable development, revealing distinct opportunities and challenges for transdisciplinary research.

Abstract

The intermeshing of disciplines from the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering and management has become essential to addressing today's environmental challenges. Yet, this can be a daunting task because experts from different disciplines may conceptualize the problems in very different ways and use vocabularies that may not be well understood by one another. This paper explores three alternative environmental concepts used in transdisciplinary research, and outlines some of the epistemological and practical problems that each one poses. It pays particular attention to the increasingly popular concept of “circular economy”, and contrasts it with the more commonly-used concepts of “environmental sciences” and “sustainable development”. In clarifying the nature, meaning and inter-relationship of these alternative concepts, the paper helps trans-disciplinary researchers to understand the opportunities and challenges associated with each one.