M-1A-4 - Dematerialisation of the Economy
The IPCC WG3 defines dematerialisation as they key principle in a comprehensive circular economy: the reduction in the quantity of materials used in the production of a single unit of output.
This is a largely speculative mitigation option:
A reduction in goods needed due to combining multiple functions into one device would reduce the need for transport. Reduced weights associated with dematerialisation would improve the efficiency of freight transport. However, emissions reductions from these efforts are likely dwarfed by increased consumption of goods.
- (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1
Dematerialisation of the economy is outlined in section 10.2.3 (circular economy) of (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1.
Mitigation Objective¶
The primary objective is for a utilisation shift to reduce light and heavy truck distance travelled in a city by means of general increased dematerialisation of the economy.
Mitigation Potential¶
Potential
The AR6 report and the literature referenced by it do not present any reliable estimates for the mitigation potential of dematerialisation of the economy.
Whether or not dematerialisation can lead to reduction of emissions from the transport sector is still an open question that requires evaluating the entire product ecosystem (Van Loon et al. 2014; Coroama et al. 2015; Kasulaitis et al. 2019).
- (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1
Utilizing an ecosystem approach to evaluate material flows at the intersection of technological innovation and evolving consumption reveals that, in the best case, dematerialization by technological innovation is slowing the rate of material consumption by the consumer electronic product ecosystem. While efficiency gains made through technological innovations might achieve modest reductions in material intensity of specific products, those per-product reductions are offset by increasing consumption in some cases. Therefore, dematerialization, defined previously as the absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials or waste per unit output, is not a complete strategy for reducing net material consumption of the product ecosystem.
- (Kasulaitis, Babbitt, and Krock 2018)2
Modelling¶
This mitigation method is not currently modelled with any Transition Elements.
Primary Reference¶
The primary reference for this mitigation measure is (IPCC AR6 WG3 2022)1.
Secondary References¶
Dematerialization and the Circular Economy¶
This paper (Kasulaitis, Babbitt, and Krock 2018)2 examines strategies to mitigate the environmental impacts of consumer electronics. The study compares dematerialisation (reducing material use) and circular economy approaches (recycling and reusing materials). It finds that both strategies have potential but need to be implemented together for maximum effectiveness. The research highlights the importance of integrating these approaches to address the growing environmental challenges posed by electronic waste.
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IPCC AR6 WG3. 2022. Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Edited by Priyadarshi R. Shukla, Jim Skea, Raphael Slade, Alaa Al Khourdajie, Renée van Diemen, David McCollum, Minal Pathak, et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009157926. ↩↩↩↩
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Kasulaitis, Barbara, Callie Babbitt, and Andrew Krock. 2018. “Dematerialization and the Circular Economy: Comparing Strategies to Reduce Material Impacts of the Consumer Electronic Product Ecosystem.” Journal of Industrial Ecology 23 (May). https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12756. ↩↩