Sustainability Assessment Model Research Articles

Serviceability parameters and social sustainability assessment of flax fabric reinforced lime-based drywall interior panels

In the search of more environmentally-friendly construction materials, the use of natural-based fibers has gained much attention as reinforcement in the inorganic-based matrix. In this paper, the nonwoven flax fabric reinforced lime composites are created using a dewatering technique, and the serviceability parameters –thermal conductivity, sound absorption coefficient, and residual flexural resistance after exposure to elevated temperature– are determined experimentally. The tests are carried out on two different lime composites prepared under two distinct curing regimens, i.e., accelerated carbonation in a CO2 chamber and natural carbonation in laboratory conditions, to evaluate the effect of forced carbonation. In addition, the experimental results of the serviceability parameters are included in the MIVES model (Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessment) to evaluate the social sustainability of the developed material as an interior drywall panel. MIVES, a type of multi-criteria decision-making method, is based on the value function concept and seminars with experts. According to the results of experimental tests, the accelerated cured sample has higher thermal conductivity (∼4 times) and lower sound absorption coefficients (∼20%) than the naturally cured one. Nonetheless, the flexural performance of the former is 50% (at room temperature) and 100% (at elevated temperature) better. As for the social sustainability index assessed by the MIVES-based multi-objective approach, it ranges between 0.65 and 0.75 (out of 1.0) for both lime composite panels, at least 20% higher than the control lime panel with no reinforcement. The sustainability model designed for this research can be used for assessing the social sustainability performance of other materials although the weights assigned by the experts could be adapted to reflect the perceptions and local preferences.

A conceptual framework for sustainability impact assessment in machining bohler tool steel under hBN-enriched nano cutting fluids environment

The term “sustainability assessment” refers to a set of practices that “guide the planning and decision-making process to realize sustainable development.” Sustainability is becoming an increasingly central notion for many businesses. However, the current sustainability assessment techniques are being heavily criticized for a number of reasons, including a lack of interdependence and consistency, the predominance of subjectivity, and financial biases. Therefore, the present study applies the fundamental conceptual framework for sustainability evaluation to enhance the process performance of machining Bohler K490 steel using minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) and hBN-enriched nano-MQL cooling/lubrication. Power consumption and machining parameters such as tool wear, surface roughness, and chip morphology were taken into account while developing the sustainability assessment model. Then, the sustainability performance indicator (SPI) was determined. This global SPI supports the claim that using nano-MQL improves both sustainability and machining performance. The findings of tool wear clearly illustrated that applying hBN-enriched nano fluids from both the rake and flank surface reduced the tool wear values by up to 26.9%.

A General Framework for Sustainability Assessment of Buildings: A Life-Cycle Thinking Approach

Construction is a manufacturing industry that consumes substantial amounts of natural resources, human resources, and social capital. Activities that occur during building construction and utilization negatively impact the environment and have direct and indirect impacts on the surrounding community and society. Properly assessing the sustainability of buildings is critical to the pursuit and achievement of sustainable development goals. Also, construction project decision-makers and stakeholders currently lack an effective tool for comparing the relative sustainability of different materials, design approaches, construction methods, and building operation alternatives. Thus, an integrated framework for assessing building sustainability in terms of environmental, economic, and social aspects is developed and proposed in this paper based on life cycle thinking. This framework is applicable to different building types and life-cycle assessment scopes and provides a practical tool for construction investment project stakeholders to reference, implement, and use to guide the decision-making process. This framework may also provide a reference for other researchers in the construction field to develop sustainability assessment models optimized for different types of construction projects.

Sensitivity analysis of sustainability indicators using a shifted geometric assessment model

ABSTRACT A multitude of sustainability assessment models exist relying on given sets of basic indicators. In this work we use an analytical model called shifted geometric mean (SGM), which is based on a set of mathematical postulates to perform sensitivity analysis. The purpose of this analysis is to find those indicators with the highest potential for sustainability improvement. This is done via a gradient method under a given budget constraint leading to a novel closed-form expression. The method is applied to 164 countries which are ranked accordingly and then the corresponding most influential indicators are found. Unsurprisingly, European countries, Australia and Uruguay top the list, whereas the bottom is occupied by Sub-Saharan African countries, Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen and Haiti. However, the model revealed that Israel, South Korea and Singapore rank surprisingly low due to their poor environmental performance. For similar reasons, Romania and Bulgaria ranked above the USA. Finally, the model exposed the most important aspects in need of improvement, which for developing and low-income countries comprise the economy and social conditions. At the other end of the spectrum, developed countries need to improve their environmental performance. SGM augmented with sensitivity analysis can thus be a practical tool for sustainability decision-making.

