The sharing economy and sufficiency

Summary, in English

In Chapter 11, Oksana Mont and Yuliya Voytenko Palgan examine the relationship between the sharing economy and the concept of sufficiency. The chapter highlights how shared access to goods and services can change consumption patterns, maximising resource use and reducing the need for new production. This can decrease resource extraction and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The authors discuss how the sharing economy's focus on redistribution aligns with sufficiency principles, promoting efficient resource use over ownership. However, challenges like the rebound effect can undermine these benefits. The chapter also notes that the sharing economy's shift towards ICT and investor-driven models has sometimes worsened environmental and social issues. It calls for policies and business strategies that genuinely support sufficiency goals, urging a holistic approach that includes both direct and indirect impacts of shared consumption. The authors advocate systemic changes and lifestyle adaptations prioritising long-term sustainability.

• Author: Oksana Mont; Yuliya Voytenko Palgan
• Department/s: The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics
• Publishing year: 2025
• Language: English
• Pages: 230-246
• Publication/Series: Understanding the Urban Sharing Economy
• Links: http://dx.doi.org/10.4337/9781035320547.00024
• Document type: Book chapter
• Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd.
• Topic: Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified
• Keywords: Communication; Operations; Product strategies; Profit models; Sharing economy; Sufficiency
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISBN: 9781035320547; ISBN: 9781035320530