The intensification of ecological crises, resource scarcity, and social inequalities compels design to fundamentally redefine its role, methods, and criteria for innovation. This article argues that innovation in design can no longer be understood as the mere creation of new artifacts, but rather as the capacity to reconfigure systems of production, consumption, and disposal. Based on the widely recognized premise that the majority of the environmental impacts of products and services are determined during the design phase, the designer is repositioned as a strategic agent in the transition toward sustainable socio-economic models.Within this context, the article examines the synergistic articulation of four complementary approaches: Ecodesign, as an analytical foundation oriented toward life-cycle thinking; Circular Design, focused on redefining business models and material flows; Biodesign, which incorporates biological principles and processes; and Human-Centered Design (HCD), responsible for ensuring social, cultural, and ethical relevance. It is argued that the transdisciplinary integration of these approaches constitutes an emerging paradigm of systemic innovation in design, in which success is assessed according to interdependent environmental, social, and economic criteria, thereby demanding new professional competencies and expanded forms of collaboration.
This study analyzes the application of circular economy principles in the Brazilian fashion industry, identifying challenges in the transition from the linear "take-make-waste" model to a regenerative one. Through a qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive approach, using bibliographic and documentary research, this paper discusses the historical evolution of the sector, from basic protection to the accelerated dynamics of fast fashion, as well as its socio-environmental impacts. Although strategies such as reuse, upcycling, and product life-cycle extension are already present in the national market, their implementation is limited by high costs, greenwashing risks, a lack of robust public policies, and low consumer awareness (43% purchase monthly, while only 22% dispose of garments correctly). The results indicate that current progress is sporadic and depends on technological innovation, infrastructure, and cultural shifts. The study contributes to the fields of Administration and Sustainability by addressing gaps regarding circularity in the Brazilian context, reinforcing the importance of conscious consumption and socio-environmental responsibility.
Anne da Conceição Moura, Antonio Luiz de Medina Filho, Marcela Lobo Francisco et al.· Revista de Estudos Interdisc...· 0 citations
Transitioning toward a circular and regenerative economy requires more than technological innovation; it demands a shift in the underlying systems that shape how value, knowledge, and legitimacy are defined [Meadows D, Randers J, Meadows D, The limits to growth: the 30-year update, Routledge (2012); Raworth K, Doughnut economics: seven ways to think like a 21st-century economist, Chelsea Green Publishing (2017)]. While the circular economy (CE) is widely promoted as a pathway to sustainability, its implementation across industrial sectors remains uneven and frequently limited to efficiency-driven, technical interventions [Voulvoulis N et al., Glob. Environ. Change 75:102544 (2022)]. This paper examines the systemic conditions that constrain the adoption of circular economy principles through a case study of the craft distilling industry in regional Victoria, Australia. Guided by Sposito’s (2021) Rational–Holistic Model of Planning and Decision-Making, the study applies a multimethodological systems approach, integrating thematic analysis, boundary critique, and soft systems tools (PQR and CATWOE). This enables an exploration of how system structures - particularly those relating to motivation, control, knowledge, and legitimacy - shape what is considered feasible and acceptable in practice. The findings reveal that barriers to circular economy implementation are not solely technical or economic but are embedded within broader institutional and cultural frameworks. Regulatory fragmentation, compliance-driven definitions of legitimacy, and economically dominant worldviews constrain the uptake of more regenerative practices. By contrasting existing (“is mode”) and alternative (“ought mode”) system configurations, the study highlights the importance of reconfiguring underlying assumptions about system purpose and governance. The paper contributes methodologically by demonstrating how systems thinking combined with thematic analysis can reveal structural constraints, and conceptually by positioning CE as a pathway dependent on a broader shift toward a sustainability-oriented worldview.
Kristin Lemura, R. Faggian· Systemic Practice and Action...· 0 citations
This article interrogates the potential of the circular economy as a structuring paradigm for ecological transition and sustainable development in Tunisia, with particular emphasis on the management of construction and demolition waste (CDW). Situating the analysis within critiques of the dominant linear economic model, it elucidates how the circular reconfiguration of material flows may contribute to reducing environmental externalities, preserving natural capital, and stimulating territorially embedded forms of green employment. The study adopts a multidimensional and interdisciplinary methodological framework, combining a critical review of academic literature, the analysis of institutional and policy reports, qualitative interviews with key public and private stakeholders, and an in- depth case study of the RE-MED project, implemented notably in the Greater Tunis region. The study's results demonstrate the development of novel socio-technical configurations for reclaiming and recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW). Concurrently, they underscore how deeply entrenched institutional inertia, regulatory deficiencies, economic hurdles, and socio-cultural pushback continue to obstruct the widespread systemic adoption of circular economy models. The article concludes by advancing a set of policy-relevant recommendations aimed at reinforcing governancearchitectures, consolidating recycling value chains, and fostering the societal embedding of circular economy principles within the Tunisian context.
