Flying to Thailand? Quantifying and Comparing Consumption Induced Carbon Emissions of B2C Car Sharing Users

Abstract: Car sharing (CS) is a growing phenomenon globally but its environmental implications are not yet fully explored. While many researchers agree that it could have multiple direct environmental benefits, indirect effects like carbon emissions induced through changed consumption patterns have been poorly explored. This thesis aims to quantify and compare consumption induced carbon emissions (CCE) of CS users with a baseline of non-CS users to better understand the environmental consequences of CS. A survey design was chosen to collect data from a sample of CS users in Berlin and Hamburg, analyse the potential changes in consumption patterns and calculate consumption induced carbon emissions by using carbon intensities of selected consumption categories. The main finding is that when CS is perceived to induce savings, CCE of CS users are lower relative to an applicable baseline. However, when CS is seen as a more expensive option to personal mobility, the CCE increase. This study contributes to the CS literature by suggesting that altered consumption patterns may not partially offset but in some cases contribute to the positive environmental effects of CS. The findings also highlight the potential of CS to reduce transport induced carbon emissions because in many cases monetary savings compared to car ownership can be realised and thus also reductions in CCE. Further research must estimate CS users’ consumption patterns and carbon intensities of consumption categories more precisely to arrive at more accurate findings for changes in CCE. Long-term implications of a shift to-wards CS also have to be examined because the findings indicate that in such a scenario the potential for increasing CCE and backfire rises. Both the magnitude of this effect and potential countermeasures need to be further investigated.