Circular Economy in Practice - Professor Clevo Wilson

Описание: A Just Energy Transition: Law, Economics, and Public Policy
A QUT Symposium — QUT Energy Transition Centre
Venue: GP-C-405, QUT Gardens Point Campus
Friday, 21 November 2025

4. Circular Economy in Practice: Assessing Progress, Identifying Bottlenecks, and Exploring Solutions
Professor Clevo Wilson, School of Economics and Finance, Faculty of Business and Law, QUT

Abstract
The circular economy is increasingly promoted as a strategic response to sustainability challenges. While the concept is compelling, its practical feasibility and outcomes remain unclear and subject to ongoing debate. Can full circularity ever be achieved, and if so, what are the key barriers and potential pathways to realising this ambition?

This presentation critically examines the circular economy paradigm, exploring its potential benefits alongside the systemic bottlenecks that hinder its implementation. Using clothing circularity as a case study, it highlights the complexities of applying circular principles within current production and consumption systems.

The presentation also introduces the concept of the circular trilemma - a framework put forward to capture the tensions between competing priorities and to highlight current weaknesses in circular approaches and outlines what may need to change to overcome these challenges. Finally, it offers a brief roadmap for navigating these issues, encouraging reflection on how to advance meaningful circularity in a context where effective conventional mechanisms are often underutilised due to perceived trade-offs and limited political support.

Biography

Professor Clevo Wilson is an applied economist specialising in agriculture, water, environmental, transport, education, tourism, ecological, energy (especially renewables), and development economics with a special interest in using environmental valuation techniques, both revealed and stated. His research interests also focus on supply chain value analysis, efficiency and productivity analysis and structural equation modelling. He has undertaken research and published papers relating to estimating the economic value of tourism projects and government expenditure on wildlife conservation in local areas, information disclosure, issues relating to market failures, regulation and policy decision-making. He also engages in work related to climate change adaptation, natural disasters concerning property values and the circular economy. He is the outgoing Editor-in-Chief of Economic Analysis and Policy (Elsevier Journal).