M. Ellouze· Advances in Social Sciences...· 0 citations
This conceptual article builds on a sustainability-based perspective and research into sustainable innovation to develop a conceptual framework, which underscores the relevance of a positive sustainable purpose at the organizational level to match the growing sustainability awareness at individual and interorganizational levels. Illustrative examples indicate that a positive sustainable purpose does not generally question a firm's 'for profit' strategy. It is defined as a higher corporate purpose, which describes an organization's enduring reason to exist in the future considering a positive impact on planet and people in addition to profits, not instead of profits. In a circular economy, the present focus of most firms' ESG (environment, social, governance) strategies will be insufficient, and sustainable innovations to achieve real transformation towards circular business models deserve more attention. The drivers of sustainable development call for adapting a firm's strategic goals, innovation projects, and reason to exist towards including environmental and social aspects.
Ulrich Lichtenthaler· International Journal of Inn...· 0 citations
(English) Sustainability and circular economy transitions in contemporary socio-environmental systems are increasingly challenged by complexity, uncertainty, and strong interdependencies between natural resources, infrastructures, and governance structures. Traditional sectoral and indicator-based assessment approaches have proven insufficient to capture these interactions, often overlooking systemic trade-offs, emergent behaviors, and context-specific constraints. In response to these limitations, this doctoral thesis develops, applies, and validates integrated, participatory, and adaptive assessment frameworks for sustainability and circularity, grounded in systems thinking and the Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus.
The thesis is structured as a compendium as follows. The first chapter is the introduction, including the research context of the main concepts, the background and rationale, and the design, starting with the research questions, hypothesis, identification of the research gap, the research lines and objectives. The second chapter, dives into the state of the art of the main concepts, presenting the bibliometric analysis as well as the institutional context and the projects that provided the scene for the applied research. The third chapter is dedicated to the methodology, starting with the global methodology framework and then focusing on the WEFE Nexus and integrated assessment. The fourth chapter, proposes an integrated multi-criteria framework for assessing sustainability and circular economy performance in public water utilities operating in Mediterranean contexts, combining environmental footprints, ecosystem services, governance, and operational performance within a decision-oriented analytical structure. The fifth chapter applies an artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled WEFE Nexus assessment tool to evaluate circular bioeconomy (specifically biochar and agroforestry) highlighting trade-offs, synergies, and context-dependent outcomes under future scenarios in a dynamic way. The sixth chapter consolidates these insights into a transferable methodological framework for participatory, AI-enabled circularity assessment across heterogeneous socio-environmental systems. The seventh chapter is focused on the discussion of the theoretical and the applied research, specifically to proof whether circularity was implemented as a static set of material loops, or if enough evidence is found that circularity was implemented as an emergent system property, resulting from interactions between resource systems, ecosystems, institutions, and stakeholder values in the frame of this thesis. The eighth and final chapter gathers conclusions to measure the degree in which the methodology and its derived applications help integrate multi-criteria decision analysis, participatory processes, artificial intelligence, and digital twin concepts to support transparent, context appropriate and adaptive sustainability assessment. Finally, limitations and future research lines are drawn to set some basic principles for replication and adaptation of the analysis tool in different contexts.
Overall, the thesis aims to contribute in advancing the state of the art in sustainability science by operationalizing the WEFE Nexus through AI-enabled and participatory assessment frameworks, bridging the gap between conceptual integration and practical support for decision-making. The obtained results, demonstrate that systemic, adaptive, and governance-aware approaches are essential for informing transitions towards sustainability and circular economy in complex socio-environmental systems with resource constraints
(Català) La sostenibilitat i les transicions de l'economia circular en els sistemes socioambientals contemporanis es troben cada vegada més desafiades per la complexitat, la incertesa i les fortes interdependències entre els recursos naturals, les infraestructures i les estructures de governança. Els enfocaments tradicionals, d'avaluació sectorial basada en indicadors, han demostrat ser insuficients per capturar aquestes interaccions, sovint ignorant les compensacions sistèmiques, els comportaments emergents i les restriccions específiques del context. En resposta a aquestes limitacions, la present tesi doctoral desenvolupa, aplica i valida marcs d'avaluació integrats, participatius i adaptatius per a la sostenibilitat i la circularitat, basats en el pensament de sistemes i el Nexe Aigua-Energia-Alimentació-Ecosistemes.
