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The Material Stock–Flow–Service Nexus: A New Approach for Tackling the Decoupling Conundrum

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  • Helmut Haberl

    (Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt, Wien, Graz, Schottenfeldgasse 29, Vienna 1070, Austria)

  • Dominik Wiedenhofer

    (Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt, Wien, Graz, Schottenfeldgasse 29, Vienna 1070, Austria)

  • Karl-Heinz Erb

    (Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt, Wien, Graz, Schottenfeldgasse 29, Vienna 1070, Austria)

  • Christoph Görg

    (Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt, Wien, Graz, Schottenfeldgasse 29, Vienna 1070, Austria)

  • Fridolin Krausmann

    (Institute of Social Ecology, Alpen-Adria Universitaet Klagenfurt, Wien, Graz, Schottenfeldgasse 29, Vienna 1070, Austria)

Abstract

Fundamental changes in the societal use of biophysical resources are required for a sustainability transformation. Current socioeconomic metabolism research traces flows of energy, materials or substances to capture resource use: input of raw materials or energy, their fate in production and consumption, and the discharge of wastes and emissions. This approach has yielded important insights into eco-efficiency and long-term drivers of resource use. But socio-metabolic research has not yet fully incorporated material stocks or their services, hence not completely exploiting the analytic power of the metabolism concept. This commentary argues for a material stock–flow–service nexus approach focused on the analysis of interrelations between material and energy flows, socioeconomic material stocks (“in-use stocks of materials”) and the services provided by specific stock/flow combinations. Analyzing the interrelations between stocks, flows and services will allow researchers to develop highly innovative indicators of eco-efficiency and open new research directions that will help to better understand biophysical foundations of transformations towards sustainability.

Suggested Citation

  • Helmut Haberl & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Karl-Heinz Erb & Christoph Görg & Fridolin Krausmann, 2017. "The Material Stock–Flow–Service Nexus: A New Approach for Tackling the Decoupling Conundrum," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-19, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:9:y:2017:i:7:p:1049-:d:102603
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Paul J. Crutzen, 2002. "Geology of mankind," Nature, Nature, vol. 415(6867), pages 23-23, January.
    2. Pauliuk, Stefan & Hertwich, Edgar G., 2015. "Socioeconomic metabolism as paradigm for studying the biophysical basis of human societies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 83-93.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ronny Meglin & Susanne Kytzia & Guillaume Habert, 2022. "Regional circular economy of building materials: Environmental and economic assessment combining Material Flow Analysis, Input‐Output Analyses, and Life Cycle Assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(2), pages 562-576, April.
    2. Plank, Christina & Liehr, Stefan & Hummel, Diana & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Haberl, Helmut & Görg, Christoph, 2021. "Doing more with less: Provisioning systems and the transformation of the stock-flow-service nexus," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 187(C).
    3. Brenner, Anna-Katharina & Haas, Willi & Rudloff, Christian & Lorenz, Florian & Wieser, Georg & Haberl, Helmut & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Pichler, Melanie, 2024. "How experiments with superblocks in Vienna shape climate and health outcomes and interact with the urban planning regime," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    4. Smetschka, Barbara & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Egger, Claudine & Haselsteiner, Edeltraud & Moran, Daniel & Gaube, Veronika, 2019. "Time Matters: The Carbon Footprint of Everyday Activities in Austria," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 1-1.
    5. Virág, Doris & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Baumgart, André & Matej, Sarah & Krausmann, Fridolin & Min, Jihoon & Rao, Narasimha D. & Haberl, Helmut, 2022. "How much infrastructure is required to support decent mobility for all? An exploratory assessment," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    6. Charles Gillott & Will Mihkelson & Maud Lanau & Dave Cheshire & Danielle Densley Tingley, 2023. "Developing Regenerate: A circular economy engagement tool for the assessment of new and existing buildings," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(2), pages 423-435, April.
    7. Brenner, Anna-Katharina & Haas, Willi & Krüger, Tobias & Matej, Sarah & Haberl, Helmut & Schug, Franz & Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Behnisch, Martin & Jaeger, Jochen A.G. & Pichler, Melanie, 2024. "What drives densification and sprawl in cities? A spatially explicit assessment for Vienna, between 1984 and 2018," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C).
    8. Watari, Takuma & Yokoi, Ryosuke, 2021. "International inequality in in-use metal stocks: What it portends for the future," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    9. Wiedenhofer, Dominik & Fishman, Tomer & Lauk, Christian & Haas, Willi & Krausmann, Fridolin, 2019. "Integrating Material Stock Dynamics Into Economy-Wide Material Flow Accounting: Concepts, Modelling, and Global Application for 1900–2050," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 121-133.
    10. Johnella Bradshaw & Simron Jit Singh & Su-Yin Tan & Tomer Fishman & Kristen Pott, 2020. "GIS-Based Material Stock Analysis (MSA) of Climate Vulnerabilities to the Tourism Industry in Antigua and Barbuda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-22, September.
    11. Tomer Fishman & Niko Heeren & Stefan Pauliuk & Peter Berrill & Qingshi Tu & Paul Wolfram & Edgar G. Hertwich, 2021. "A comprehensive set of global scenarios of housing, mobility, and material efficiency for material cycles and energy systems modeling," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(2), pages 305-320, April.
    12. Nguyen, Thi Cuc & Miatto, Alessio & Kim, Junbeum, 2024. "Material services in an emerging economy: Tracking resource utilization in Vietnam's shelter, thermal comfort, and road transportation," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    13. Chenling Fu & Yan Zhang & Tianjie Deng & Ichiro Daigo, 2022. "The evolution of material stock research: From exploring to rising to hot studies," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(2), pages 462-476, April.
    14. Whiting, Kai & Carmona, Luis Gabriel & Brand-Correa, Lina & Simpson, Edward, 2020. "Illumination as a material service: A comparison between Ancient Rome and early 19th century London," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).

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