Achieving a sustainable development involves many challenges. For Germany, this is true for ecological as well as social and economic aspects of development. Unemployment, an ageing society, national budget deficits, and environmental concerns are significant problems that can hardly be solved by traditional concepts alone. This study introduces a socio-economic input-output model focused on
... [Show full abstract] human activity patterns. Time use, monetary value, and CO2 emissions generated by the production and consumption of goods and services relating to these activities are analyzed for three age groups (i.e. youth, adults, senior citizens). Not only paid work, but also non-paid activities such as household chores, care for children and elderly people, and community services are taken into consideration.Based on the time patterns, monetary values, and CO2 emissions in Germany 1998, the paper presents the concept of a part-time society characterized by a reduction of paid work time and an increase in social engagement. Initial model results suggest that production and consumption patterns of the part-time society fulfil the criteria of sustainable development for the social, ecological, and economic dimensions as specified by the Agenda 21.
