[Our economy's current purpose is to maximize flows (of goods, capital). It is a machine for perpetual growth that uses its profits and its knowledge to continually escalate its demands and pressures on humanity and on the earth and to constantly multiply its capacity to inflate itself as private wealth and power. As such, it is brittle and prone to breakdown, undermining productive activity as well as leading to the abuse of the commons in a never ending spiral.
To replenish and grow the commons from within the mainstream private or public sectors, we must develop and promote circular and [re]generative economic or development models that ensure the conditions under which profit and growth or development can be viable and sustainable, and improve at the same time the material and non-material (intellectual, emotional, spiritual...) wellbeing of the people, and the viability of the commons that enables it. We must embed a sense of the commons, common sense and a commons approach in development and in the way business is done and restore the social function of business.
Trends & Existing initiatives:
The "circular economy" model focuses on optimizing the flow of goods and services over time in relation to the size of capital and resources (stocks). It is a replenishing and regenerative model based on closed loops and systems resilience, and the rebuilding of natural and social capital. Products are designed for more complex cycles of disassembly and reuse, to out-design of waste and toxic emissions. Closed loop local systemic approaches. << Add examples of regenerative development: Bill Reed etc....>>]
References:
Dynamics at work:
- Introducing clarity between consumables and durables, it puts the responsibility of the performance of the product and its becoming as a new resource at the end of its life on the producers, leading to a whole new approach of production, consumption and ownership as it encourages leasing, renting and sharing while giving way to new approaches of business co-evolution and integration of the commons.
- The circular economy can contribute to create a positive entrainment effect. In the economic sphere there is an acknowledgement that as externalised costs become internalised benefits prices will increasingly reveal full costs. This entails a natural shift towards renewables and internalization of externalities. In systems terms the system will be exhibiting increased interdependence and the use of different scales, niches and possibiities.
Who?: Local and regional communities and stakeholders -the people, business community, Insurance sector, Investors, regulators, consultants, economists
Detailed Action Items: [Expand more?]
- Research new economic models. Promote existing circular and regenerative models.
- Research and promote collaborative and collective management and ownership practices within business.
- Link convention on Corporate Social Responsibility and Accountability to the stewardship and growth of the commons
- In the spirit of circular economy diffuse and promote closed loop urbanization and community utility & production systems and projects that have multiple effects, and serve several different objectives, such as co-generation, closed water/energy/food production systems or solutions such as developed by the Blue Economy or systemic approaches around buildings/energy/transport should be encouraged.
- More generally, sustainability as "circular economy", also involves that whatever available resource or asset businesses or other economic actors don't use, other parts of their environment can, with mutual benefits. This includes local policies to make use of idle resources to strengthen local economies.