The Contribution of the Circular Economy and the Bioeconomy to Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Economically Vulnerable Regions in Greece

Greece, following a long-standing Economic and Political Crisis, unfortunately presents evidence of deficiencies in strategy and policy for sustainability. This study explores the role of the Circular Economy and the Bioeconomy in promoting Sustainable Development, with particular emphasis on the economically weak regions of Greece. The analysis of the international literature and the quantitative analysis of secondary data, establish that the implementation of circular and bioeconomy strategies can enhance local development, create new jobs and improve the quality of life, when there is a multi-level approach in each sector separately. Otherwise, even well-intentioned ecological initiatives may generate distortions within the socio-economic system, ultimately leading to policy failure. The correlation of population changes with socio-economic indicators, such as income, unemployment and poverty levels, highlights the relationship between inequalities and demographic decline, in relation to sustainability. The work concludes with recommendations and strategies that will practically improve the existing situation as well as for the field of research at the level of meta-analysis offered through the findings of the study.