Cirkulär ekonomi som ekomodernism - En tematisk analys av Sveriges politiska vision om en cirkulär ekonomi

Sammanfattning: Circular economy has lately gained popularity as a way of dealing with environmental issues. It is a widely defined term and primarily used by companies and states that wish to keep expanding economically while protecting the environment. Through a thematic analysis of the investigation of a circular economy from the Swedish state, the thesis examines which environmental discourses can be read out in it. The aim is to provide a clear understanding of the assumptions that Sweden’s national plan for creating a circular economy is built upon, and thus how the relation between human culture and nature is portrayed. The theories ecological modernisation and degrowth are used to analyze the material from the government's official investigations. The analysis indicates that ecological modernisation prevails as a discourse in the political strategies for tackling environmental issues. On the other hand, the signs of degrowth theories are very few. On the contrary, the ideas formulated within degrowth seem to be a contrast to the ideas that form the basis of Sweden’s strategy for a circular economy.