Arenas of Change

Towards sustainable material flows

Abstract

The sustainability imperative calls for a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and virgin
materials use. This requires the transformation of currently unsustainable global and linear value
chains (GVCs) to regenerative and circular supply chains (CSCs). To deal with the complexities of
such a shift, this paper suggests Arenas of Change as a theoretical perspective and
methodological approach, capturing interaction spaces of actors who engage in changing how
goods are produced, distributed and consumed, and how waste is recovered and reduced. Actors
are conceptualised as being embedded in multi-scalar network, institutional and governance
structures, which can enable or hinder change processes. We argue that the possibility of Arenas
of Change to effectuate and accelerate shifts from GVCs towards CSCs depends on the
realisation of synergies in four domains: i) business logics, models, and innovation; ii)
consumption and user practices, iii) modes of governance, and iv) policies and discourses.
Arenas of Change are thus a prism through which the interdependencies between domains,
multiple scales and levels, and actors’ strategies can be analysed. Thereby, Arenas of Change can
contribute to theory-building about transformations from global and linear to regenerative and
circular supply chains, and conditions that enable, accelerate or hinder such systemic change.
Furthermore, by enhancing analytical leverage to comprehensively capture the complexity of
such transformations, we propose Arenas of Change as an approach to design impactful
interventions, and to evaluate their effects.