Climate Change and the Circular Economy

Abstract

The world is presently facing a climate catastrophe of its own making through the unabated increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Global consumption patterns are to blame, as presently, the global annual demand for resources outpaces the annual rate of the earth's ability to regenerate those resources. Thus, there is an urgent need to reduce the global demand for resources to a sustainable level, through the adoption of a circular economy. Individual consumption behavior habits form the basis of global consumption patterns, and therefore, adoption of sustainable consumption habits and lifestyles are necessary for addressing the climate crisis. In this chapter, the authors assess the potential for addressing the climate crisis through the adoption of a circular economy and sustainable consumption behavior. The authors also evaluate the extent of adoption of sustainable consumption behavior in India and make recommendations for adopting a circular economy in India.