Circular Economy: Safe Bet for the Implementation of the SDGs in Africa

This chapter explores the literature, the conceptual perspective of the circular economy, its strategic contribution to sustainable development and its implementation in Africa. This is an integrating element that can contribute to the achievement of three of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out in the 2030 Agenda, namely ending poverty (SDG 1), reducing inequality (SDG 10) and reducing climate action (SDG 13). For this purpose, the authors have conducted a qualitative and exploratory analysis of the current literature from 2017 to 2021, examining publications related to the SDGs and the implementation of the circular economy extracted from the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) database. The results show a direct, indirect and bidirectional relationship between the circular economy and the SDGs. However, their implementation in underdeveloped countries still has a long way to go. The work of national and international governments is crucial to implementing such. Researchers must establish interrelationships between the different economic agents to successfully achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda. Developing policies, measures and instruments that encourage the implementation of the circular economy is a priority if society wants to achieve the SDGs on time. This study highlights the need for more empirical evidence on the topic in question. Science urgently needs more research related to this topic to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda in African countries in the most sustainable way possible, for example, through the circular economy.