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This paper aims to develop an integrated Quality–Cost–Environmental (QCE) indicator for the selection of photovoltaic panels (PVps) offered to customers, considering the following criteria: (i) quality satisfaction; (ii) cost-effectiveness; and (iii) environmental impact throughout the life cycle. The proposed QCE indicator was developed within a framework that incorporated an FAHP (Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process), cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), and life cycle assessment (LCA). The model test confirmed its effectiveness in choosing a PVp which combines environmental friendliness throughout its entire life cycle with satisfactory quality and a reasonable purchase price for customers. The proposed model can be utilized by individuals, businesses, and public entities for the selection of high-quality, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly PVps—thereby promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a realistic analysis of a region using Grounded Theory (GT) to provide a sustainable model for family farming systems based on the intercropping system in rural communities of Iran. Furthermore, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was applied to assign weights to the criteria and sub-criteria of intercropping and monocropping systems. According to the model, the main phenomenon was "sustainability in the family farming system based on intercropping". In this model, the causal factors were found to include behavioral and attitudinal motivators. Micro- and macro-factors were identified as the interfering factors in family farming systems based on intercropping. Social factors, economic components, and environmental potentials were the contextual factors of this system. Finally, the consequences included the conceptual development and evolution of sustainability, socioeconomic transformation, and ecological-environmental transformation. The results of FAHP showed that the environmental criterion was ranked the first among all criteria underpinning the sustainability of the intercropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stakeholders worldwide commit to the goal of sustainable development and transport, and to the promotion of public transport (PT) as one backbone of sustainable transport. Evaluation frameworks have been developed to aid municipalities and operators in purposefully shaping their PT systems. These frameworks differ greatly in their scope and consideration of the different sustainability dimensions, and in addition, they focus on industrialized countries. The goal of this study is to provide a systematic overview of existing frameworks for evaluating the sustainability of PT systems with a particular focus on Latin America for the first time, to identify possible gaps that result from the specific characteristics of Latin American PT systems and finally to derive research needs and recommendations for this region. The analysis includes three types of articles: scientific papers, international guidelines published by NGOs, and local as well as national Latin American guidelines for PT evaluation. The 69 identified relevant references reveal that Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM), followed by Assessment Indicator Models (AIM) are the preferred evaluation frameworks. Among the MCDM methods, the Analytical Hierarchy Process was the most frequently approach. We found a high prevalence of studies taking society and municipalities' perspective (both 46%), followed by combinations (users, operators, municipalities − 37%), and the users' perspective (14%). The review further shows that the Latin American context is not sufficiently considered in the existing frameworks and that further research is needed to develop frameworks that comprehensively and systematically consider all sustainability dimensions for this specific spatial context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is well established that the existing building environmental assessment methods and sustainability assessment methods are intended to foster detailed design stage while there is a need to support early design stages. This research intends to develop a framework that actively supports design development at the formative design stages. The paper reviews the well-established building environmental assessment methods: CASBEE, LEED, BREEAM and GRIHA, and the existing sustainability assessment methods: iiSBE's Sustainable Building Tool (SB Tool), German Sustainable Building Council's Certificate Program (DGNB), Living Building Challenge (LBC) and ARUP's Sustainable Project Assessment Routine SPeAR®. Further, well-known theories of ecological Sustainability are reviewed. The critical points of convergence and divergence of anthropocentric and biocentric approaches are identified to articulate the parameters of sustainability assessment. Specialists in the sustainable built environment assigned weights for assessment parameters (criteria) by applying the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Their specialist opinions manifest the particular features of the Indian context. The paper delineates the Biocenosis, a novel framework for sustainability assessment of the built environment rooted in the concept of the synergy of nature with social, economic, environmental and cultural benefits for the context of India. It is intended to aid building professionals in the formative design phases as it enables an integrated and comprehensive assessment of the level to which the requirement of a sustainable built environment is satisfied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a realistic analysis of a region using Grounded Theory (GT) to provide a sustainable model for family farming systems based on the intercropping system in rural communities of Iran. Furthermore, the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) was applied to assign weights to the criteria and sub-criteria of intercropping and monocropping systems. According to the model, the main phenomenon was "sustainability in the family farming system based