SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ACTION PROGRAM: REVIEW OF GREEN, BLUE AND
CIRCULAR ECONOMICS CONCEPTS
Ye. Mishenin
Sumy, Ukraine
I. Koblianska
Sumy, Ukraine
Pages: 247-257
Original language: Ukrainian
DOI: 10.21272/1817-9215.2020.3-27
The search for a methodological basis for economic development that meets the principles of sustainable development, and its transformation into real mechanisms of functioning of socio-economic systems, is an urgent problem of our time. Against this background, in less than 20 years, different concepts have been proclaimed as action programs for the economic development of nations: green, blue and circular economiсs. At the same time, the question about the interrelation of concepts of "green", "blue" and "circular" economics remains unresolved. Are these concepts complementary or alternative? Could they be implemented simultaneously? In what way they contribute to the goals of sustainable development? What is the ability of each of these concepts to put into practice progress towards sustainable development at different levels of socio-ecological and economic systems functioning? This study aims to answer these questions through the study, generalization and critical reflection of the research results of world and domestic scientists on the content and methodological principles that form the basis of green, blue and circular economics concepts. The main features, spheres, key accents and relations of these concepts are investigated in the article. The results of the analysis give grounds to conclude that with the change of "colors" of concepts aimed at ensuring the sustainable economic development, there is a transformation of understanding of the relationship between the economy and nature. There is a movement from an anthropocentrism, which, to some extent, formed the basis of a green economy built on the implementation of green technological solutions, to an understanding of the unity and interdependence of resource movements in the natural and economic system within a circular economy. A new vision of the socio-economic system, which operates on the basis of congruence with nature, changes the model based on human dominance. The proposed solutions are becoming more and more concrete – from the general policy guidelines within the Green Economy to specific mechanisms for the transformation of business models and the use of resources in a circular economics. This illustrates the paradigm shift of economic knowledge, its adaptation for sustainable resource management, policy making and support for institutional change and, in fact, gives reason to hope for the implementation of the idea of sustainable development, i.e. the harmonization of socio-economic processes within the natural constraints.
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