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.

Improving the Resilience of Historic Areas Coping with Natural and Climate Change Hazards: Interventions Based on Multi-Criteria Methodology

ABSTRACT Cultural and Natural Heritage (CNH), a legacy bequeathed to present and future generations, casts light on the humanity of past generations. However, the increase and the intensity of natural and climate-change-related hazards threaten the conservation of such heritage. The aim of this research is to develop a multi-criteria prioritization methodology in support of intervention decisions, to enhance the resilience of CNH conservation through sustainable development. The application of two methods, the Integrated Value Model for Sustainability Assessment and the Analytical Hierarchy Process, ensures both the contribution of a wide panel of experts of heritage conservation and equitable indicator assessment measured on different scales. The prioritization methodology has been developed considering the most common hazards and specific disaster-risk scenarios. The three dimensions of sustainable development and both technical and cultural dimensions are also considered in the methodology. All dimensions and their indicators are weighted to produce a Prioritization Index to support decision-making.

Eco-effective Sustainable Risk Assessment Model for homogeneous solid waste mortars based on the Cradle to Cradle paradigm

Introduction The unrestricted use of non-renewable natural resources in masonry mortars and the rapid increase in solid waste contribute to the deterioration of the environment. It is a priority for the United Nations to promote growth without compromising the ability of new generations to attend to their own; for this purpose, 17 Sustainable Development Goals for all countries have been formulated. The present work arises from the need to propose a model to evaluate, in the design phase, homogeneous solid waste and total or partial substitutes for some of the components of the mortars used in the construction sector, based on the Cradle to Cradle paradigm, which has the objective of including improved materials for the health of living beings and the environment by establishing a circular system in the manufacture of mortars including only safe and healthy materials that can be reused with a guarantee of not affecting the health of living beings and the environment and contributing to sustainability. Methods Based on the positivist epistemological current, projective documentary research begins by analyzing scientific publications that recommend the use of solid waste only to verify its rheological properties, ignoring how the inclusion of this material can affect living beings and the environment; it is contrasted with the results of published public access research regarding the chemical substances that make up said material. Results The eco-effective model is designed and its application is validated in identifying potential risks to the health of living beings and the environment in the waste of the selected cases; recommending the avoidance of recycling those materials that cause concern; contributing improved mortar designs for living beings and the planet, which minimize the use of natural resources and increase productivity in the field of construction; and implementing this vision through continuous development and improvement. Conclusions The eco-effective model facilitates doing the right things from the design stage, promoting growth with opportunities, diversity, and abundance for the present generation as well as future generations.

Temporal PROMETHEE II — New multi-criteria approach to sustainable management of alternative fuels consumption

Alternative fuels are the subject of growing interest among both researchers and practitioners. In this aspect, to properly handle the problem of proper evaluating alternative fuels, appropriate methods, and tools are undoubtedly needed. Since the evaluation of sustainable alternative fuels similarly, like most sustainability problems, has a multi-criteria character, multi-criteria methods have the potential to be employed here. Analysis of the alternative fuels domain indicates that classical multi-criteria methods are not exactly suitable for use in cases where, instead of a single matrix for evaluating alternatives, we have a set of them collected for particular periods. Therefore, developing a dedicated approach that considers the specifics of a given problem is necessary. For this purpose, the paper proposes a new Temporal Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations II (PROMETHEE II) method for multi-criteria temporal evaluation. Hence, the presented method solves the limitations occurring in previously developed multi-criteria methods. In addition to the classical aspect of evaluating the options under consideration, the proposed method makes it possible to accurately grasp the dynamics of the outcomes and put them into an easy-to-interpret result. A practical contribution of the paper is applying the developed method to a multi-criteria temporal evaluation of sustainable consumption of alternative fuels in road transport. For this purpose, an assessment model was built based on the data for 32 European countries acquired from the European Union’s statistical office (Eurostat). Preference imprecision modeling and model sensitivity analysis demonstrated the analytical potential of the developed sustainability assessment model and, simultaneously, the Temporal PROMETHEE method’s superiority. The comparative analysis of the Temporal PROMETHEE II method clearly shows that the results are robust and reliable, and the developed method is suitable for evaluating various temporal sustainability problems. The research demonstrated that a model alternative fuel mix and its shape as well as progression is maintained by Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Sweden.

