The relevance of information and communication technologies for environmental sustainability - A prospective simulation study

Summary, in English

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have relevant positive and negative impacts on environmental sustainability on various levels: First-order effects such as increasing electronic waste streams; second-order effects such as improved energy-efficiency of production; third-order effects such as a product-to-service shift in consumption or rebound effects in transport. In the simulation study described in this article, all known relevant effects on all three levels were modeled using a System Dynamics approach in combination with scenario techniques and expert consultations. The prospective study for the European Union with a time-horizon until 2020 revealed great potential for ICT-supported energy management and for a structural change towards a less material-intensive economy, but strong rebound effects in the transport sector whenever ICT applications lead to time or cost savings for transport. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

• Författare: Lorenz A. Hilty; Peter Arnfalk; Lorenz Erdmann; James Goodman; Martin Lehmann; Patrick A. Waeger
• Avdelning/ar: Internationella miljöinstitutet
• Publiceringsår: 2006
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 1618-1629
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Environmental Modelling & Software
• Volym: 21
• Issue: 11
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2006.05.007
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: Elsevier
• Ämne: Social Sciences Interdisciplinary
• Nyckelord: structural change; system dynamics; and simulation; socio-economic modelling; information society; sustainable development; environmental impact; information technology; communication technology; material intensity; rebound effect; prospective technology assessment
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1364-8152