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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