The ICT role in resource conservation and rebound effects

Abstract Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector takes a leading role in the new Economy experiencing an unprecedented growth rate. The author discusses environmental impacts focusing on resource consumption. In spite of increasing miniaturisation and resource efficiency of electronic products their consumption is growing threatening to give rise to rebound effects in material and energy consumption. The author addresses the problem and complexity of both direct and system-level effects from the ICT sector and discusses the role of government in coping with the potential environmental impacts

Sustainable lifestyle choices in food and their rebound effects

The urgency of addressing the sustainability crisis requires a comprehensive approach encompassing both technological advancements and changes in human behavior. Food represents a crucial domain where everyday choices closely intertwine with environmental and social impacts. This study investigates the interplay between sustainable food strategies and rebound effects, which refer to the reduced effectiveness of measures due to economic and psychological responses following efficiency improvements. Drawing from the "EU 1.5-degree Lifestyles" project, we identified nine impactful strategies through a literature review and expert interviews. These strategies include minimising food waste, consuming tap water instead of bottled alternatives, reducing animal-based products, adopting vegan and vegetarian diets, and choosing organic, seasonal vegetables and fruits and food sharing. The findings from this study are valuable for policymakers seeking to develop effective and sustainable food policies while mitigating rebound effects. By understanding the rebound mechanisms associated with individual food strategies, policymakers can enhance the overall effectiveness of their measures and address the sustainability crisis more systematically

Product ban versus risk management by setting emission and technology requirements: The effect of different regulatory schemes taking the use of trichloroethylene in Sweden and Germany as an example

This report highlights the opportunities inherent in smart regulatory measures to effectively reduce risks related to hazardous substance emissions and exposure, and underscores the danger of simplistic and ineffective policy. The example of different regulatory approaches used in Germany and Sweden to regulate the use of trichloroethylene was taken as the basis for the study. During the 1990s, due to environmental, health and safety considerations, the use of trichloroethylene in Europe was a subject of broad concern. As a consequence, the use of trichloroethylene became regulated through multiple approaches, such as labelling, handling regulations and performance standards. Since that time the absolute emissions of trichloroethylene in Europe have been decreasing consistently in all member states. These results were achieved by various regulatory measures governing the use of trichloroethylene in industrial applications that have been introduced by individual Member States. However, given the implementation responsibility at Member State level not all member States have implemented the same set of regulatory measures. In Germany, for example, the use of trichloroethylene is regulated through strict technical standards for equipment and emissions that has required companies to replace existing old machines with the state-of-the-art equipment. In Sweden a general ban on trichloroethylene use was introduced in 1996, which however eventually evolved into an exemption permit system for companies that found no alternative to degreasing with trichloroethylene. --

The importance of institutions and policy settings for car sharing – Evidence from the UK, Israel, Sweden and Finland

The rapid growth of cities requires effective management of transport demand and restructuring of transport systems to address the needs of growing urban populations in an environmentally, socially and economically sustainable way. In recent years, car sharing has emerged as an alternative to owning cars in cities, which has potential to bring environmental gains and address social considerations. There is a sizeable academic inquiry about the social and environmental benefits of car sharing and the barriers to its introduction and provision in different empirical contexts. However, most research on the determinants of its uptake and the ease of provision remains limited to investigating consumer demand and how to realise the benefits of car sharing. Drawing on cases from the UK, Israel, Sweden and Finland, this paper focuses on the institutional and policy settings to understand the systemic barriers for car sharing services in diverse urban contexts to expand knowledge on the challenges to and the challenges that emerge from car sharing schemes

Nordic Post-Graduate Sustainable Design and Engineering Research from a Supervisor Perspective

The multi- and interdisciplinary field of sustainable product innovation is rapidly expanding as an arena for scientific research. Universities in Nordic countries can be considered as an exponent of this type of research, with active research groups in, among others, Göteborg, Helsinki, Lund, Lyngby, Linköping and Trondheim. In the context of a Nordforsk funded project, seven second generation PhD supervisors from these universities, who have been active in this field for many years, discuss funding, publication, research traditions, education and supervision practices related to PhD research in this field. A number of recommendations to improve current practices are made, including the mapping currently existing differences in different academic institutions, studying the cross-over learning effects between academica and non-academic partners, and the development of ‘quality indicators’ of research in the SPI domain

