Building territorial value within local circular economy’s projects: lessons from French scholars’ studies

ABSTRACT

This contribution proposes an introduction to the concept of territorial value used by French-speaking researchers to analyse the benefits of circular economy (CE)’s projects. For several years, French-speaking researchers have been highlighting the emergence of a new form of value in the CE’s implementation. This so-called territorial value is associated with the mobilisation of heterogeneous actors (industrial, institutional, associative, etc.) in the CE’s implementation in the territories. It is essentially based on the capture, realisation, and redistribution of positive social externalities. However, this concept of territorial value covers many issues. This contribution addresses the theoretical and empirical issues of territorial value. It discusses its relationship with other concepts and/or forms of value (extended customer value, partnership value, shared value, etc.) which nevertheless remain values oriented towards the company. Then, it shows a relationship between territorial value, the issue of territorial development and, more broadly the ecological transition. The critical analysis reveals that the territorial value is defined around an overcoming of the genealogical approach of the value centred on the company. It refers to the valorisation of territorial resources. Then, it supposes the existence of a collective process relying particularly on the relations of proximity between the territorial actors. Finally, this contribution explores the difficulties in measuring this territorial value, which constitute research opportunities for the international scientific community.

KEYWORDS:

• Territorial value
• circular economy
• new economic models
• territory
• collective action

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).