Integrated Sustainability Assessment Research Articles

Development of a Generic Decision Tree for the Integration of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) and Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) Methods under Uncertainty to Facilitate Sustainability Assessment: A Methodical Review

The integration of Multi-Objective Optimization (MOO) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) has gathered significant attention across various scientific research domains to facilitate integrated sustainability assessment. Recently, there has been a growing interest in hybrid approaches that combine MCDM with MOO, aiming to enhance the efficacy of the final decisions. However, a critical gap exists in terms of providing clear methodological guidance, particularly when dealing with data uncertainties. To address this gap, this systematic review is designed to develop a generic decision tree that serves as a practical roadmap for practitioners seeking to perform MOO and MCDM in an integrated fashion, with a specific focus on accounting for uncertainties. The systematic review identified the recent studies that conducted both MOO and MCDM in an integrated way. It is important to note that this review does not aim to identify the superior MOO or MCDM methods, but rather it delves into the strategies for integrating these two common methodologies. The prevalent MOO methods used in the reviewed articles were evolution-based metaheuristic methods. TOPSIS and PROMETHEE II are the prevalent MCDM ranking methods. The integration of MOO and MCDM methods can occur either a priori, a posteriori, or through a combination of both, each offering distinct advantages and drawbacks. The developed decision tree illustrated all three paths and integrated uncertainty considerations in each path. Finally, a real-world case study for the pulse fractionation process in Canada is used as a basis for demonstrating the various pathways presented in the decision tree and their application in identifying the optimized processing pathways for sustainably obtaining pulse protein. This study will help practitioners in different research domains use MOO and MCDM methods in an integrated way to identify the most sustainable and optimized system.

Integrated sustainability assessment of construction waste-based shading devices for the refurbishment of obsolete educational public building stock

Buildings and the construction sector are responsible for a considerable share of human environmental impacts, and have high economic and social costs. This project aims to contribute to advancing towards circular economy-based construction techniques, to improve the sector's sustainability performance. Specifically, the project developed a tool to assess the sustainability of waste-based shading devices for public school building stock. The tool combines a multi-criteria decision-making method with the Delphi interview technique to reduce possible biases to a minimum. It is a flexible instrument for holistic sustainability assessment of initial designs. The tool was validated by assessing six initial designs created in three cross-disciplinary university courses. The resulting high economic satisfaction indexes – up to 0.93 on a 0 to 1 scale – and low sustainability indexes – from 0.39 to 0.53 – confirm that four alternatives are economically feasible. However, the environmental and social parameters could be improved. In this first application of the tool, the comparison of recycled and reused construction materials versus new building materials allowed informed trade-offs to be made between the associated embodied and operational carbon, to compare the long-term operational energy and carbon savings of the higher-performing solution with new materials versus the upfront lower embodied carbon of sourcing and applying reused and recycled materials for similar alternatives. Findings on the contribution of reusing materials, with reductions in environmental impacts up to 45%, prove that this project is contributing to defining more sustainable facades.

Integrated Sustainability Assessment of Electric Bus Adoption: A Comprehensive Model for Ecological, Economic, and Operational Impact

The spread of electric stations in cities around the world is an important step towards sustainable urban transportation. In Task 1,We developed the FE-VC model to determine carbon emission indicators based on the BWM approach, and demonstrated the ecological consequences over the life cycle through quantitative models. In the quantitative calculation of urban data, compared with diesel buses, the carbon emission reduction rate of pure electric buses is 28.68%, mainly from the fuel cycle, in which the carbon emission reduction rate of the fuel cycle stage is as high as 40.11%, and it takes about 3.5 years to achieve the relative carbon emission reduction. In Task 2, we construct an economic impact consequence model based on the time value of capital with the theory of time value of money as the core, consider the full life cycle of acquisition, operation and vehicle maintenance, quantify and visualize the impact mechanism of electric buses on the economy, and provide a method to understand the economic impact for metropolitan areas. For task 3, based on the optimal enterprise operating cost and the optimized economic impact model, we construct the initial replacement model of the electric bus. The initial replacement model was optimized by simplifying the social cost of carbon emission, and an electric bus replacement model based on the optimal enterprise operating cost was obtained. In city-specific applications, we find that vehicle choice has a significant impact on fleet replacement plans and operating costs, and that using multiple vehicles can significantly reduce operating costs as electrification rates increase.

