IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i18p7640-d414348.html

Sustainable Platform Economy: Connections with the Sustainable Development Goals

Author

Listed:
  • Mayo Fuster Morell

    (Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA)

  • Ricard Espelt

    (Internet Interdisciplinary Institute, Open University of Catalonia, 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Melissa Renau Cano

    (Internet Interdisciplinary Institute, Open University of Catalonia, 08018 Barcelona, Spain)

Abstract

The platform economy is growing exponentially while creating expectations for its potential to contribute to a sustainable development. However, research aimed at showing the potential contribution of each platform’s business model to sustainable development is needed. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are driving the policy agenda, but it remains unclear how far they encourage a sustainable platform economy. First, this article aims to study how each different type of platform contributes to sustainable development. Second, it analyses if and how the factors that contribute to the sustainable design of platforms are considered in SDGs. The paper departs from a framework of sustainable democratic qualities of the platform economy that considers governance, economic sustainability, technological and data policies, social responsibility, and external impact dimensions. The study is based on an empirical analysis of 60 platforms. The results show that a sustainable design of a platform economy promotes sustainable development. Furthermore, the contributions of the sustainable dimensions of a platform to SDGs are mainly connected to the impact and responsibility and the economic model, but governance and data dimensions are not present in the SDGs. This suggests that SDGs should improve their digital perspective to intertwine better with the sustainable platforms.

