Sustainability Assessment Methodology Research Articles

Exploratory Methodology for Sustainability Assessment in Tourist Destination Planning

Exploratory Methodology for Sustainability Assessment in Tourist Destination Planning

A Stakeholder-Related Procedure Model for Social Sustainability Assessment

The importance of assessing the sustainability of companies and their activities is increasing. Especially since the implementation of the new Corporate Social Reporting Directive, even more companies are committed to reporting on the impacts of their businesses on sustainability. This is a challenge especially concerning the social dimension of sustainability. Some frameworks present various relevant social criteria that can be used as a basis for assessment. However, these do not provide detailed suggestions for handling the numerous methodological challenges of such a multi-criteria assessment: identification and selection of the relevant stakeholders, categories and indicators to measure the impacts on social sustainability, weighting and aggregation of these criteria, etc. Therefore, this paper contributes to the methodology of social sustainability assessment by presenting a procedure model for this specific assessment task. The novelty of the model results from its foundation by a review of methods for selection, normalisation, weighting and aggregation of social criteria, existing decision theory-based procedure models, as well as a stakeholder-oriented catalogue of criteria. The procedure model is structured hierarchically by subdividing the overall social sustainability-assessment task into different levels: stakeholders, categories, and indicators. Furthermore, appropriate methods are suggested for the single steps of the procedure model.

Regeneration costs of topsoil fertility: An exergy indicator of agricultural impacts

In recent years, heightened environmental concerns linked to agriculture have surged, with soil degradation standing out as a global issue. However, prevailing sustainability assessment methodologies in agriculture often overlook soil systems due to their intricate nature. This study aims to develop a methodology for evaluating soil degradation in agricultural practices using exergy regeneration costs. These costs determine the exergy required to restore soil fertility to pre-harvest levels. The methodology covers key soil factors like nutrients, organic matter, and prevalent issues like salinity, acidification, and erosion. For each of these factors, exergy regeneration costs are determined based on the energy needed to execute an optimal process for reverting the soil to its original or ideal state. The methodology has been applied to data from agricultural trials, showing that the calculated soil replacement cost is significantly higher compared to one of the most energy-demanding processes in agriculture, the use of urea. This demonstrates that agricultural soil degradation needs to be quantified for a correct evaluation of agricultural practices and their sustainability.

Identifying the criteria for community-centred Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of estate regeneration schemes

Identifying the overall environmental, and socioeconomic impacts of different estate regeneration scenarios can contribute to the overall sustainability of such schemes. Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) is an appropriate tool for assessing holistic sustainability. To achieve resilient societies, the interests of communities should be considered in decision making. This paper proposes a method for incorporating community needs in identifying sustainability metrics for the sustainability assessment of estate regeneration schemes. A literature review in the field of sustainability assessment of buildings is conducted followed by a mixed methods empirical research. Collection of data has been through surveys, an interview, and an evaluation questionnaire. Data has been analysed through statistical and thematic analysis and triangulation of the results. The findings have consistently yielded the limitations of the scope of the current sustainability assessment methodologies, especially for lack of attention to societal impacts of regeneration. The results have justified the need for this research to employ participatory approaches for identifying a relevant set of sustainability indicators and criteria for assessing the lifetime impacts of estate regeneration schemes. Issues related to community involvement in decision making, maintenance and management, community facilities, refurbishment, and disruption have been identified as the stakeholders’ top priorities. Mental Health and Socioeconomic Values have been introduced as new criteria. The findings confirm the need for an in-depth approach towards identifying the regeneration priorities of the communities for the scope of LCSA studies. The identified list of criteria can apply to other studies of this context for an equitable approach for selecting the indicators across different criteria and for communicating the LCSA results with different stakeholders.

Methodology for Sustainability Assessment for the Use of Ground Olive Stones in Mortar Bricks for Facades

Methodology for Sustainability Assessment for the Use of Ground Olive Stones in Mortar Bricks for Facades

Building and sustainability information modeling: An analysis of its thematic structure

Objective. This study examines bibliographic production that addresses the intersection between building information modeling (BIM) and sustainability, considering business, academic, and scientific perspectives. The main objective is to analyze the relationship between BIM and sustainability to contextualize their development in these fields. Design/Methodology/Approach. A search was conducted in the Scopus database using the keywords "building information modeling" and "sustainability". The VOSviewer bibliometric tool was selected for thematic analysis, combining co-word analysis and the h-index. This methodology enabled the effective visualization of diagrams and thematic areas in all available publications. Results/Discussion. Four thematic groups were identified: new technologies and their applications, sustainable construction, sustainability and energy efficiency, and life cycle and environment management. A trend towards greater integration and synergy between BIM and sustainability was evident. The five main research lines around these topics were presented and discussed, which were: development of sustainability assessment methodologies based on BIM, optimization of the life cycle of buildings through BIM, innovation in sustainable materials and technologies, modeling of the resilience and adaptability of buildings, and standards and regulations for sustainability in BIM. Conclusions. The future is oriented towards BIM and sustainability due to their capacity to optimize construction efficiency, reduce waste, and promote sustainable practices.