Sensitivity Analysis of a Hybrid MCDM Model for Sustainability Assessment—An Example from the Aviation Industry

When it comes to achieving sustainability and circular economy objectives, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tools can be of aid in supporting decision-makers to reach a satisfying solution, especially when conflicting criteria are present. In a previous work of the authors, a hybrid MCDM tool was introduced to support the selection of sustainable materials in aviation. The reliability of an MCDM tool depends decisively on its robustness. Hence, in the present work, the robustness of the aforementioned tool has been assessed by conducting an extensive sensitivity analysis. To this end, the extent to which the results are affected by the normalization method involved in the proposed MCDM tool is examined. In addition, the sensitivity of the final output to the weights’ variation as well as to the data values variation has been investigated towards monitoring the stability of the tool in terms of the final ranking obtained. In order to carry out the analysis, a case study from the aviation industry has been considered. In the current study, carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) components, both virgin and recycled, are assessed and compared with regard to their sustainability by accounting for metrics linked to their whole lifecycle. The latter assessment also accounts for the impact of the fuel type utilized during the use phase of the components. The results show that the proposed tool provides an effective and robust method for the evaluation of the sustainability of aircraft components. Moreover, the present work can provide answers to questions raised concerning the adequacy of the CFRP recycled parts performance and their expected contribution towards sustainability and circular economy goals in aviation.

Transforming Challenges into Opportunities for Qatar’s Food Industry: Self-Sufficiency, Sustainability, and Global Food Trade Diversification

Food trade restrictions pose a serious risk for countries that are heavily reliant on food imports, potentially leading to food crises, inequality, and geopolitical conflicts on a global scale. However, such restrictions may also have transformative effects in promoting food supply chain resilience, security, and self-sufficiency. In this study, a novel econometric analysis is presented, utilizing a data-driven analytical model to investigate the impact of a food embargo on the industry, using Qatar as a case study. A structured and automated food trade database is created using Microsoft Management Server Studio and data visualization software is integrated for automated data discovery. By using a global, trade-based sustainability assessment model, which combines the multi-region input-output (MRIO) analysis with transportation mode-based (sea, road, and air) emissions, the carbon footprint of the dairy food production sector could be estimated. The study shows that the trade embargo on Qatar’s food industry can lead to significant reductions in the annual import of food products, promoting self-sufficiency, and reducing the net carbon emissions of the dairy food sector by nearly 40%. This reduction is not only achieved through food supply chain changes, such as transportation modes, but also by restrictions pushing the country to increase domestic production. Overall, the study demonstrates that a trade embargo, with the support of a well-designed national food security strategy, trade/import diversification, and the use of different modes of transportation for food products, can improve the resilience of global supply chains, self-sufficiency, and environmental sustainability.

A Maintenance Maturity and Sustainability Assessment Model for Manufacturing Systems

A Maintenance Maturity and Sustainability Assessment Model for Manufacturing Systems

Green business process management for business sustainability: A case study of manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Germany

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have an important position in global sustainability since they are a prominent contributor to global pollution. It is challenging for SMEs to assess their level of business sustainability and identify actions to diminish environmental impact. Sustainability assessment models have been developed for this purpose, but a process focus is missing. Green business process management (Green BPM) aims at reducing the negative environmental impact of organizations through business processes rather than only considering final products and services. Combining literature from business sustainability and Green BPM, our study conceptualizes a Green BPM maturity model and, through multiple case study research, uses it to assess the Green BPM practices of ten manufacturing SMEs. The results reveal the level of business sustainability of SMEs based on six Green BPM factors: green attitude, strategy, governance, modeling, monitoring, and optimization. We further identify relevant benefits, pressures, and barriers that can drive or hinder Green BPM practices. Based on the findings, we make recommendations on how SMEs can accelerate their transition towards higher levels of business sustainability.

An integrated environmental nutrition model for dietary sustainability assessment