La tesi s'estructura com a compendi de la manera següent. El primer capítol és la introducció, a on es presenta el context de recerca dels principals conceptes, els antecedents i fonaments de la recerca, axí com el disseny, que comença amb les preguntes i hipòtesis de la recerca, la identificació de la bretxa de recerca, així com les línies i objectius. El segon capítol, s’endinsa en l’estat de l’art dels principals conceptes, presentant l’anàlisi bibliomètric a més del contexte institucional i els projectes que han proporcionat l’escenari per la part aplicada de la recerca. El tercer capítol, es dedica a la metodolgia, començant amb el marc metodològic global per posteriorment enfocar-se en el WEFE Nexus i l’avaluació integrada. El quart capítol, proposa un marc multicriteri integrat per avaluar el rendiment de la sostenibilitat i l'economia circular en els serveis públics d'aigua que operen en contextos mediterranis, combinant petjades ambientals, serveis ecosistèmics, governança i rendiment operatiu dins d'una estructura analítica orientada a la presa de decisions. El cinqué capítol, aplica una eina d'avaluació del WEFE Nexus activada per la intel·ligència artificial (IA) a les solucions de bioeconomia circular (específicament al biochar i les pràctiques agroforestales), les quals destaquen les compensacions, les sinergies i els resultats dependents del context i la seva dinàmica en escenaris futurs. El sisè capítol, consolida aquestes idees en un marc metodològic transferible per a l'avaluació de la circularitat participativa i activada per IA mitjançant sistemes socioambientals heterogenis. El capítol setè, es centra en la discussió dels resultats obtinguts a través de la recerca teòrica i aplicada, específicament per demostrar si la circularitat s'ha implementat com un conjunt estàtic de cicles de materials, o si s’ha assolit la seva implementació com una propietat de sistema emergent resultant de les interaccions entre els sistemes de recursos, els ecosistemes, les institucions i els valors dels grups d'interès, dins del marc de la present tesis. El capítol vuitè i últim, recull les conclusions per tal de mesurar el grau en què la metodologia i les seves aplicacions, ajuden a integrar l'anàlisi de decisions multi-criteri, els processos participatius, la intel·ligència artificial i els conceptes bessons digitals per donar suport a una avaluació de sostenibilitat transparent, adequada al context i adaptativa.
Finalment, es dibuixen limitacions i futures línies de recerca per establir alguns principis bàsics per a la replicació i adaptació de l'eina d'anàlisi en altres contextes.
En general, la tesi pretén contribuir a l'avanç de l'estat de l'art en la ciència de la sostenibilitat mitjançant l'operativitat del WEFE Nexus a través de marcs d'avaluació participatius i habilitats per la IA, reduint la bretxa entre la integració conceptual i el suport pràctic a la pressa de decisións.
(Español) La sostenibilidad y las transiciones de la economía circular en los sistemas socioambientales contemporáneos, encuentran cada vez más desafíos a causa de la complejidad, la incertidumbre y las fuertes interdependencias entre los recursos naturales, las infraestructuras y las estructuras de gobernanza. Los enfoques tradicionales, de evaluación sectorial basada en indicadores, han demostrado ser insuficientes para capturar estas interacciones, a menudo ignorando las compensaciones sistémicas, los comportamientos emergentes y las restricciones específicas del contexto. En respuesta a estas limitaciones, la presente tesis doctoral desarrolla, aplica y valida marcos de evaluación integrados, participativos y adaptativos para la sostenibilidad y la circularidad, basados en el pensamiento sistémico y el Nexo Agua-Energía-Alimentación-Ecosistemas.
La tesis se estructura como un compendio de la manera siguiente. El primer capítulo es la introducción, donde se presenta el contexto de investigación de los principales conceptos, los antecedentes y fundamentos, así como el diseño de la investigación, comenzando por las preguntas e hipótesis, la identificación de la brecha de investigación, así como las líneas y objetivos. El segundo capítulo, profundiza en el estado del arte de los principales conceptos, presentando el análisis biliométrico y el contexto institucional y proyectos que han proposcionado el escenario para la parte aplicada de la investigación. El tercer capítulo, se dedica a la metodología, empezando por el marco metodológico global para enfocarse posteriormente en el WEFE Nexus y la evaluación integrada. El cuarto capítulo, propone un marco multicriterio integrado para evaluar el rendimiento de la sostenibilidad y la economía circular en los servicios públicos de agua que operan en contextos mediterráneos, combinando huellas ambientales, servicios ecosistémicos, gobernanza y rendimiento operativo dentro de una estructura analítica orientada a la toma de decisiones. El quinto capítulo, aplica una herramienta de evaluación del WEFE Nexus activada por la inteligencia artificial (IA) a las soluciones de bioeconomia circular (específicamente, al biochar y las prácticas agroforestales), las cuales destacan las compensaciones, las sinergias y los resultados dependientes del contexto y su dinámica en escenarios futuros. El sexto capítulo, consolida estas ideas en un marco metodológico transferible para la evaluación de la circularidad participativa y activada por IA mediante sistemas socioambientales heterogéneo
The study aims to establish a theoretical and methodological framework for the eco-design of net-zero carbon creative spaces, wherein the utilitarian tasks of decarbonization are organically integrated with autonomous artistic practice and a new aesthetics of spatial design. The paper examines the architectural-artistic, technological, and economic aspects of modernizing the infrastructure of creative industries based on the principles of adaptive reuse of industrial heritage, the integration of renewable energy systems, the implementation of biophilic design, and methods of circular scenography. The primary result of the study is the substantiation of the status of eco-design as an autonomous artistic practice within art historical discourse, where environmentally driven decisions serve as a full-fledged toolkit for constructing spatial semantics and plastic language. Furthermore, the research systematizes advanced architectural and technological methods for organizing carbon-neutral art venues and constructs a comparative matrix of traditional and Net Zero approaches. Based on the findings, a series of applied institutional recommendations for the cultural sector of the Russian Federation is developed, featuring the concept of a national certification standard “Eco-Art-Space”, a proposal to integrate environmental sustainability criteria into the grant support system, and a framework for creating autonomous, energy-positive art residencies within depressed regional industrial territories.