Digitalization: A Potential Tool for Sustainable Consumption?

Given the outsized impact that digitalization has had on consumption over the last two decades, the lack of academic interest in sustainable consumption is noteworthy. In this book chapter, we set the scene for the fundamentally important discussion about how digitalization affects consumption. We ask whether digitalization is a positive or a negative force for shaping consumption levels and patterns in a sustainable direction. We organize our discussion around three waves of digitalization that impact consumption and we discuss the implications of these for sustainability. During the first wave, e-commerce became mainstream and led to a dramatic reduction in transaction costs. The second wave led to consumers becoming more empowered, enabling users to connect and actively create content, and to repair, make, or share goods and services. During the most recent wave, giant Internet companies are increasingly providing, and controlling digital consumption experiences rather than selling physical goods, potentially leading to a significantly lower environmental impact per dollar spent. We conclude that digitalization has many inherent traits that make it a strong tool for sustainable consumption, but also that—being devoid of policy guidance—it can equally act as an accelerator of consumption.