In support of the circular economy: an exercise in stakeholder mapping

Consciousness across the world is growing that human societies need to move away from the current predominantly linear production model to a new industrial model capable of regenerating our natural capital at a speed that makes up for its depletion due to human economic activity. Given the reality of today's global economy with complex multi-tier supply chains, this shift is not going to be easy. Sustained and effective coordination across an array of stakeholders is needed to facilitate systemic change at the desired scale. Mobilizing multiple stakeholders is always a challenge and it may be worthwhile to learn from the strategic management discipline which has propounded the stakeholder theory and drawn lessons for managing stakeholders. A crucial step in the stakeholder management process is the stakeholder mapping exercise. Well-known methods for stakeholder mapping include classification of stakeholders based on power to influence and interest in influencing, and potential for threat and cooperation. This paper analyzes responses sent to the European Commission's 'Public Consultation on the Circular Economy'. The findings are presented in the form of a stakeholder influence and attitude map, which can be useful for stakeholder engagement interventions by entities interested in accelerating the shift to a circular economy.