The Interconnection of SDGs: through the lens of Circular Economy in Built Environment

<p dir="ltr">The United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) tackle global challenges, including that of climate change. As calls for action on climate change intensify, the efficient use of current resources has gained renewed focus. In the built environment, this has predominantly taken the form of the Circular Economy (CE) movement, with CE viewed as crucial to SDGs achievement. Whilst previous research has explored the connection between CE and SDGs within the built environment, many of the SDGs are reviewed in isolation. There remains a gap in understanding the broader relationship between CE principles and the interconnection of all SDGs. This study aims to address the gap by investigating the relationship between CE in the built environment and the realisation of all SDGs. A systematic review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology. This involved extracting fifty-one (51) articles for analysis. The articles were extensively reviewed, and co-occurrence analysis was performed using VOS viewer. The identified clusters were categorised and used to explore the relationship of CE in achieving SDGs. The results revealed that although the SDGs are discussed in relation to CE, they are often treated in isolation. However, due to this interconnected nature of SDGs, the success of one SDG often supports the success of another. This study finds that a broad awareness of all SDGs is therefore essential, and that a gap in research around the interconnection of CE and all SDGs exists. This research calls for a focused research agenda to address this now formalised gap. This study contributes to the current understanding of relationship of CE and SDGs by offering valuable insights into how CE can be better applied within the built environment to accelerate progress toward SDG success.</p>