MSc thesis defence Robbert Solleveld: frames of the circular biobased economy in Chemiepark Delfzijl

You are hereby cordially invited to the MSc thesis presentation by Robbert Solleveld on Opening up or closing down the circular buzzword on Chemiepark Delfzijl’.

Supervisor: Jan Starke
Examinor: Tamara Metze
Date: 29 November 2022
Time: 15.30-16.30 hours
Location: room B0079, Leeuwenborch or via MS Teams

Abstract:
The consequences of climate change are more visible in our day-to-day lives than ever before; rising sea levels, extreme weather, droughts, and so on. These consequences are in our minds and the minds of politicians, the media and industry. When it comes to dealing with climate change and the ever-slimming natural resources buffer, there is a lot of work to be done. The transition towards a circular biobased economy is seen as one of the ways forward. This is an economy that moves away from linear thinking and is decoupled from the use of finite natural resources. However, many different interpretations exist about what this type of economy entails and what we need to make it work. This research investigates different frames of the circular biobased economy in Chemiepark Delfzijl to see whether or not this influences opening up or closing down the discourse around the circular biobased economy. Chemiepark Delfzijl is one of the largest biochemical clusters in the Netherlands accounting for 15 per cent of the chemical industry in the country. The park has a strong focus on sustainability and circularity. Qualitative research consisting of a media analysis alongside a document analysis, as well as interviews, show that there is not much difference in how the media, businesses, governments, and civil society frame the circular biobased economy. There seems to be a dominant frame of the circular biobased economy that is focused on economic- technical aspects such as recycling, reusing, reducing and the creation of jobs. Social elements seem to be neglected by actors when it comes to the development of the circular biobased economy. This suggests a narrow frame that could hinder the development of the circular biobased economy or make it easier to accelerate.