Blueprints to Benefits: Towards an Index to Measure the Impact of Sustainable Product Development on the Firm’s Bottom Line

This study pioneers the development of the Sustainable Product Impact (SPI) Index, a novel framework designed to bridge the gap in existing sustainability assessment methodologies by focusing specifically on the influence of sustainable product development on a firm’s financial outcomes. For the first time, this research draws on the core principles of economics, marketing, and environmental sciences research fields to provide a comprehensive tool that enables businesses to quantify the multifaceted impacts of their sustainability initiatives within a corporate context. The SPI Index is an innovative metric that evaluates various factors, including financial and market performance, operational efficiency, brand perception, regulatory benefits, and long-term strategic advantages. This holistic approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of how sustainable practices influence a company’s bottom line and overall market position. Key findings of this research reveal that integrating sustainable product development into business strategies enhances environmental stewardship and impacts financial performance. The SPI Index has demonstrated its capacity to provide detailed insights into the specific areas of sustainability that most strongly affect profitability, thereby guiding businesses in their strategic planning and decision-making processes. In terms of originality and value, this study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by offering a unique and practical tool for businesses. The SPI Index stands out in its ability to translate sustainability efforts into quantifiable financial metrics, promoting a more integrated and balanced approach to corporate sustainability and profitability. Hence, this research plays a crucial role in guiding companies toward responsible corporate citizenship while focusing on economic viability in the modern business landscape.

Study of environmental impact from geosynthetic reinforced soil walls

Reinforced soil walls (RSWs) have proven to be a reliable and resilient solution in many geotechnical applications (e.g., bridge abutments, highway and railway embankments, soil retaining walls, dikes, among others). Moreover, the reduced impact of these types of structures over traditional solutions has been compared using life cycle analysis (LCA) and sustainability assessment methodologies. Nowadays, RSWs are often constructed with geosynthetic materials as reinforcement elements due to their ease of use, cost, and technical viability. The use of geosynthetic materials can assist to meet the global challenges of the United Nations global sustainability goals and to adapt to the effects of climate change. The LCA methodology allows designers to determine the environmental impact of different candidate solutions or structures for a given design life. By providing comparable score-based results, a LCA permits objective decision making. The present work describes the environmental impact assessment of idealized polymer strap geosynthetic RSWs using the LCA methodology. Case studies are focused on the use of different backfill material (granular soil from a quarry or riverbed, recycled construction aggregate, and low quality locally available soil). Analysis boundaries include cradle-to-gate considerations and a 100-year design life. Results indicate the reduced environmental impact of using on-site backfill.

Rotação como estratégia para aumentar a sustentabilidade da cultura da batata

ABSTRACT Potato cultivation is characterized by a high use of inputs, which results in soil degradation and contamination. Crop rotation is a good practice to counteract these problems. This study aimed to assess the sustainability of three rotation sequences (potato-pea-potato, potato-oat-pea and potato-potato-oat) using the sustainability assessment methodology oriented to agricultural experiments associated with soil management. It was observed that, both environmentally and economically, potato-potato-oat is the most sustainable treatment, while potato-oat-pea is the most socially sustainable. Balancing the three dimensions, potato-potato-oat is the most sustainable treatment, with sustainability index of 0.85, while potato-pea-potato is the least sustainable one, with 0.64. The potato-potato-oat rotation sequence generates a less negative environmental impact, as well as a higher social equity and economic return for the farmer.

Water resource sustainable use assessment methodology and an impact factor analysis framework for SDG 6-oriented river basins: evidence from the Yellow River basin (Shaanxi section) in China.