The GHG Emission Timeline – Integrating sustainability assessment into the early building design stage

To address the challenges of integrating sustainability assessment such as life cycle assessment (LCA) in the early building design stage, we propose a new concept: The Greenhouse gas (GHG) Emission Timeline. The concept is derived from researching robustness assessment methods and personal experiences from teaching. Rather than aggregating environmental aspects into a single number, with the Timeline we want to highlight the temporality of GHG emissions in the context of ongoing transformation processes. Similarly to the previously proposed Material Pyramid for comparing the CO2 footprint of different materials, the Timeline is a pedagogical tool to visualize quantities, dynamics, and uncertainties aiming to provide a common ground for discussing sustainability in the early building design stage. The Timeline is compiled in a few simple steps with readily available resources. Hence, it does not need prior expert knowledge. The concept, as well as the first application examples of the Timeline from an architectural design studio at ETH Zurich are presented and discussed. By using GHG emission calculations for the compilation of a historic timeline, students created new lenses that addressed sustainability from a holistic viewpoint beyond GHG emissions.

Integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of the electricity generation sector in Bangladesh: Towards sustainable electricity generation

The electricity sector of Bangladesh has experienced a drastic expansion over the last decade, which will continue in the future. However, the country is not attaining optimal benefit from the sector due to discrepancies among its different components. Increased generation capacity based on fossil fuel sources is not only causing negative environmental impacts but also raising future energy security concerns. Stakeholders are unable to address these interconnected issues due to lack of adequate knowledge, which is leading to policy inconsistencies. This paper aims to evaluate the integrated sustainability of Bangladesh’s electricity generation, considering environmental, economic and social aspects using a life cycle approach. Eighteen sustainability indicators have been assessed for five electricity generation technologies currently in operation. Applying a multi-criteria decision analysis, all the technologies have been ranked considering equal as well as differing preferences for the three aspects. Solar power followed by hydropower is the most sustainable option when all aspects are given equal importance and priority is given to economic and social aspects. However, hydropower becomes the most sustainable option when the environmental aspect is prioritized. Among fossil sources, gas is the best and oil power is found as the least sustainable option in all preferences except the environmental aspect when coal becomes the worst. By identifying the disputes between different indicators, this study demonstrates the variations in the results of the integrated sustainability assessment that can be considered while planning improved energy policies for sustainable future electricity generation.

Development of bioenergy technologies: A scientometric analysis

Bioenergy has the potential to substitute the current demand for fossil fuels in various applications. Recovering energy from bio-based materials due to environmental considerations has been adopted as a policy objective by governments and international organizations, which led to both vast financial investment and scientific research, especially in the last two decades. So far, various feedstocks and technologies have been scrutinised by the research community, although not all of them are commercially adopted due to sustainability considerations. This study employs scientometric analysis to survey the progress of scientific development in the field of bioenergy from 1966 to 2022, using ten parameters including publication year, type of document, categories, countries, affiliations, document citations, co-authorship, author citation networks, journal citation networks, and keywords. A total of 51,905 scientific documents were collected from the Web of Science, involving more than 96,000 authors from 162 countries. The dispersion of studies followed an ascending distribution with a sharp increase in the second half of the 2000s. The evolution of keywords in terms of burst strength confirmed the advancements of technologies from primary first-generation to advanced fourth-generation bioenergies. Based on the evolution of science in this area, it is concluded that integrated sustainability assessment studies, covering technical, economical, environmental, and social aspects, are needed to bridge the gap between abundant theoretical endeavours and limited commercial use of this energy source.

Integrated Sustainability Assessment Framework of Industry 4.0 from an Energy Systems Thinking Perspective: Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review

