Sharing economy: the sustainable alternative?

LIFEFAIR FORUM At the 23rd Lifefair Forum for Sustainability at the St. Peter Forum in Zurich, around 250 guests discussed how the sharing economy is influencing our society and forms of work.Sharing economy is a collective term for collaborative forms of business. Sharing economy companies enable the temporary shared use of resources that are not needed all the time. The Swiss-wide car-sharing service sharoo, for example, provides unused private cars to third parties: On average, cars stand around unused 23 out of 24 hours a day; thanks to sharoo, 1000 private cars are already being shared with around 30,000 renters and thus used more efficiently. The provider Uber arranges 3 million "cab" rides a month worldwide, many of them in Switzerland. The Airbnb platform offers around 15,500 residential properties in Switzerland. Over 54 percent of Europeans are willing to share their property - and the trend is rising. Rapid networking via the Internet enables suitable platforms. These topics were addressed by the 23rd Lifefair Forum After the two keynote speeches by Frank Boller, CEO of Mobility and Rasoul Jalali, General Manager of Uber, the discussion was chaired by Jürg Wildberger: Frank Boller (Mobility), Rasoul Jalali (UBER), Natalie Imboden (Trade Union Secretary, Unia), Bruno Sauter (Head of Office, Office for Economy and Labor, Canton of Zurich) and Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler (Head of Digital Business, Swisscom). The following aspects were highlighted:1) The electronic marketplaces of the sharing economy are based on success- and profit-oriented business models. Economic incentives for all participants, not just for the service provider, are the drivers of success. The pursuit of profit is not in conflict with ecology and sustainability. Only economic incentives for all participants enable the scalability of the shared use of resources.2) However, ecological goals can only be achieved with the sharing economy if fewer resources are consumed. There is a consensus that there are sustainable business models and that ecological implications must be assessed individually.3) Because electronic marketplaces offer all participants economic incentives, the labor market is changing (e.g. self-employment). This is seen as an opportunity, but can also lead to uncertainty and social decline. There is agreement that there are processes of change and that these need to be shaped by legislation.4) Digital platforms in the sharing economy are often based on a global concept. This also has an impact on the autonomy of Swiss politics. It should proactively define framework conditions, including with regard to new forms of work, harmful monopolies and insurance issues.5) Switzerland is not at the forefront of electronic marketplaces, even though the cooperative is an original Swiss model. The panel found mental (little developed culture of entrepreneurial failure) and structural reasons, including the fact that, unlike in the USA, pension funds parked in Switzerland are not available to young companies as development capital. Frank Boller the new technologies that can efficiently bring users and providers together are key drivers of the sharing economy. As a technologically leading country, we are predestined to develop and operate such platforms. "For Rasoul Jalali"There are two ways of dealing with the sharing economy. Either we shut ourselves off and risk not being part of it when it picks up speed worldwide. Or we can create a framework that provides legal certainty for innovative services such as Uber in Switzerland. On the one hand, this is important so that consumers in Switzerland can continue to benefit from lower prices and better service. On the other hand, it is also an urgent requirement so that such services can also be developed in Switzerland in the future." Natalie Imboden"The sharing economy offers opportunities to simplify complicated processes. However, the working conditions of the sharing economy need to be monitored very closely and shaped. Living wages and social security are needed. Society and politics must provide the framework conditions within which the sharing economy can develop. In addition to social sustainability, ecological sustainability must also be taken into account."Bruno Sauter is convinced that "many of the young Swiss companies are among the most innovative in the world and that the Swiss economy therefore has the potential to create new market models for sharing and lending. However, the economy must actively shape the development of the sharing economy and politicians must tackle the transformation of the legal framework." Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler, is of the firm opinion that "the sharing economy as a business model offers all companies great potential to advance their own business model."