The rapid growth of developing countries has placed unprecedented pressure on water resources, severely hindering the realization of sustainable development goal 6 (SDG 6) in river basins. In this study, sustainable water resource utilization (SWRU) in the Yellow River basin (Shaanxi section) from 2005 to 2019 is evaluated through an analysis of water resource overload combined with the water footprint (WF) and the water planetary boundary (WPB) and an analysis of water resource utilization quality combined with the WF and city development index (CDI) based on the coupled coordination model. Then, the results are incorporated into the drive-pressure-state-impact-response framework to analyze the impacts of the socioeconomic system on SWRU and the feedback effect of related policies. The results show that there were obvious differences in the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the WF in different geographical units. The WF of Guanzhong first increased and then decreased, and the WF of Northern Shaanxi grew continuously. The water deficit state is increasing. Although the coordination level between the WF and CDI in the basin increased by 500.31%, it was characterized by nonequilibrium and volatility. Compared to water resource endowment, socioeconomic development and government policies have greater impacts on SWRU; furthermore, the influencing factors demonstrate spatial variability, revealing the complexity of achieving SDG 6 in the basin. As policy implications, adaptive water resource policies should be formulated on the basis of strengthening the overall basin management. This study provides a scientific basis for promoting the realization of SDG 6 through watershed water management.

Decarbonization of maritime transport: Sustainability assessment of alternative power systems

The growing concern for the emission of greenhouse gases and several recent international regulations promote the introduction of innovative solutions aiming at the reduction of pollutant production in all human activities, including maritime transportation. Phasing out conventional marine gas oil engines is a key strategy to limit the pressure on the environment exerted by maritime transport. Considering the strategic relevance of this sector, the sustainability of innovative clean technologies proposed for ship power systems is crucial. In the present study, a multi-criteria sustainability assessment methodology, based on specific indicators addressing the technological, economic, environmental, and safety performance of ship power systems is developed. Normalization and aggregation perspectives are proposed to provide key performance indicators describing and ranking the overall sustainability performance of the alternative power systems considered. A sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the most impacting parameters in each domain. The methodology is tested considering a case study representative of large-scale maritime transportation. The robustness of the sustainability performance-based ranking is assessed by a Monte Carlo analysis. The results suggest that the ranking of alternative power systems obtained considering only techno-economic factors may be strongly affected by highly fluctuating parameters, such as fuel cost. Conversely, the inclusion of environmental and safety aspects increases the robustness of the results. A trade-off between the environmental and societal domains is also observed, indicating that the performance of cleaner solutions may be strongly improved if safety issues are properly addressed.

Developing a Strategic Sustainability Assessment Methodology for Free Zones Using the Analytical Hierarchy Process Approach

The application of sustainability within free zones can be considered a means to enhancing their competitiveness. Free zones with a high level of sustainability are more likely to attract investment and other kinds of support, while meeting global obligations with regard to sustainable development. Accordingly, adopting sustainability assessment tools is crucial for measuring the sustainability effectiveness of free zones. In this context, this study addresses the sustainability assessment of free zones using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) decision tool. The first contribution of this article is proposing a novel model for the strategic sustainability assessment in free zones, which considers all dimensions of sustainability. The second contribution is deriving the weights and priorities of the related model using the AHP method. The results demonstrate that the economic dimension is considered the most regarded sustainability pillar, with a percentage of 41.81%, followed by the environmental pillar at 24.97%; then, the social pillar at 22.26%, and finally, the organizational pillar at 10.96%. Although this study addressed sustainability assessment indicators, it did not delve into the individual components deeply, which may open opportunities to direct future research toward developing other sustainability assessment models in the context of free zones.

Measuring the agricultural sustainability of India: An application of Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model

Analyzing agricultural sustainability is essential for designing and assessing rural development initiatives. However, accurately measuring agricultural sustainability is complicated since it involves so many different factors. This study provides a new suite of quantitative indicators for assessing agricultural sustainability at regional and district levels, involving environmental sustainability, social security, and economic security. Combining the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model and indicator approach, this study creates a composite agricultural sustainability index for the 14 mainstream agro-climatic regions of India. The results of this study show that the Trans-Gengatic Plain Region (TGPR) ranks first in agricultural sustainability among India’s 14 mainstream agro-climatic regions, while the Eastern Himalayan Region (EHR) ranks last. Higher livestock ownership, cropping intensity, per capita income, irrigation intensity, share of institutional credit, food grain productivity, crop diversification, awareness of minimum support price, knowledge sharing with fellow farmers, and young and working population, as well as better transportation facilities and membership of agricultural credit societies are influencing indicators responsible for higher agricultural sustainability in TGPR compared with EHR. Although, the scores of environmental sustainability indicators of EHR are quite good, its scores of social and economic security indicators are fairly low, putting it at the bottom of the rank of agricultural sustainability index among the 14 mainstream agro-climatic regions in India. This demonstrates the need of understanding agricultural sustainability in relation to social and economic dimensions. In a nation as diverse and complicated as India, it is the social structure that determines the health of the economy and environment. Last but not least, the sustainability assessment methodology may be used in a variety of India’s agro-climatic regions.