on intercropping". In this model, the causal factors were found to include behavioral and attitudinal motivators. Micro- and macro-factors were identified as the interfering factors in family farming systems based on intercropping. Social factors, economic components, and environmental potentials were the contextual factors of this system. Finally, the consequences included the conceptual development and evolution of sustainability, socioeconomic transformation, and ecological-environmental transformation. The results of FAHP showed that the environmental criterion was ranked the first among all criteria underpinning the sustainability of the intercropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming, climate change, and social problems are the worst human-induced sustainability issues that economies across the globe have witnessed. Water pollution, greenhouse effect, poor working conditions, child labour and lack of coordination among channel partners have caused the considerable interruptions in the supply chain network. The purpose of the paper is to identify critical factors affecting behavioural and sustainable supply chain coordination and evaluate strategies for risk reduction in the supply chain coordination in the context of digitization. This study purposes a novel supply chain coordination framework which consists of four themes such as system, actor, objective and action on which the success or the failure of supply chain can be contingent. Our study integrates multi-criteria decision approach using Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy-AHP) and Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Fuzzy-DEMATEL) to investigate factors that affected the behavioural and sustainable supply chain coordination in the context of digitization. The Fuzzy-AHP method qualified to hierarchically rank the factors based on the relative fuzzy weightage while Fuzzy-DEMATEL established the inter-relationships among the factors and classified them into cause and effect groups. The findings of our study identified the Environmental performance and decarbonization as the most significant factor and the speed to market as the least important factor in developing behavioural and sustainable supply chain coordination in the context of digitization. Our analysis from Fuzzy AHP-DEMATEL approach reveal that the social preferences (power balance, reciprocity, fairness) is a significant causal factor which can effectively abolish the issues plaguing behavioural and sustainable supply chain coordination in the context of digitization. The results from our study aim to facilitate decision makers in cultivating a sustainable supply chain framework that can boost trust among the channel partners environmental performance, social performance and channel efficiency of the supply chain, thereby ensuring sustainability and socio welfare of all the supply chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hillside planning, design, and development require an intensive understanding of human habitats, man–environment interaction, hill environment sensitivities, spatial planning, and design issues to ensure contextually appropriate development. Although numerous tools, techniques, and frameworks have been developed and implemented to assess urban sustainability, these have not been applied to environmentally sensitive hilly areas, nor have their appropriateness been determined. Therefore, this paper aims to develop a new urban sustainability assessment tool (USAT) named the "Sustainable Urban Development of Environmentally Sensitive Hilly Areas Suitability IndeX (SUDESHA-SIX)" to evaluate the sustainability of hillside settlements using an analytical hierarchy process. The methodology combines descriptive and deductive analytical techniques and geographic information systems-based statistical methods. SUDESHA-SIX was first developed some years back and was applied to the New Tehri Township as it received the National Award for Excellence in planning and design in hills in the year 2000 by the then Prime Minister of India. The results showed that out of the six broad factors, "site suitability" was ranked as the most critical factor of environmentally sensitive hilly areas, followed by "built environment," "environment and ecology," "climate and energy," "transportation and connectivity," and "visual resources." When applied to existing projects, the developed tool provided a more objective and detailed information on the urban sustainability of hilly areas, which could help architects, planners, designers, and decision-makers develop strategies to improve the overall urban sustainability of hilly regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal SDG11.3.1—the ratio of land consumption rate (LCR) to population growth rate (PGR) (LCRPGR)—aims to measure the efficiency and sustainability of urban land use. In recent years, SDG11.3.1 has been widely used in sustainable urban development research. However, previous studies have focused on the urban core area, while the sustainable development status of the urban peripheral areas (suburban and rural areas) that contribute significantly to the ecological environment has been neglected. To this end, relying on land use/cover change (LUCC) data obtained from high-resolution remote sensing satellite images rather than the single impervious surface data used in traditional research, according to the multiple functions of the land use type, the city is divided into three types of space: production, living, and ecological spaces. Research from the perspective of multi-scale coordination is of great significance for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the sustainable development status of urban space. Taking the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) in China as an example, in this paper, LUCC remote sensing data and comprehensive population and gross domestic product (GDP) data are used. From the multi-functional production-living-ecological space perspective, based on the original land use efficiency indicator, the ratio of land consumption rate (LCR) to economic growth rate (EGR) (LCREGR) is introduced