Effects of resource security concerns on Nordic countries' approach to the circular economy of metals

Abstract

The circular economy (CE) transformative model depends on policy design and implementation in multiple socio-economic contexts. Temporal priorities based on security concerns can stimulate risk-averse circular policies that compromise achieving Sustainable Development Goal 12 for responsible consumption and production. However, the CE literature lacks empirical evidence on how these concerns affect prioritisation among circular policies. The Nordic countries were among the first to introduce national circular strategies, yet their circular material use is below the average and complementary to increasing mineral extraction. Substantial mining industries and a high external exchange of metals and metal-based products make this region an intriguing case for the CE. This study applied the argumentative discourse analysis to strategic documents from Finland, Sweden, Denmark, and Norway to explore the effects of resource security concerns on the Nordics' approach to the CE of metals. Identified security storylines include ensuring the secondary supply of metals, preventing adverse impacts on other countries' conditions, ensuring people's material sufficiency, eliminating health risks from discarded products, reducing environmental pressure, and eliminating hazardous pollution. The study demonstrates the prevalence of the ‘ensuring the secondary supply’ storyline in the Nordic approach while displaying prioritised metals and products. The results highlight how resource security concerns can affect prioritisation among circular policies through discursive storylines. This evidence can contribute to developing CE policy proposals that envision an inclusive and resilient transformative change.