Sustainable energy systems based on efficiency, low-carbon, and smart technologies are essential for the future energy transition. A new integrated sustainability assessment framework (ISAF) is required to evaluate cross-cutting subjects and future research. Sustainability analysis based on conventional dimensions and complementary categories is needed for a digital energy transition. Industry 4.0 created a new platform and technological portfolio to improve the efficiency and automation of cleaner energy systems (lower environmental and social impacts and high performance). To address these aspects, a new methodology based on bibliometric analysis, systematic literature review, and energy systems thinking was developed. From Scopus and Web of Science databases, 1521 and 959 documents were respectively compiled and merged to select 181 articles related to these research subjects between 2017 and 2021. Out of this total, 62 articles from industrial manufacturing were identified as the most representative energy consumption sub-sector. These articles were analysed from the ISAF using conventional dimensions (environmental, economic, and social) and complementary categories of sustainability (technological innovation, governance and life cycle). The main findings reveal that worldwide studies addressing the nexus between Industry 4.0, Energy and Sustainability have increased significantly in recent years, primaly in high-income countries. These studies have centred on the industrial manufacturing subsector, assessing sustainability unevenly by focusing mainly on technological and environmental issues. Research gaps indicate that a comprehensive assessment of social, governance, and life cycle aspects is still required.

Conceptual Framework for Assessing Sustainability of Swamp Buffalo Production Systems

Swamp Buffalo farming plays an important role in farmers' livelihood and in satisfying red meat demand in South Kalimantan, Indonesia. The extensive (wetland) swamp buffalo production system (SPS) and the extensive and semi-intensive dryland system (DPS) are two production systems. The production systems have high complexity and require the integrated sustainability assessment approach to measure the contribution level of sustainability indicators. This study aimed to demonstrate the conceptual framework for analyzing the sustainability of buffalo production systems in South Kalimantan. The buffalo production systems in South Kalimantan were analyzed using the comprehensive assessment framework from September-December 2021. A literature review and discussion with experts, followed by a focus group discussion to perform a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis was conducted. The complex problem identifies and defines the relevant Economic, Ecological, and Societal (EES) issues, and inclusive identification and analysis of relevant stakeholders were described. Issues identified during the process were translated into relevant indicators in the EES sustainability dimensions then indicators possible for EES issues were proposed. Situation analysis in this study described and identified swamp buffalo in South Kalimantan, which is currently experiencing a population decline. The gross margin and growth and reproduction performances of the buffaloes were selected for economic benefit in both systems. Total land use and soil fertility were the possible indicators in the dimension of environment relevant for DPS, while swamp sedimentation and water pollution were considered important environmental indicators in SPS. Feed availability was measured in both systems. Social dimension indicators in both systems were focused on keeping management, the function of buffalo for livelihood, time allocation to keep buffalo, characteristics of livelihood, and possible land use conflicts.

Integrated sustainability assessment using BIM

The construction industry is responsible for 40 % of the energy consumption and 36 % of the CO2 emissions, and buildings are responsible for a significant part of energy consumption in Europe.Thus, a growing concern regarding environmental impacts in the construction sector is in place. Reducing these impacts and optimise the design process is a major priority, and technology needs to be integrated along with the design to allow for better buildings performance. Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology is one of the technologies that is revolutionising how the supply chain delivers the construction projects, allowing for an overview of the whole life cycle, keeping track of the data along the process, and potentiating more advanced simulations and supported decisions.The tool proposed in this paper aims to integrate different types of sustainability analysis, namely Streamlined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Footprint, Life Cycle Cost (LCC) and Level(s) framework with BIM. This involves defining adequate Product Data Templates (PDT) and a database structure for BIM objects, including the necessary parameters to enable designers to do holistic and dynamic assessments from early design stages to a complete LCA. Also, considering the importance of using BIM to visualise different scenarios, a graphical interface will be developed to show the key sustainability indicators and support decision-making for more sustainable buildings. The results achieved show that technology must be taken to meet Climate most ambition targets and reduce the impact of construction.

Sustainable Manufacturability of Archimedes Screw Turbines: A Critical Review

Archimedes screw turbines are considered a new technology in small- or microscale hydropower. Archimedes screw turbines are easy and practical to operate. However, their manufacturing presents some challenges owing to their screw-shaped design. Most of the previous works on Archimedes screw turbines focused on the turbines’ design, while limited studies were found on their manufacturing processes. In addition, no review work was found on the manufacturability of the Archimedes screw turbine. Hence, this work aims to address this gap by reviewing the various manufacturing methods of Archimedes screw turbines. Moreover, one of the objectives of the study is to assess the sustainable manufacturability of the Archimedes screw turbine. The results show that Archimedes screw turbines are mainly manufactured using conventional manufacturing methods for larger turbines and 3D printers for relatively smaller ones. Traditional methods of manufacturing entailed high skill proficiency, while 3D-printing methods for Archimedes screw turbines are still in their early developmental stages. Sustainable assessment studies have identified additive manufacturing as having a relatively lower environmental impact than conventional manufacturing on turbine blades. These trade-offs must be accounted for in the design and development of Archimedes screw turbines. Moreover, integrating sustainability assessment and the employment of Industry 4.0 enables the smart production and sustainable assessment of AST manufacturability.

