Material services in an emerging economy: Tracking resource utilization in Vietnam's shelter, thermal comfort, and road transportation

Emerging economies continue to exhibit notable growth rates in material consumption. This research employs the Stock-Flow-Service (SFS) nexus to evaluate the use of resources in providing shelter, thermal comfort, and transport services in Vietnam from 2004 to 2019. The investigation encompasses material stocks and flows involved in expanding and maintaining residential buildings, roads, key household products, and vehicles. We quantify energy flows and emissions associated with shelter, thermal comfort, and road transportation. Further, we analyze various indicators illustrating the relations between stocks, flows, and services. Results reveal a significant stock increase, with most material inflows used for expansion rather than maintenance. Notably, there was an increase in material intensity from 1050 to 1400 kg/m2 for shelter and from 4.0 to 7.5 kg/pop-cooling-degree-days for thermal comfort services. Conversely, the stock intensity for transportation services decreased from 86 to 43 kg/freight-km equivalent. Energy and emission intensities grew 23- and 32-fold, respectively. These escalating intensities add pressure to the existing sustainability challenges, underlining the urgent need for reevaluation and intervention. Moreover, the findings underscore the interdependencies of different material stocks in delivering multiple services, shedding light on potential environmental trade-offs between energy and materials. This research provides valuable insights into Vietnam's sustainability policies and contributes to national resource assessments, emphasizing the importance of balancing socioeconomic development with environmental responsibility for a sustainable future.