Application of integrated LCA-GIS model in the agricultural sector: A brief overview

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Geographic Information System (GIS) are two different and complementary tools. LCA is used to evaluate only environmental consequences and cannot be employed to assess spatial environmental impacts, while GIS is a decision-making spatial tool capable of restoring, retrieving, analyzing, modelling, and mapping large areas with a huge volume of spatial data. The Integrated LCA-GIS model is a framework that aims at addressing the unsuitable match in spatial firmness/resolution of LCA. This paper conducted a brief overview of the application of the LCA-GIS model in the agricultural sector to investigate and clarify the current situation of the technique, especially in the areas of environmental assessment, sustainability assessment, energy-environment assessment, and qualitative assessment in terms of system boundaries, functional unit and impact categories in the agricultural sector. Cradle-to-gate system boundary was used in all the studies reviewed and this shows that there was a lack of depth analysis in evaluating the environmental impacts of the whole agricultural process. It is also observed in this paper that, few impact categories were assessed and no single damage category was evaluated, it further revealed that the LCA-GIS methodology for sustainability assessment does not evaluate socio-economic factors thus leading to the establishment of Regional Sustainability Assessment Methodology (RSAM). This paper recommends the use of a cradle-to-grave system boundary thus will help in an in-depth analysis of evaluating the environmental impacts of any agricultural product; evaluation of all the impact and damage categories and development of a single software that integrates LCA with GIS that applies to any research field.

Key Corporate Sustainability Assessment Methods for Coal Companies

Many businesses view sustainability issues as important and design corporate sustainability strategies. However, creating such a strategy does not mean the company will progress in sustainable development because the factors influencing businesses remain largely unexplored. Based on a review of studies on corporate sustainability, we identified the major factors affecting any company’s sustainability. They include government regulation, imperfect management, interaction with stakeholders, corporate self-regulation and self-reflection, and the regulatory framework, and can be consolidated into two groups. We also analyzed the groups of methods that can be used to assess a company’s sustainability: traditional corporate sustainability assessment methods, circular economy assessment methods, ESG assessment methods, and non-financial performance indicators. For each group of methods, limitations were identified, and it was concluded that corporate sustainability assessments should factor in the environment in which the company operates. As part of this study, a lack of methods for assessing the corporate sustainability of coal companies was revealed, along with insufficient consideration of industrial factors in the prior literature. These factors are responsible for incorrect corporate sustainability assessments in the coal industry. Taking into account the division of Russian coal companies into three types (energy companies, metal manufacturers, and coal producers) and the aspects of their functioning against the backdrop of economic restrictions (including sanctions and embargoes), the authors prove that each group of companies requires an individual corporate sustainability assessment methodology.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Commercially Developed Appraisal Instruments (CDAIs) Using Composite Indices to Assess, Compare, and Rank the Liveability, Quality of Living and Sustainability Performance of Cities and Communities

This manuscript presents an analysis of commercially developed appraisal instruments (CDAIs) using composite indices to assess, compare and rank the sustainability performance of cities and communities. A group of CDAIs using composite indices are commonly used to assess, compare, and rank the sustainability performance of cities and communities. As a sustainability assessment methodology, composite indices gather qualitative and quantitative information which is then used to calculate the overall performance of the principle (e.g., sustainability); the stand-alone number, commonly known as an index, is often used to compare and rank performance. Because of practicality and mistakenly perceived simplicity, the assessment methodology is often misunderstood and underestimated. Issues, skepticism, and criticism surrounding composite indices are rooted in the lack of structured and transparent methodological frameworks for the identification and selection of elements within each hierarchical level. Although scientifically-based methodologies and processes have been developed to assign relevance (i.e., weighting) and aggregate performance to calculate the stand-alone index, the effectiveness of the assessment methodology (i.e., composite indices) is still influenced by various degrees and types of subjectivity and uncertainty. To evaluate their effectiveness, the manuscript discusses three characteristics of CDAIs using composite indices: (1) the hierarchical structural organization (HSO) considers the aim of each hierarchical level in the assessment process, (2) the identification, selection and design of the elements (e.g., principle, sub-principles, criteria, indicators) included in each hierarchical level as a determinant factor in capturing the various facets of the sustainable development notion, and (3) the quantification methodology (i.e., weighting and aggregation system [W&AS]) implemented by the developer or proponent of the assessment tool. The analysis of CDAIs using composite indices effectiveness is partially assisted by three frameworks designed by consensus (FDC): (1) ISO 37130:2018 Sustainable development of communities—Indicators for city services and quality of life which is complemented with ISO 37122:2019 Sustainable cities and communities—Indicators for smart cities and ISO 37123:2019 Sustainable cities and communities—Indicators for resilient cities, (2) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) with emphasis on Goal 11, and (3) customized frameworks for sustainable cities (CFSS) with a focus on sustainability plans designed and implemented by the cities of Vancouver and Montreal which are used as case studies. While the findings support the applicability and usefulness of CDAIs using composite indices as assessment methodology, the appropriateness of comparing and ranking the sustainability performance of cities and communities is an unsettled debate with several areas for improvement and future research.

