Eva Heiskanen
Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration,
Department of Management
  

Eco-efficient services, or sustainable product-services systems, have emerged as a popular topic in a variety of discussions on sustainability and eco-efficiency. In these discussions, "service" actually refers to many things. It may refer to the role of service sector in the economy, or to a company’s offerings to its customers, or to the service (function) provided by a product. Some more precise concepts, such as product-service systems, have emerged in recent years. The debate has also been expanded by references to companies’ efforts to reposition themselves as providers of "services" or "solutions" due to competitive pressures in product or capital markets.

In 1999, we started a two-year research project called Dematerialization: the potential of services and information technology (see http://www.hkkk.fi/organisaatiot/research/programs/dema/dema.htm). Until now, we published a review of discussion on dematerialization through services (Heiskanen & Jalas 2000). During spring 2001 we are completing the final report of the project, and would like to contribute to the sustainable service systems (3S) conference in Amsterdam with our findings.

We have tried to identify the different kinds of services that are linked to eco-efficiency claims, and the different benefits they are expected to deliver, as well as the evidence accumulated to date. Four main interpretations of the service approach have been identified in the ongoing discussion: non-material services, result-oriented services, product-based services, and ecodesign with service approach (see Heiskanen & Jalas 2000).

We have looked more closely what kind of services, especially ICT based services, may or could lead to dematerialization. In addition, economic growth and the role of service and ICT sectors in this development have been analysed together with their implications for the material and energy consumption of the Finnish economy (has delinking of material consumption and economic growth taken place?). Furthermore, institutional and social conditions enhancing or preventing the development of new types of eco-efficient services in selected areas have been analysed.

A number of empirical studies of business-to-business and consumer services have also been conducted. These have included:

• The feasibility of provision and adoption of eco-efficient services for offices
• Corporate travel management: potential of reducing travelling by ICT based services
• A time-use perspective on the materials intensity of consumption
• Dematerialization potential of electronic grocery shopping

The future dematerialized service and information economy cannot be developed simply on the drawing-boards of economists and environmentalists. Therefore, we have used different kinds of methods to analyse the feasibility of such as shift (e.g., interviews with service developers, expert panels, statistical analyses). The methodological approach has been a combination of technology forecasting and assessment in a problem-oriented context: can services or ICT applications reduce resource consumption?

References:

Heiskanen, E. & Jalas, M. (2000) Dematerialization through services – a review and evaluation of the debate. The Finnish Environment 436, Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Protection Department, Helsinki 2000. http://www.hkkk.fi/organisaatiot/research/programs/dema/sy436.pdf

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Last updated: 13 November, 2008