Agency in green path development: Circular bioeconomy in the wastewater sector

The mounting pressures of climate change and biodiversity loss require a transition towards more sustainable patterns of production and consumption. Within the bioeconomy, better utilization of natural resources can be achieved by pursuing a circular bioeconomy. In the article the authors study how circular bioeconomy efforts in the Hamar region, Norway, have resulted in green path development. They draw on the trinity of change agency conceptualization to deepen our understanding of how agency over time has resulted in green path upgrading in the region. Through a qualitative study, they provide novel insights into the agency of an inter-municipal water and wastewater company in green path development processes. The authors conclude that a combination of different forms of agency, exercised by different actors, has resulted in what they regard as emerging green path development within the region.