A comparison and methodological proposal for hybrid approaches to quantify environmental impacts: A case study for renewable energies

The transition towards a more sustainable and decarbonised energy system is mandatory for achieving global climate objectives, and counting on proper tools to evaluate sustainability is essential. Among sustainability assessment methodologies, hybrid approaches integrating Input-Output analysis (IOA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are often proposed to overcome limitations and take advantage of strengths of both methodologies. In this paper we propose a new hybrid tiered approach, named Identification and Subtraction Method (ISM). Through a case study of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology, we test the proposed method assessing seven environmental indicators and compare the results obtained by different methodological approaches: Environmental Extended Multiregional Input-Output (EMRIO), LCA and two hybrid approaches.Results showed that, in general, LCA and EMRIO provide the lowest and uppest impact values, respectively. The ISM method expands the LCA boundaries by including indirect impacts, avoiding double-counting and retaining the technological detail and representativeness of the LCA. The main advantage is the ability to establish with high accuracy the impact coming from the LCA system boundaries. Furthermore, ISM is easy to undertake for LCA practitioners, is a low time-consuming hybrid approach once the LCA and EMRIO models are run, and it does not require the alteration of the IO matrix as other hybrid methods. However, the need to perform the EMRIO and LCA analysis could imply high detailed data needs. An additional limitation of the model is that it is not be able to include partial contributions from EMRIO sectors. The highest differences between results obtained by the different methods are found in the assessment of local impacts and the resources depletion, while the methods tend to agree more on global and regional impacts quantification. However, there are limitations to the implementation of the impact characterization methods that should be borne in mind when comparing the results of the different methods.

A Methodology for Sustainability Assessment and Decision Support for Sustainable Handling Systems

Sustainable manufacturing is an important goal to reduce the carbon footprint and securing the economic success of companies. To reach sustainable manufacturing it is also necessary to use sustainable equipment. For this purpose, the sustainability indicators of the asset during its whole life cycle need to be considered for decision making during the design and selection of equipment. Missing analysis methods as well as missing awareness of the importance are obstacles in decision making. Therefore, a multi-criterial analysis method for handling systems for decision empowerment is presented in this paper. The presented methodology enables the engineer to analyze the suppliers for decision making in the purchasing process as well as the identification of weak points regarding sustainability in the handling systems. The methodology offers the possibility of analyzing a system of several parts as a whole, rather than just individual parts. The methodology is implemented in a usable software prototype which has a graphical interface for the data input and can be connected to conventional databases. The usability of the tool is shown with a handling system consisting of an industrial robot and a gripping system.

Validation of a methodology for forest industry sector sustainability assessment

The research is devoted to the development and testing of a methodology for assessing the level of sustainability of the forest industry. The work presents the general specifics of the methodology, the formula for calculating the sustainability index, the justification of the original approach, taking into account the specifics of the forest industry. The method is based on a system of economic, environmental and social indicators. The evaluation is based on the example of the forest sector logging sector. As a result of the approbation, it was determined that sustainability of forest industry development is below average in most regions of the country. The proposed methodology can be used as a justification for the necessity of transformations in the forest industry sector. This direction of industry is recognized as one of the underestimated and perspective in the sphere of modern requirements of the society to development of economy. The activity of the forest industry is associated with both timber production (deforestation) and reforestation. This makes it a unique industry. By using renewable resources in production, the industry can be seen as truly capable of adopting and implementing sustainable development. As a consequence, studies aimed at evaluating the various projects related to sustainable development in the forest industry are highly relevant.

Real estate market as an indicator of urban sustainable development

The present study analysed the real estate market and the methodological aspects used for the assessment of the real estate market influence on urban sustainable development. Real estate market activity was proposed to be used as a sustainable development indicator. Research methods included comparative and expert analyses; research synthesis; systemic, structural, and strategic approaches. Recent research in the real estate market efficiency and sustainability provided the theoretical and methodological basis. The data for research were collected from official statistics, international assessment reports, corporate performance reports, rating, and regulations. The present study facilitated better understanding of challenges in achieving sustainability in the real estate market, i.e. the use of the real estate market as a sustainable development indicator and a source of information for risk assessment, the integration of ESG principles into management practice, and the development of the methodology for sustainability assessment.