and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to comprehensively evaluate the sustainable development level (SDL) of the space between 2000–2010 and 2010–2020 on the urban agglomeration and prefecture-level city scales. The results show that (1) the level of and changes in the spatial sustainable development are significantly different at different scales; (2) the division of the production-living-ecological spaces can guide cities to optimize different types of spaces in the future. This paper proposes a new evaluation method for spatial sustainable development, which provides a useful reference for any country or region in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While evaluation of research-to-policy projects is a fundamental aspect of measuring the impact of new knowledge, limited studies have examined evaluation methods in such projects, as well as how the evaluation can generate learning to facilitate the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study conducted a systematic literature review and found that the most commonly used methods for SDG contribution evaluation were Analytical Hierarchy Process (40.4%), Fuzzy TOPSIS (13.2%) and ELECTRE and SPADE Methodology (3.5% each). Ranking analysis was undertaken to determine priorities among the six "Big Wins" as defined for the UKRI-GCRF Trade Hub Project, as a case, where the ranking was exercised by the project partners across the globe. Results revealed that "nature and social factors" was better considered in international trade agreements as the priority (36.4%) among others. Moreover, among the four "mechanisms" of the project, "knowledge, networks, and connectivity" was ranked as the top priority (56.9%), followed by "capacity building" (28.5%), "metrics, tools and models" (7.2%), and "improving the knowledge base" (4.6%). Mapping and evaluation revealed that the Big Wins of the Trade Hub contributed to ten out of the 17 SDGs. The most fulfilled goals were SDG 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) in descending order. Furthermore, interaction analysis of the core SDGs revealed both synergy and tradeoff between different outputs. The research articles reviewed for this paper showed no gold standard framework for assessing international development projects against the SDGs. Further research should develop a tool to capture holistic and synergistic contributions of the target outcomes of projects to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the quality of present urban life was the main aim of this paper. This research concentrated mainly on four environmental sustainability indicators: physical, social, economic, and eco-friendly factors. An attempt was made to attain sustainability by identifying and comparing various assessment indicators and, finally, to rank the weights of the sustainable elements. It was essential to analyse the sustainable indicators to have a risk-free, safe, and tranquil life that is free from pollution hazards. The challenge lay in realising this by sharing knowledge and records, which is one of the main factors in successful approaches. The present study evaluated and prioritised the indicators and factors of sustainable urban life. The concept of sustainability has become significant in the need to improve the quality of urban life. A structured questionnaire survey was conducted with 510 expert delegates who participated in an open-ended interview to identify the sustainability indicators that are focused mainly on the quality of urban life. The data was analysed using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to prioritise the factors for urban life sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As climate change becomes an urgent issue that must be tackled immediately, several disciplines are making efforts to mitigate its effects. One of the disciplines that must be addressed to mitigate the negative impacts it has on the environment is the installation of telecommunication towers. An ever-increasing number of telecommunication towers may have negative impacts on the environment because of the use of diesel, not environmentally friendly materials or the waves emitted to the surrounding environment. Literature review showed different sustainable approaches that were proposed for use in telecommunication towers. However, there is a gap in having a comprehensive approach for making the overall factors of the telecommunication towers more sustainable. Green rating systems are used as guidelines for making buildings more sustainable. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system is the most widely used green rating system in the world; however, it doesn't have any guidelines for applying sustainable measures in telecommunication towers. Therefore, this paper proposes a green rating system that is based on LEED's main categories, to limit the negative impacts telecommunication towers have on the environment. Then, 21 questionnaires were distributed among engineers from various backgrounds in Egypt as a case study to come up with proposed weights for categories and subcategories. The questionnaire analysis is based on Analytical Hierarchy Process. It is concluded that the sustainable site category has the highest weight, as the optimum selection of site would help in improving the overall factors that affect the environmental behavior of the tower. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brazil has a continental proportion where many regions have limited access to basic services to guarantee life quality, such as electricity. The universalization of access to electricity is a challenge for remote areas with difficult access to the electrical distribution lines. Energy security modeling offers technological and governance solutions. Our paper presents a script for Google Earth Engine to identify suitable areas for photovoltaic microgrids and a worksheet to calculate the weights of criteria according to the Analytic Hierarchy Process method. The script was applied to a case study in the Taquari Watershed. The Digital Elevation Model of the basin with spatial resolution of 30 meters was used to calculate its solar power generation suitability. The Taquari Watershed has 50% of its area highly suitable for solar power plants installation. Solar radiation ranged from 2.5 to 7.8 kWh.m−2.day.