Collaborative economy as a facet of transition towards more sustainable consumption and production?

Beschreibung

Progressing towards more sustainable forms of consumption and production seems inevitable, i.e. forms that would lower the environmental impact, and steer our socio-economic systems away from inequitable distribution of benefits and costs. The starting point of the debate over sustainability of our consumption and production patterns can be seen in the 1980s and the publication of Our Common Future, a report by the World Commission on Environment and Development. Ever since, a broad range of negative environmental and societal consequences of consumption and production have been broadly recognized issues. The current problematic situation can be ascribed to two misconceptions: the belief in unlimited natural resources and natural sinks that could endlessly absorb environmental pollution, along with the concept of continuous and limitless economic growth. Thus, changing the status quo is challenging. The existing infrastructures and deeply-rooted habits reflect the above misconceptions and add to the challenge of getting out of this lock-in. In other words, consumption and production patterns are deeply situated in the structures we live in, and are intricately interwoven with our daily choices and practices. Consequently, the role of consumers and their actions for steering the change and transition process is of key value. Within the dominant consumption (i.e. product-purchase) patterns, consumers decisions relate to the notions of ownership and attachment to possessions. Sharing behaviours have become more visible through the growth of collaborative economy, i.e. a range of economic models of sharing, swapping, renting, re-invented through e.g. globalization, the pressures of financial crisis, or the omnipresence of Internet. An attempt of analyzing collaborative economy from the viewpoint of transition theory and its arenas of development perspective is made.

Zeitraum	16 Okt. 2014 → 19 Okt. 2014
Ereignistitel	Momentum Kongress
Veranstaltungstyp	Keine Angaben
Bekanntheitsgrad	National