A macro investigation into the evidence for circular economy initiatives in India: National policy, key indicators and future implications

摘要: The global population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2030, with 30% anticipated to comprise the middle-higher income group, marked by an augmented spending capacity (EllenMacArthurFoundation, 2013; WorldEconomicForum, 2014). The consumption of goods and services will undeniably soar, requiring an even more intensive input of raw materials and energy, and producing increased levels of global emissions and waste that ends up in landfill. Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) alone account for an annual USD 2.5 trillion worth of waste material and energy release worldwide (EllenMacArthurFoundation, 2013; WorldEconomicForum, 2014). The most likely outcome of the skewed imbalance between economic progress and ecological impact is resource insecurity, unless the economic system makes a strategic shift from the current ‘take-make-dispose’wasteful consumption patterns.The literature illustrates the inextricable connection between economic growth or industrialization, and the increased intensity of its material and energy use. The consequent increase in emissions, pollution, and loss of materials and energy through waste, compounded with an ever higher rate of raw materials extraction, has created a complicated web leading to resource security distress in domestic and international economies (Figure 1). Concerns about increased consumption of virgin resources to support economic progress, and the resulting ecological and social deprivation, have led to sustainability research gaining prominence in environmental science and management studies alike.