GIS-Based Cluster and Suitability Analysis of Crop Residues: A Case Study in Yangon Region, Myanmar

In the study of biomass assessment, geospatial modeling-based analysis becomes crucial for the sustainable management of agriculture. Currently, there is no integrated sustainability assessment of the geographic information system (GIS) cluster or suitability analysis for the feedstock of crop residues. In order to fill this research gap and support the strategy of bioenergy formulation with the circular economy concept in agriculture residues in Myanmar, this study aims to assess the energy generation potential and site locations of treatment facilities for crop residue, utilizing the integrated assessment of GIS cluster and suitability modeling. The cluster analysis identifies the rice straw as the highest feedstock of crop residues and township-based high/low clusters. In addition, the electricity generation potential is estimated at 279.14 MW for different clusters of rice straw. Moreover, the suitability analysis in the study uses the conceptual model of variables for constraints and factors with the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique to evaluate the weights. The suitability analysis found high suitability areas of 14,603 hectares for treatment facilities within the high/low cluster of feedstock for rice straw. The multicriteria and GIS integrated assessment model adopted in this research can support the decision-makers in developing spatial-based strategic planning for bioenergy promotion which will support sustainable farming practices in Myanmar. Additionally, the proposed model is adaptable in study areas with similar feedstock.

Design principles for sustainability assessments in the business model innovation process

Assessing business models’ sustainability impacts has become necessary to help firms transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy. Most firms face multiple challenges in developing sustainable business models. Many of these challenges can be solved by assessing the sustainability impacts of various business model designs. Various sustainability assessment tools and processes have been developed, each fitting different organizational needs in the sustainable business model innovation process. This paper seeks to develop a deeper understanding of this organizational process by analyzing the extant sustainability assessment frameworks and tools for business models and synthesizing the findings into a set of design principles (as meta-artifacts). We draw on a systematic literature review using a qualitative meta-synthesis approach. The proposed design principles can serve as guidelines in helping a company integrate sustainability assessment into its business model innovation process. The paper concludes by presenting a research agenda for future work in this area.

Developing context-specific frameworks for integrated sustainability assessment of agricultural intensity change: An application for Europe

Agriculture plays a central role in achieving most Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture has been proposed as a promising concept for safeguarding global food security, while simultaneously protecting the environment and promoting good quality of life. However, SI often leads to context-specific sustainability trade-offs. Operationalising SI thus needs to be supported by transparent sustainability assessments. In this article, we propose a general systematic approach to developing context-specific frameworks for integrated sustainability assessment of agricultural intensity change. Firstly, we specify a comprehensive system representation for analysing how changes in agricultural intensity lead to a multitude of sustainability outcomes affecting different societal groups across geographical scales. We then introduce a procedure for identifying the attributes that are relevant for assessment within particular contexts, and respective indicator metrics. Finally, we illustrate the proposed approach by developing an assessment framework for evaluating a wide range of intensification pathways in Europe. The application of the approach revealed processes and effects that are relevant for the European context but are rarely considered in SI assessments. These include farmers’ health, workers’ living conditions, cultural heritage and sense of place of rural communities, animal welfare, impacts on sectors not directly related to agriculture (e.g., tourism), shrinking and ageing of rural population and consumers’ health. The proposed approach addresses important gaps in SI assessments, and thus represents an important step forward in defining transparent procedures for sustainability assessments that can stimulate an informed debate about the operationalisation of SI and its contribution towards achieving SDGs.

