A highly discussed topic today is sustainability. It is well-known that the climate is changing and that we have to take action to stop the enhanced greenhouse effect. The question that will be addressed in this essay is: ‘How does information strategy contribute to a more sustainable world?’. Information goods have both positive and negative effects on the environment.
First of all, information strategy enables people to create information goods. Information goods are intangible, so they will not be physically thrown away and do not end up in the plastic soup. Additionally, reproducing information goods almost have no impact on the environment, because they do not need any materials. In contrast to information goods, physical products are responsible for a large part for the CO2 emissions (European Environment Agency, 2010). Thus, information goods have a positive contribution to a sustainable world.
Information goods are goods that can be sent and received over the Internet, so there is no transportation needed (Whinston, Stahl and Choi, 1997). On the other hand, information strategy also allows people to order products online, which leads to CO2 emissions due to transportation. However, online second-hand shops are also enabled by information strategy. These second-hand shops, such as Marktplaats, contribute to a sustainable world, because it prevents people from throwing products, that are still in a good condition, away when they do not need them any longer. Another way that information strategy contributes to a more sustainable world is that people can easily connect with another. If a family member lives far away, it is possible to see each other via FaceTime. Of course, FaceTime cannot replace physical visits, but it can reduce the number of times one has to travel, which is positive for the environment.
However, to be able to use these information goods, computers or mobile phones must be made, which harms the environment. So if we want to contribute to a sustainable world, we should only buy new devices if necessary and let them repair at a repair shop. In this manner, the positive aspects of information goods will surpass the negative impact of the production of new devices.
References:
European Environment Agency. (2010). Consumption and the environment – SOER 201 thematic assessment. Available at https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/2010/europe/consumption-and-environment. [Accessed: 27 September 2020].
Whinsten, A.; Stahl, D.O.; Choi, S.-Y. (1997). Chapter 2: Characteristics of digital products and processes. The Economics of Electronic Commerce. Indianapolis, IN: Macmillan Technical Publishing.
