Vers une territorialisation des dynamiques de l’économie circulaire ? Analyse du cas français, 2008-2015

The circular economy model, seen as a solution to the global challenges of climate change, is often proposed for the design and manufacture of high value-added products, generating new economic activities that provide jobs and value at the territorial level. This article contributes to the analysis of the evolution and the degree of spatial concentration of circular economy activities at the scale of employment areas in metropolitan France over the period 2008?2015. Our results show that circular employment is growing faster than total employment. Furthermore, we show both that circular activities are more metropolitan and that there exists in France an empty diagonal with regard to the localization of circular economy activities. We also observe a marked regional effect of the spatial distribution of circular activities, suggesting a territorialization of circular economy public policies. JEL classification: R10, R50, R58, Q50.