Застосування індикаторів оцінки циркулярної економіки

Abstract

The circular economy is an alternative economic model focused on increasing the efficiency of resource use and reducing the impact on the environment. In recent years, the circular economy has gained increasing importance as a tool that provides solutions to some of the most pressing challenges in sustainable development. Since the concept and principles of the circular economy are gradually accepted by all subjects at the state and international levels within the framework of sustainable development programs, measuring progress or regression of circularity has become an essential component of assessing the sustainability of the socio-economic development of states. However, the measurement of circularity may come across some problems due to the multifaceted nature of the concept, its connections with many sectors of the economy, and its geographical scope. Indicators are critical for economic assessment at all levels, from the micro (enterprise) to the macro (regional and national) and global levels, emphasizing raw materials, fuels, and energy, production, and consumption waste. Resource efficiency and waste reduction play a central role in the circular economy, so material flow indicators are particularly relevant. Most of them are collected and evaluated by international standards and are the basis for making important decisions in both public and private sectors. The paper analyzes the evaluation levels of circular transformations. It is emphasized that the methodological landscape of the circular process assessment should contain quantitative and qualitative indicators that provide sufficient information about cyclicality at all levels of economic management. At the level of the industry and types of economic activity, the range of indicators for assessing the level and efficiency of circularity has its specificity and separate methodological approaches. In the agro-food sector, the “closedness” of production and economic relationships is most often assessed by indicators of the annual volume of food waste, the share of its further re-processing, the number of investments received in the industry, and the level of waste disposal. Keywords: indicators, circular economy, assessment, indices, business transformation.