Suggested Citation

  • Mayo Fuster Morell & Ricard Espelt & Melissa Renau Cano, 2020. "Sustainable Platform Economy: Connections with the Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-28, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7640-:d:414348
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7640/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/18/7640/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Adoración Mozas-Moral & Enrique Bernal-Jurado & Domingo Fernández-Uclés & Miguel Jesús Medina-Viruel, 2020. "Innovation as the Backbone of Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-12, June.
    2. Ostrom,Elinor, 2015. "Governing the Commons," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9781107569782.
    3. Mayo Fuster Morell & Ricard Espelt, 2019. "A Framework to Assess the Sustainability of Platform Economy: The Case of Barcelona Ecosystem," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(22), pages 1-20, November.
    4. Andrei Boar & Ramon Bastida & Frederic Marimon, 2020. "A Systematic Literature Review. Relationships between the Sharing Economy, Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-14, August.
    5. Schneider, Nathan, 2018. "An Internet of Ownership: Democratic Design for the Online Economy," OSF Preprints 2xyst, Center for Open Science.
    6. Oier Imaz & Andoni Eizagirre, 2020. "Responsible Innovation for Sustainable Development Goals in Business: An Agenda for Cooperative Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-20, August.
    7. Unwin, Tim, 2017. "Reclaiming Information and Communication Technologies for Development," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198795292.
    8. Francesca MARTINELLI & Samuele BOZZONI & Simone CAROLI & Francesca TAMASCELLI & Giuseppe GUERINI, 2019. "Platform Cooperativism in Italy and in Europe," CIRIEC Working Papers 1927, CIRIEC - Université de Liège.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hoose, Fabian & Beckmann, Fabian & Topal, Serkan & Glanz, Sabrina, 2022. "Zwischen institutioneller Verwilderung und Restrukturierung: Soziale Sicherung und industrielle Beziehungen in der Plattformökonomie," IAQ-Report 2022-11, University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Work, Skills and Training (IAQ).
    2. Beytía Reyes, Pablo & Wagner, Claudia, 2022. "Visibility layers: A framework for systematising the gender gap in Wikipedia content," Internet Policy Review: Journal on Internet Regulation, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG), Berlin, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22.
    3. Xiaoxiao Zhou & Ryoga Miyauchi & Yuki Inoue, 2023. "Sustainable Fashion Product Innovation: Continuous Value of Apparel Products on Second-Hand Product Trading Platforms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-17, May.
    4. Stanisław Łobejko & Krzysztof Bartczak, 2021. "The Role of Digital Technology Platforms in the Context of Changes in Consumption and Production Patterns," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-15, July.
    5. Mayo Fuster Morell & Ricard Espelt & Enric Senabre Hidalgo, 2021. "Data for Sustainable Platform Economy: Connections between Platform Models and Sustainable Development Goals," Data, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-11, January.
    6. Carmen Isensee & Frank Teuteberg & Kai‐Michael Griese, 2025. "Digital platforms and the SDGs: A socio‐eco‐technical framework for SMEs based on cross‐case analysis," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 32(1), pages 1-17, January.
    7. Ernest Cañada & Carla Izcara & María José Zapata Campos, 2023. "Putting Fairness into the Gig Economy: Delivery Cooperatives as Alternatives to Corporate Platforms," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-19, March.
    8. Dan Wang & Liang Yan & Fangli Ruan & Xiaohuang Zeng, 2022. "An Abductive Analysis of Debates on the Impact of the Sharing Economy: A Systematic Review in a Sustainable Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-28, March.
    9. Tancredi Pascucci & Giuseppina Maria Cardella & Brizeida Hernàndez-Sànchez & Jose Carlos Sànchez-Garcìa, 2022. "Environmental Sensitivity to Form a Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intention," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-17, August.
    10. Anna Claudelin & Kaisa Tuominen & Susanna Vanhamäki, 2022. "Sustainability Perspectives of the Sharing Economy: Process of Creating a Library of Things in Finland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-14, May.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Mayo Fuster Morell & Ricard Espelt & Enric Senabre Hidalgo, 2021. "Data for Sustainable Platform Economy: Connections between Platform Models and Sustainable Development Goals," Data, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-11, January.
    2. María Garrido-Ruso & Beatriz Aibar-Guzmán & Albertina Paula Monteiro, 2022. "Businesses’ Role in the Fulfillment of the 2030 Agenda: A Bibliometric Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-35, July.
    3. Le Liu & Yinyun Yan & Xin Tian & Zuoliang Jiang, 2024. "Impact of Text and Image Information on Community Group Buying Performance: Empirical Evidence from Convenience Chain Stores," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-14, May.
    4. Roland Bessenay, 2026. "Recognition as an Alternative Form of Work Organization: A Case Study of Three Free/Libre Open‐Source Software Projects," Business Ethics, the Environment & Responsibility, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(2), pages 1180-1193, April.
    5. Fairouz Mustafa & Jan Smolarski & Ahmed A. Elamer, 2025. "The Convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability Reporting: A Systematic Review of Applications, Challenges and Future Directions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(8), pages 9761-9784, December.
    6. Szilvia Molnár & László Szőllősi, 2020. "Sustainability and Quality Aspects of Different Table Egg Production Systems: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-22, September.
    7. Ayman Wael Al‐khatib & Mohammad Alghababsheh, 2025. "Drivers of Frugal Innovation for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33(S1), pages 740-756, November.
    8. Ronika Bhalla & Meenakshi Handa & Amit Sharma, 2026. "Sharing Economy in Developing Countries: A Bibliometric Review and Future Research Agenda," Journal of Developing Societies, , vol. 42(2), pages 221-251, June.
    9. Paola Perez-Aleman & Tommaso Ferretti, 2023. "Creating innovation capabilities for improving global health: Inventing technology for neglected tropical diseases in Brazil," Journal of International Business Policy, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 6(1), pages 84-114, March.
    10. Mohammadbashir Sedighi & Hamideh Parsaeiyan & Yashar Araghi, 2021. "An Empirical Study of Intention to Continue Using of Digital Ride-hailing Platforms," The Review of Socionetwork Strategies, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 489-515, November.
    11. Abby ShalekBriski & B. Wade Brorsen & Jon T. Biermacher, 2021. "Institutional Solutions for the Economic Problem of Feral Hogs," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(3), pages 970-984, September.
    12. Pattarin Sanguankaew & Vichita Vathanophas Ractham, 2019. "Bibliometric Review of Research on Knowledge Management and Sustainability, 1994–2018," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-20, August.
    13. Promberger, Markus, 2017. "Resilience among vulnerable households in Europe : Questions, concept, findings and implications," IAB-Discussion Paper 201712, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany].
    14. Anna Davies & Betsy Donald & Mia Gray, 2023. "The power of platforms—precarity and place," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 16(2), pages 245-256.
    15. Tara Merk, 2024. "Why to DAO: a narrative analysis of the drivers of tokenized Exit to Community," Papers 2407.14327, arXiv.org.
    16. Dan Wang & Liang Yan & Fangli Ruan, 2022. "A Combined IO-DEMATEL Analysis for Evaluating Sustainable Effects of the Sharing Related Industries Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-23, May.
    17. John Holmberg & Johan Larsson, 2018. "A Sustainability Lighthouse—Supporting Transition Leadership and Conversations on Desirable Futures," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-25, October.
    18. Ravishankar Sharma & Aijaz A. Shaikh & Stephen Bekoe & Gautam Ramasubramanian, 2021. "Information, Communications and Media Technologies for Sustainability: Constructing Data-Driven Policy Narratives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-21, March.
    19. Huynh Thi Thuy Giang & Luu Tien Dung, 2025. "Sharing economy and retailer sustainable performance: the mechanisms via business model innovation and digital capabilities," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 14(1), pages 1-33, December.
    20. Jessica Flanigan, 2018. "Sweatshop Regulation and Workers’ Choices," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 153(1), pages 79-94, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:18:p:7640-:d:414348. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager The email address of this maintainer does not seem to be valid anymore. Please ask MDPI Indexing Manager to update the entry or send us the correct address (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.