Urban Sharing in Shanghai

This city report is the result of a Mobile Research Lab conducted online in Shanghai during spring 2020. The Mobile Research Lab involves a combination of methods, including case studies, interviews, observations, expert panels, and in-situ field work. This report presents insights gained by the Urban Sharing research team Oksana Mont (PI), Andrius Plepys, Yuliya Voytenko Palgan, Matthias Lehner, Steven Curtis, Lucie Zvolska and Ana Maria Arbelaez Velez

Urban Sharing in Toronto

“Urban Sharing in Toronto” explores the landscape of the sharing economy in the city context. This research is a result of a Mobile Research Lab conducted by 8 researchers from Lund university in 2019. Specific focus is on three sectors: sharing of space, mobility and physical goods. For each sector, we discuss the drivers and barriers to the sharing economy, the associated sustainability impacts, the potential impacts on incumbent sectors, and the institutional context of sharing. Then, attention is turned to the role of the city council in engaging with the sharing economy and specific governance mechanisms employed by the city council are described. Since the sharing economy is not sustainable by default, urban sharing organisations, city governments and incumbents all have important roles to play in ensuring that the sharing economy positively impacts cities and their citizens. In the face of negative perceptions and possible impacts of the sharing economy, we may need to be more deliberate in thinking in terms of scaling the sharing economy to the size, needs, and capacities of cities. In this report we provide five recommendations to the City of Toronto and its citizens.Insights contained within this report may support the City of Toronto and other Sharing Cities, as well as urban sharing organisations and third-party actors in Toronto and beyond in their strategic work with the sharing economy for sustainability

Environmental Implications of Product Servicising. - The Case of Outsourced Computing Utilities

The life cycle of electronic products is associated with significant environmental impacts. Compared to many other products, the production of electronics and in particular semiconductors is resource intensive and generates a number of highly toxic waste streams in manufacturing and post-consumer stages of product life cycle. Electronics manufacturing industry has been successful in reducing environmental impacts on per product basis increasing resource efficiency, preventing pollution and reducing material toxicity. However, technological improvements have been able to negate the effects of growing consumption and rapid product obsolescence, so that the absolute impacts from the life cycle of electronics continue growing. This thesis builds on the premise that technological improvements are insufficient in reducing the negative environmental implications from the life cycle of electronics. Reducing the levels and/or changing the patterns of consumption is a necessary complementary strategy. Dematerialisation through product servicising is considered an effective approach in this respect, since it could provide alternative means of consumption without infringing the interests of producers and consumers. This thesis explores the environmental implications of servicing electronic products by studying the case of substituting traditional computing systems based on owned PCs, with outsourced computing services delivered through centralised IT systems. The research builds on the analysis of the case of Application Service Provider (ASP) services. Through a comparative analysis of traditional decentralised and centralised server-based computing systems, where computing resources on a server are shared between several users, the author highlights factors influencing a wider application of service-based IT solutions in commercial and residential sectors and the potential for associated environmental benefit. The thesis also discusses methodological challenges in environmental assessments of electronic products and services and provides recommendations for improvements

Software renting - Better business, better environment: The case of application service providing (ASP)

The author analyses the business model of Application Service Provider (ASP) as a less material intensive alternative to traditional computing - a promising example of ICT sector dematerialisation. The article compares the ASP vs. traditional computing models from environmental and business perspectives. The ASP service model has a potential to provide both economic and environmental benefits. By using the results from the available life cycle studies on personal computers the author conducts a rough analysis of the environmental gains from using the ASP model. The key environmental benefits derive from using a "lighter" hardware such as thin clients and the possibilities to extend its lifetime. The conclusions show that there are several groups of barriers: technical, cultural, knowledge, economic and legal barriers that can be addressed by different actors. Companies can overcome some of those barriers, but the issues of property and privacy right protection; anti-trust legislation, standardisation and infrastructure development have to be addressed by government. ASP stakeholders can find it interesting to identify and exploit the potential environmental benefits of ICT outsourcing