Contractualizing functionality

• Main Authors: Morlat, Clément, Mougenot, Benoît, Pinto-Silva, Kleber
• Other Authors: Centre international de Recherches en Economie écologique, Eco-innovation et ingénierie du Développement Soutenable (REEDS), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), International Society for Ecological Economics
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2014
• Subjects: Evaluation methods; Product Service System; Funtional Economy; [SDE]Environmental Sciences; [SHS]Humanities and Social Sciences; [SHS.INFO]Humanities and Social Sciences/Library and information sciences; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-01091101; https://hal.science/hal-01091101/document; https://hal.science/hal-01091101/file/texte%20ISEE%202014%20Morlat-Mougenot-Pinto-Silva%20_%20revu%20cmbm.pdf

International audience The transition to a more sustainable society is now at the top of numerous political agendas. With a view to putting this concept into practice, models based on a functional economy have been developed during recent decades. From the writings of Stahel and Giarini (1990) to the product service system approach (Mont, 2004), much work has therefore focused on decoupling the satisfaction of human needs from pressures on natural capital. This work involves seeking to optimize use value above all, rather than constantly renewing the physical dimension of the capital. Although the model shows promise, certain contradictions should be noted, such as the presence of rebound effects and the difficulty of achieving this decoupling. To overcome this, our approach attempts to strengthen the theoretical framework of the functional economy with contributions from ecological economics. This transposition of the science of ecosystems into a service-based context makes it possible to develop the notion of a service ecosystem (Lauriol, 2007). The latter involves considering new methods of transaction between the actors involved. Our methodology addresses a process in two stages. Contractualizing functionality involves developing an agreement based on a use cost, via consultation, then negotiation. The same item subjected to multiple uses then becomes the subject of shared valorization, i.e. of a collective, but differentiated, internalization of externalities. This process of monetizing functionality makes it possible to ensure that the models developed in this way are sustainable. In the context of new solutions incorporating companies, users and regional or local authorities, some first results from the mobility sector will deal with the switch to a functionality economy. The evolution from a linear and transitive approach to forming value to a socio-economic and ecosystemic approach re-examines notions of capital and transaction costs.