Environmental nutrition is gradually replacing the environmentally siloed sustainability assessment models to enhance sustainable dietary decisions. However, prominent concerns like the incomprehensive representation of nutritional quality and the difficulty in replicating existing models continue to limit the application of environmental nutrition. In addressing this, the current study presents an easily replicable and comprehensive nutrition mediated life cycle assessment approach termed the Environmental Impact Weighted Daily Value score (EIWDVs) model. This newly developed model comprehensively captures nutrient quantity in a daily value perspective as a nutritional indicator, and environmental impacts results as environmental indicators in the estimation of a nutrition mediated sustainability score. For validation purposes, the study applied this new model and the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, respectively, for comparing animal and plant-based foods within two major food categories: dairy products and analogs (e.g., cow milk versus soymilk) and meat and alternative meat products (e.g., beef sausage versus soy meatballs) in a defined future market scenario. Life cycle assessment and environmental nutrition results proved the plant-based alternatives to be sustainable dietary alternatives for achieving environmental nutrition co-benefits. For instance, production of soymilk and soy meatballs could offset up to 64–85% of global warming potential relative to cow milk and beef sausage. About 10% increase in offset values for global warming potential can be achieved when environmental nutrition is considered in dietary sustainability assessment. Nonetheless, the authors challenge the possibility of completely displacing animal-based diets, outlining existing gaps in global capacity and social acceptance, dynamic consumer behavior, and other socio-cultural factors as critical constraints to such a transition. Therefore, an integrated sustainable dietary system that considers plant and animal products with appreciable environmental nutrition performances is proposed as a feasible starting point for a gradual transition to a future of sustainable healthy dieting.

Sustainability assessment of palm oil mills effluent utilization for electricity conversion

The sustainability of the palm oil agroindustry development has been widely discussed. Currently, there has been an issue regarding the sustainability of palm oil agroindustry in certain parts with specific systems. Thus, aspects and indicators built in general need to be adjusted. This study assesses the sustainability of the palm oil mill effluent utilization for electricity conversion. The adjustment of sustainability indicators on economic, social, and environmental aspects has been studied through expert discussions. The selected indicators are weighted using the analytical hierarchy process method which a competent expert assesses. The aggregated sustainability value is determined by a decision matrix calculated using the composite performance index. The proposed method has been tested with field data on two palm oil mills that convert liquid waste into electrical energy involving Palm Oil Mill A and Palm Oil Mill C and a palm oil mill that still uses co-firing technology, Palm Oil Mill B. The results of the analysis show that the sustainability status of case A is Sustainable, B is Less Sustainable, and C is less Sustainable. Further research is needed to formulate strategies for improving the sustainability status and efforts to generalize the sustainability assessment model.

Sustainability assessment of rural toilet technology based on the unascertained measure theory

Upgrading toilets in rural areas is an effective way to protect public health and reduce environmental pollution. Although there are studies on rural toilets, the sustainable performance of rural toilets in developing areas is considerably less understood. The study aims to build a sustainability assessment model of rural toilet technology to support the local government in upgrading rural toilets. The unascertained measure theory is integrated into the model to quantify the sustainability performance of rural toilet technology in three dimensions: economy, service and management, and environment. A case study of Honghai Village, Inner Mongolia, China, is conducted to verify the reliability of the sustainability assessment model. The results indicate that the sustainability performance of the three-compartment septic tank toilet technology is good in Honghai Village. The results are consistent with the situation of the three-compartment septic tank toilets in the village, which verifies the model’s validity. This study can help local government significantly upgrade rural toilets and improve the living standards of rural residents.

The impact of EU Structural Funds on the national sustainable development strategy: a methodological application

ABSTRACT Between 2019 and 2021, the Autonomous Region of Sardinia and the Eni Enrico Mattei Foundation (FEEM) developed and applied a sustainability assessment model of the investments within the regional operational programmes (ROPs), with specific reference to the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). That same methodology is used here for the assessment of the sustainability of the ROPs co-financed by the European Union with specific reference to Italy’s National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS). In particular, the analysis is done by looking at the contribution of the 182 intervention fields to the NSDS’ strategic goals. Throughout the paper the importance of defining implementation strategies of the NSDS’ National strategic goals through the integration of the indicators, goals and choices of the national strategy into local or regional development plans is emphasized. Finally, the work suggests this methodology as a reference point to ensure careful monitoring of the sustainability of the investments of various European Union policies, in consideration of the importance that the strategy assumes for both Italy and the Italian regions.

Sustainable Legacies of a Climate Positive Olympic Games: An Assessment of Carbon Offsets and Renewable Energy for Brisbane 2032

Brisbane, Australia will host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2032—the first to be contractually obliged to be Climate Positive. This commitment can be achieved through a combination of two levers: emission reduction measures and carbon offsets. The objective of this study is to determine which combination of these levers is likely to maximise sustainability and its social, economic, and ecological dimensions. Based on these dimensions and the perspective of technology determinism, a novel sustainability assessment model is developed. Then, through a document analysis, this study uses emissions data to analyse and evaluate three different combinations of carbon offsets and renewable energy. Results showed that a higher reliance on carbon offsets resulted in poorer sustainability outcomes for this mega-event. The most sustainable scenario, involving large-scale investment in renewable energy infrastructure, involved significant cost implications but is likely to create greater legacy outcomes. Key recommendations include improving the governance and socialisation of Climate Positive delivery, and increasing partnerships with the private sector. Doing so will help enhance the authenticity and legacy of Climate Positive commitments for host regions.

