Contingencies of Circular Economy : Discourse Hegemony and Institutionalization in Norway

Recent research points out serious weaknesses in the current academic discourses of circular economy, among others the lack of understanding of the politics behind a transition towards circularity. In this paper we thus inquiry: What contingencies does the Circular Economy in Norway discourse carries as part of the discourse structuration and institutionalization? Norway is an extreme case to tackle this question given a state lead initiative to promote circular economy, and the country's well-known international role in promoting greening discourses. We found two tension points in the current discourse on circular economy: i) International drivers versus regional and local transition arenas and ii) Clearly marked eco-modernization promotion as policy priority versus sectoral transformation. These findings indicate the need for civil society actors to unleash indirect power in order to problematize circular economy through a more radical discourse structuration. Our findings thus contribute with a better understanding of the power dynamics behind the discourse construction of circular economy, and choices made to the technologies and sectors benefiting of the current discourse. Similarly, we call for further phronetic social science perspectives in the study of circular economy. Our results contribute to the academic debate on questions such as where are we going with the circular economy? Who gains and who loses with the circular economy? Is this development of the circular economy desirable? And what should we do about it?