Impacts of Information and Communication Technologies on ...

Impacts of Information and Communication Technologies on

Environmental Sustainability: speculations and evidence

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Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1

SUMMARY

2

I. INTRODUCTION

3

II. SKETCHING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ICTS AND

SUSTAINABILITY

4

III. FIRST-ORDER ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF ICTS

7

III.1 Manufacture

7

III.2 Supply chain

8

III.3 Use

8

III.4 Disposal

9

IV. SECOND-ORDER EFFECTS OF ICTS

9

IV.1 Efficiency gains through ICT use

10

IV.1.1 Intelligent production processes

10

IV.1.2 Intelligent design and operation of products and services

10

IV.1.3 Intelligent distribution and logistics

12

IV.1.4 Changing seller-buyer relationships

15

IV.1.5 Work organisation

16

IV.2 Critical issues

16

IV.2.1 The problem of `incomplete substitution'

16

IV.2.2 Re-materialisation

17

V. THIRD ORDER EFFECTS OF ICTS

17

V.1 Structural change and resource use

17

V.2 The rebound effect

18

V.3 Life style changes

19

VI. CONCLUSIONS

19

VII. REFERENCES

21

Summary

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I. Introduction

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II. Sketching the relationship between ICTs and sustainability

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