Toward Regenerative Sustainability: A Passive Design Comfort Assessment Method of Indoor Environment

The fact that people spend a major part of their lifetime indoors, together with the lethal COVID-19 pandemic which caused people to spend even more time inside buildings, has drawn attention to the significance of achieving Agenda 2030 SD goal number three: good health and well-being, in reference to the indoor environment. The research subject is the health and well-being of building users explored through the sustainable (passive) design principles having an impact on the comfort and quality of the indoor environment. It is set within a regenerative sustainability framework encompassing the physiological, biophilic, psychological and social aspects of comfort. The Comfort Assessment Model’s categories, to some extent, rely on the first author’s doctoral thesis, with further modifications regarding the passive design criteria and indicators. A comparative analysis of the model with international sustainability certification (rating) systems has been performed, proving the significance of introducing more passive design comfort (health) related criteria into sustainability assessment models. In addition, a focus group of expert architects contributed to the research conclusions by responding to a questionnaire addressing the issues of sustainability, comfort and passive design, in terms of the health and well-being of building users, which confirmed the relevance of applied passive design measures for providing comfort indoors and fulfilling sustainable development goals.

The Dynamic Evaluation Model of Health Sustainability under MCDM Benchmarking Health Indicator Standards.

The coronavirus pandemic causing millions of deaths around the world has raised awareness of the importance of healthcare in a city, especially its efficiency in the city's system. Although the health dimension is found to have critical effects on sustainable development in addition to the existing three dimensions, the majority of sustainability assessments that are developed based on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) do not define standards for each indicator. On the contrary, an effective assessment model should be dynamic and suitable to the context of each city by referring to standardized criteria, such as those in a health indicator standard (HIS), instead of comparing with other cities. Hence, this research presents a new sustainability assessment model that integrates the health dimension (HEDm) with the other three dimensions generally used in studies of sustainable development (STD) and develops an assessment method to evaluate real data with references to the HIS from reliable organizations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN), for the SDGs. By using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) with the framework obtained from literature reviews, ISO Standards (ISO37120, ISO37122, ISO37123) and U4SSC, the researchers formed indicators in four dimensions with a total of 15 elements and 45 indicators. Afterwards, the weight of each indicator was determined with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) conducted in each dimension and element, resulting in a four-dimensional sustainability assessment model based on HIS value that limits the need to compare with other cities. The results from Khon Kaen province have shown the weaknesses and strengths of the target city that policymakers can reference to formulate a policy and strategy to improve HIS values in each dimension to meet standards, elevate city capacity and raise quality of life for the people living in the area.

Sustainability assessment model for mass housing's interior rehabilitation and its validation to Ekbatan, Iran

Mass housing (MH) buildings from the ‘60s to the ‘80s, after decades of continuous use and inadequate maintenance, cause several sustainability issues and need rehabilitation. Most current conventional rehabilitation approaches have long been criticized because they consider neither sustainability requirements nor contemporary building standards. In this regard, the assessment and selection of suitable approaches for rehabilitating MH interiors, from a holistic sustainability viewpoint, is a crucial issue that faces several challenges since this is a multidisciplinary and multi-criteria process. On this subject, the present study develops a novel MCDM model based on the MIVES and Delphi methods for the holistic sustainability assessment of MHs’ interior rehabilitation considering involved stakeholders' preferences. This MIVES-Delphi model relies on a comprehensive literature review, experts' seminars, on-site surveying, LCA, BIM, user/expert-based questionnaires, bias reduction, and sensitivity analysis. The model was first applied in the Ekbatan MH case study, the largest MH in Iran, to assess the sustainability of four different interior rehabilitation scenarios, including three common rehabilitation scenarios plus an innovative one. Consequently, the new model was validated, and the most sustainable scenario was selected. The specific results regarding these scenarios' evaluation disclosed that none of the common rehabilitation scenarios could either meet the minimum sustainability target value or serve as proper solutions for MH's interior rehabilitation. Contrarily, the fourth scenario, with a global sustainability index of 0.71, could meet the standard minimum target. This outcome provides a possibility for innovative rehabilitation processes to have positive effects on increasing the sustainability performance in MH buildings.