Practising Systemic Sustainability for the Circular Economy Concept

Systems thinking is essential for addressing sustainability challenges & promoting sustainable development. While management approaches like Doughnut Economics & the Circular Economy are rooted in systems thinking, research in this area is limited. Circularity is a concept that can offer depth to Raworth’s Doughnut Economics, which emphasises avoiding ecological overshoot & human well-being undershooting to ensure a just and safe space for humanity to thrive within the means of a living planet. This requires replacing linear thinking to recover value through regenerative and restorative design practices & sustainable consumption rather than recycling & energy recovery. Organisations must recognise they cannot waste irresponsibly and transition away from using finite raw materials. We propose the ‘Systemic Sustainability’ framework (SSF), which integrates traditional systems thinking principles with the need for organisations to engage stakeholders at four levels: oneself, others, nature, & systems that thrive in perpetuity (in line with Raworth’s central message). The SSF helps organisations reflect on their purpose, differentiate between value & values judgements, & balance organisational viability with broader impacts. A construction case illustrates how the SAF combined with a boundary critique can be embedded with a soft system methodology to help organisations engage their supply chains in co-creating circular design solutions and policies.