Integrated Sustainability Assessment: Exergy, Emergy, Life Cycle Assessment

Methodological tools such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Exergy Analysis (ExA), and Emergy Analysis (EmA) that account for sustainability indicators in environmental, economic, and/or social dimensions, cannot provide an assessment under these three dimensions in a robust way by themselves. This research is proposing a sustainability assessment framework to obtain a unified performance metric (Integrated Sustainability Index, ISI) to assess the Triple Bottom Line – TBL. LCA, ExA, and EmA indicators are implemented in a complementary but not interchangeable manner, providing additional information for sustainability decision-making. The systematic approach is on a conceptual definition and calculation of sustainable environmental, social, and economic disaggregated indicators. These are then systematically combined into an Integrated Sustainability Index (ISI). EmA evaluates sustainability from a “donor-side” perspective, by assigning values to the environmental efforts and investment of nature to make and support flows, materials, and services; the system boundary is the geosphere. ExA evaluates sustainability through exergy efficiency under a “user-side” evaluation process (system boundary is the technosphere). LCA evaluates it based on the quantification of environmental impact by water, soil, and air emissions, caused by the use and processing of resources to provide products or services as a “user-side” method. The proposed sustainability index presents a comprehensible hierarchic structure supported by LCA, ExA, and EmA methodologies. The integration of social, environmental, and economic components into an index that also allows for the adjustment of externalities reducing the risk of subjectivity is a new approach to assessing sustainability.

How to compare sustainability impacts of alternative fuel Vehicles?

• Well-to-wheel life cycle sustainability assessment of electric vehicles is analysed. • An integrated sustainability assessment framework is developed. • Spherical fuzzy sets and analytic hierarchy process are used to rank the alternatives. • Battery electric vehicles performed best when charging through solar energy. • Battery electric vehicles performed the worst when charging through electricity grid (100% natural gas). Environmental, economic, and social comparisons of alternative fuel vehicles come with various conflicting objectives. For example, adopting electric vehicles might reduce greenhouse gas emissions but It can also cause more water consumption. To overcome such challenges when comparing alternatives, we developed an integrated sustainability assessment framework combining hybrid multi-regional input–output based life cycle sustainability assessment and multi-criteria decision-making methods including Spherical fuzzy sets. Fourteen different sustainability indicators, encompassing the economic, environmental, and social pillars of sustainability, are quantified for well-to-wheel (operation phase) impacts of internal combustion, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full battery electric vehicles. Qatar is investigated as a case study, where electricity generation is mainly from natural gas, but with high solar energy potential. The model favors battery electric vehicles charged through solar energy. The proposed framework is scalable and can be helpful towards developing effective national policies and strategies for sustainable transportation around the world.

Connectivity is key: holistic sustainability assessment and reporting from the perspective of food manufacturers

PurposeAs members of the food supply chain, food manufacturers acquire power and hold responsibility for the sustainable transformation of our food systems. Sustainability assessment and reporting frameworks function as instruments to shape sustainable transformation processes. The purpose of the paper is to investigate the suitability for food manufacturing companies and their connectivity with the up- and downstream food supply chain.Design/methodology/approachThe first section of the study explores the need for holistic, company-based sustainability frameworks in the food manufacturing sector from the literature. The second part compares seven frameworks, in terms of content and supply chain connectivity.FindingsFood sector specificity demands the inclusion of topics specific to food systems. Furthermore, none of the investigated frameworks fulfil both food sector specificity and full connectivity with the up- and downstream supply chain.Research limitations/implicationsAs a limitation to this work, comparison of the frameworks at topic level instead of indicator level is considered. The findings call for more harmonised and integrated sustainability assessment throughout the food supply chain.Practical implicationsThe framework a food manufacturer should apply depends on their motivation behind conducting the sustainability assessment and reporting. Evidence is provided from various perspectives and with regard to key issues such as content, certification and communication.Originality/valueNo comparison between sustainability frameworks has been made yet from the supply chain perspective of food manufacturers.

Selection of alternative fuel taxis: a hybridized approach of life cycle sustainability assessment and multi-criteria decision making with neutrosophic sets

This study presents a combined application of hybrid life cycle sustainability assessment and multi-criteria decision-making, aiming to further advance an integrated sustainability assessment and decision-making for the selection of alternative-fuel taxis. First, a multiregional hybrid life cycle sustainability assessment model is built to evaluate macro-level sustainability impacts of various vehicle types: conventional gasoline vehicles, compressed natural gas vehicles, hybrid, and battery electric vehicles. Second, considering the subjective nature of the evaluation process, the interval-valued neutrosophic sets-based analytic hierarchy process is suggested to assess the results obtained from the life cycle model to determine the weight of each evaluation criterion. Then, the technique for order preference by similarity to the ideal solution is used to rank the sustainability performance. Two different charging scenarios are also tested. The results show that solar-powered BEVs are the best in the environmental impacts with the exceptions of water consumption and land use. Solar-powered BEVs are superior in human health impact, while, ICVs are the best in compensation and employment generations. The ranking results reveal that solar-powered BEVs are the best alternatives when all indicators are considered, followed by CNG vehicles. The proposed method provides a practical and life cycle-based decision-making approach to support and prioritize effective policies for more sustainable transportation.

