An Information Theory-Based Framework for Development of the Human-Centered System Sustainability Index

Abstract

This paper discusses the development of a conceptual framework for assessing the human-centered system sustainability at the economic, environmental and societal levels. An individual component sustainability measure is defined as the degree to which a specific sustainability criterion has been met. The quantification framework for such an assessment is defined in an analogous way to the notion of system compatibility based on information theory. The above approach is at the center of current research efforts, which aim to quantify the progress towards achieving sustainability at the national arena. The proposed human-centered sustainability framework, as well as the corresponding concept of the global sustainability index (GSI), should help in the quest of building sustainable working and living environments of the future.