Circular Economy in International Relations — Patrick Schröder

This episode of The IR thinker explores the circular economy as a subject of international politics, examining how it is defined, what goals it pursues and how it fits within global economic and trade frameworks. In conversation with Dr Patrick Schröder, we discuss international standards, bilateral agreements, corporate incentives, implementation failures, links to the energy transition and the geopolitical and ethical implications of circular economy initiatives, including in the Global South.Patrick SchröderDr Patrick Schröder is a Senior Research Fellow in the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House in London. His work focuses on the global transition to an inclusive circular economy, with particular emphasis on international policy coordination, investment needs, the role of trade and the contribution of circular practices to the Sustainable Development Goals.Publications:The Relevance of Circular Economy Practices to the Sustainable Development GoalsPromoting a just transition to an inclusive circular economyNo, Recycling Won’t Solve Our Plastic ProblemContent00:00 - Introduction02:03 - Defining Circular Economy07:38 - Main Goals of Circular Economy10:48 - Circular Economy in International Economic Frameworks16:33 - Global Authority and International Standards for Circular Economy23:20 - Incorporating Circular Economy into Bilateral Agreements29:11 - International Consensus on Circular Economy35:50 - Multinational Corporations and Circular Economy Incentives41:36 - Case Studies: Failures in Circular Economy Implementation43:58 - Impact of Circular Economy on Economic Growth48:50 - Geopolitical Implications of Circular Economy52:46 - Western Circular Economy Initiatives in Developing Countries56:04 - Ethical Issues in Circular Economy59:14 - Circular Economy and Energy Transition01:04:39 - Recommended Research Areas in Circular EconomyFollow & Further ResourcesSubstack: https://theirthinker.substack.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ir-thinker/X: https://x.com/irthinker_Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theirthinker/Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/theirthinker.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/irthinkerfb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.