Evaluating Three-Pillar Sustainability Modelling Approaches for Dairy Cattle Production Systems

Milk production in Europe is facing major challenges to ensure its economic, environmental, and social sustainability. It is essential that holistic concepts are developed to ensure the future sustainability of the sector and to assist farmers and stakeholders in making knowledge-based decisions. In this study, integrated sustainability assessment by means of whole-farm modelling is presented as a valuable approach for identifying factors and mechanisms that could be used to improve the three pillars (3Ps) of sustainability in the context of an increasing awareness of economic profitability, social well-being, and environmental impacts of dairy production systems (DPS). This work aims (i) to create an evaluation framework that enables quantitative analysis of the level of integration of 3P sustainability indicators in whole-farm models and (ii) to test this method. Therefore, an evaluation framework consisting of 35 indicators distributed across the 3Ps of sustainability was used to evaluate three whole-farm models. Overall, the models integrated at least 40% of the proposed indicators. Different results were obtained for each sustainability pillar by each evaluated model. Higher scores were obtained for the environmental pillar, followed by the economic and the social pillars. In conclusion, this evaluation framework was found to be an effective tool that allows potential users to choose among whole-farm models depending on their needs. Pathways for further model development that may be used to integrate the 3P sustainability assessment of DPS in a more complete and detailed way were identified.

Incorporating user preferences in rooftop food-energy-water production through integrated sustainability assessment * *Discover how to benefit from urban rooftops implementing food, energy and water systems for self-sufficient cities.

With the overall aim to design successful implementation strategies of food-energy-water production systems on urban roofs, we propose an integrated process that includes participatory processes and a multi-dimensional sustainability assessment of environmental, social and economic indicators. The proposed framework was applied to a typical housing estate in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona made up of 201 buildings and 13,466 inhabitants and characterized by a high share of low-income families. We assess several future scenarios of joint electricity production (photovoltaic panels), vegetable production (through open-air farming and greenhouses), green roof implementation and rainwater harvesting and rank them according to non-participatory and participatory approaches. In general, there was a tendency for residents to choose strategies providing energy and water rather than the food production potential of rooftops. However, the environmental assessment indicated that the least impacting alternatives from a life cycle approach were those promoting vegetable production, meeting 42 to 56% of the residents’ fresh produce demand and reducing environmental impacts by 24 to 37 kg CO2eq m−2 of rooftop/year. Hence, we found that residents were mainly concerned with energy expenses and not so much with food insecurity, social cohesion or the impacts of long-distance supply chains. Our assessment supports urban sustainability and helps identify and breach the gap between scientific and user preferences in urban environmental proposals by informing and educating residents through a participatory integrated assessment.

Framework for the Integrated Sustainability Assessment of Irrigation with Marginal Water

The use of marginal water, such as reclaimed wastewater or effluent, for irrigation can reduce the pressure on existing freshwater resources. However, this can cause contaminants to accumulate in compartments such as the soil, crop, air, surface- and groundwater, which may harm the public health and the environment. Environmental quality standards for these compartments are generally considered separately. However, the compartments are related to each other by the fluxes between them, and the concept of sustainability should hold for all compartments simultaneously. An integrated approach is therefore required for the sustainability assessment of irrigation with marginal water. Since such an approach has not been provided yet, we develop an integrated framework in this study. We provide sustainability indicators by comparing the long-term contaminant concentration and fluxes with quality standards for each environmental compartment. These indicators give comprehensible information on which contaminants will cause problems, which environmental compartments are threatened, and on what timescale this will occur. This allows for the prioritization of mitigation and preventive measures for better sustainability management. We illustrate the use of the framework by means of a case study.