13.1 The Sharing Economy as a Low-Carbon Economy
13.1.1 Moving from Proprietary to Sharing
The sharing economy is a newly defined economic model in which access to goods
and services is shared on a peer-to-peer basis, such as through community-based and
online platforms. The last decade has seen the emergence and rapid growth of
the sharing economy, with increasing numbers of people choosing to participate.
The sharing economy makes use of Internet services and is currently most active in
the mobility sector, such as travel and transportation, through various platforms such
as Airbnb, Uber, and DiDi. Digital conversation is made possible via systems that
enable the communication and management of all kinds of goods and services
through platforms built using ICT and IOT technology. This is the technical background to the rapid evolution and development of the sharing economy.
Meeting growing demands for material and cultural consumption is a fundamental prerequisite for the formation, development, and growth of all industries, with
demand for products or services delivered at the lowest possible expense. Satisfaction is a fundamental starting point for consumer behavior. The rapid development of
the sharing economy is essentially the result of more people embracing the concept
and values of shared consumers. This is the socioeconomic background that has led
to the emergence and rapid development of the sharing economy.
The sharing economy is often referred to in the literature as cooperative consumption. Studies of motivations for participating in the sharing economy consider
many impact factors, such as sustainability of shared consumption, pleasure, and
benefit of shared activities (Hamari et al. 2015). However, Matzler et al. (2015)
argue that most people participate in the sharing economy for self-satisfaction, rather
than as a subjective promotion of green consumption. That is, most participants in
the sharing economy are motivated to meet consumer needs at lower costs, which
can create added value from idle assets or time. For example, in a study by Shaheen
and Cohen (2007) that used car sharing as an example, the main motivations for
participation were cost savings, convenience, and parking guarantees, which all
show consumer self-satisfaction. Self-interest is a subjective motivation for participating in shared consumption but has objectively promoted green development of
the economy and society as a whole. Enthusiasm for consumption is strengthened,
and the concepts of use over ownership and green consumption are gradually
formed, further promoting similar concepts.
While growth in the sharing economy has accelerated and many companies are
moving toward a shared model, consumer perceptions of past ownership concepts
and asset consumption patterns can be difficult to change in the short term (Botsman
2015). In traditional economies, transactions generally require the transfer of product
ownership, and the concept of property rights is well established and protected by
private property laws that prevent the sharing of tangible goods. Simultaneously,
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X. Qian and W. Zhou
13.1.1 Moving from Proprietary to Sharing
The sharing economy is a newly defined economic model in which access to goods
and services is shared on a peer-to-peer basis, such as through community-based and
online platforms. The last decade has seen the emergence and rapid growth of
the sharing economy, with increasing numbers of people choosing to participate.
The sharing economy makes use of Internet services and is currently most active in
the mobility sector, such as travel and transportation, through various platforms such
as Airbnb, Uber, and DiDi. Digital conversation is made possible via systems that
enable the communication and management of all kinds of goods and services
through platforms built using ICT and IOT technology. This is the technical background to the rapid evolution and development of the sharing economy.
Meeting growing demands for material and cultural consumption is a fundamental prerequisite for the formation, development, and growth of all industries, with
demand for products or services delivered at the lowest possible expense. Satisfaction is a fundamental starting point for consumer behavior. The rapid development of
the sharing economy is essentially the result of more people embracing the concept
and values of shared consumers. This is the socioeconomic background that has led
to the emergence and rapid development of the sharing economy.
The sharing economy is often referred to in the literature as cooperative consumption. Studies of motivations for participating in the sharing economy consider
many impact factors, such as sustainability of shared consumption, pleasure, and
benefit of shared activities (Hamari et al. 2015). However, Matzler et al. (2015)
argue that most people participate in the sharing economy for self-satisfaction, rather
than as a subjective promotion of green consumption. That is, most participants in
the sharing economy are motivated to meet consumer needs at lower costs, which
can create added value from idle assets or time. For example, in a study by Shaheen
and Cohen (2007) that used car sharing as an example, the main motivations for
participation were cost savings, convenience, and parking guarantees, which all
show consumer self-satisfaction. Self-interest is a subjective motivation for participating in shared consumption but has objectively promoted green development of
the economy and society as a whole. Enthusiasm for consumption is strengthened,
and the concepts of use over ownership and green consumption are gradually
formed, further promoting similar concepts.
While growth in the sharing economy has accelerated and many companies are
moving toward a shared model, consumer perceptions of past ownership concepts
and asset consumption patterns can be difficult to change in the short term (Botsman
2015). In traditional economies, transactions generally require the transfer of product
ownership, and the concept of property rights is well established and protected by
private property laws that prevent the sharing of tangible goods. Simultaneously,
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X. Qian and W. Zhou