The Role of Circular Economy Transitions in Fostering Sustainable Energy Democracy

In response to constrained resources and a plethora of other environmental issues, there are growing calls to transition to ‘circular economies’ in which resource and waste streams are prevented, reused, recycled or recovered in order to achieve sustainable development. This chapter adopts a case study approach to investigate the alignment between laws and policies promoting circular economy and energy transitions, with a particular focus on how the coordination between these concepts can potentially promote the concept of sustainable energy democracy. The selected case study is a local manifestation of the circular economy in Kalundborg, Denmark. In this case study, energy resources – including steam, natural gas and district heating – are exchanged between industries and other organisations resulting in economic, environmental, and social benefits. The case study observations result in two main contributions: (1) identification of complementary laws and policies for circular economy and energy transitions at national and local levels, and (2) exploration of the links between circular economies and sustainable energy democracy.