−1. This research presents an analysis that is highly reproducible for larger areas or other countries due to using globally available datasets, providing decision-making tools to solve problems regarding energy security, tackling water-food-energy threats to remote communities and strengthening the sustainability of territorial planning dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the role of sustainable production benefits in transforming manufacturing towards the sustainable organisation. The proposed model integrates two dimensions, namely, the Sustainable Business Model (SBM) and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, and defines it as the SBM-ERP. This paper focuses attention on determining SBM-ERP based on the literature research, Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (F-AHP) method and the results of the analysis on the experiences with the implementation of the ERP system in manufacturing. It was determined that the proprietary approach allows the company’s sustainable manufacturing activities to be organised and monitored, based on real-time data and information, as updated and included in the ERP system. We also emphasized the practicality of the proposed approach for managers of manufacturing companies with an implemented ERP system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water conservation simply means using less water, avoiding or minimizing the wastage of water and/or recycling water, so that it can be used again for different purposes. In dry parts of India, conserving water is of prime importance and so, different techniques need to be adopted. In this paper, a model of water conservation strategies and systems in the residential home, using the city of Aurangabad as a basis, has been explored using the multi-criteria decision-making technique. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is applied to structure the decision problem into a hierarchy framework and thereby five criteria were used to evaluate the elements. The paper is intended to present an integrated model of the major options in residential water conservation in 4 different degrees using a case study. Applications of all the technologies/systems obtained from FAHP are used to address the entire lifecycle of water, right from its arrival on site to its use and eventual expenditure. The study also compares the financial implications among the different systems, where it is found that the payback period is least for plumbing fixtures and highest for wastewater treatment system. It is also observed from the case study that around 39.13% of water savings is achieved after the up-gradation of the existing plumbing fixtures. It is found that dependence on municipal water supply is reduced by 67.30% after recycling water in various sectors in house. The greywater generated in house is completely being used in water closets and outdoor use. Various internal purposes are satisfied from the harvested rainwater and savings of around 86.75% are achieved. As all of the water requirements are satisfied from the technologies used, less than 40% of wastewater is discharged in the municipal system. So, it is expected that the proposed system will enable occupants to be aware of their water usage and control and reduce water usage levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aims to review and develop a Consolidated Water Security Index (CWSI) as a tool to evaluate water security status within river basins by considering five key dimensions, namely (i) water supply and sanitation, (ii) water demand and socio-economic, (iii) water ecosystem and environment, (iv) water-related disaster and (v) water governance. This index is a holistic assessment since it aims to capture the interconnected and complex nature of water-related issues by considering multiple dimensional aspects which helps stakeholders and policymakers to understand the overall status of water security. This framework uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), involving pairwise comparison, normalisation and weighting. Then, a CWSI will be calculated using the Linear Aggregation method. The robustness of this consolidated index is validated using sensitivity analysis by modifying the weight in the linear aggregation formula. By following each step cautiously, a CWSI can be constructed and interpreted correctly, thus, becoming a powerful tool for conveying complex information to the different stakeholders and assessing the status of water security with river basins. The CWSI allows decision-makers to prioritise areas that are most at risk and facilitate sustainable planning and management of water resources. [Display omitted] • Lacking generally applicable approach for measuring water security. • Decision makers address water issues in silos, undermining water security efforts. • Contextualisation needed to acknowledge complex interactions in water security. • Integrating WASH and IWRM principles is crucial for water security assessment. • CWSI reconciles multiple dimensions and indicators for water security assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background--At present, China has made great efforts to promote the development of cultural and creative tourism in forest regions. However, there are few studies on the cultural creativity of forest resources development in academic research. And it is difficult to quantify the traditional evaluation indicators, so there is a lack of reasonable countermeasures for the development of forest regions. (2) Methods--First of all, the analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method are adopted. The evaluation index system of sustainable development of cultural and creative tourism in forest regions is composed of 5 second-level evaluation indicators of economic sustainability, social sustainability, cultural sustainability, ecological environment sustainability, management sustainability and 4l third-level evaluation indicators. Secondly, 415 valid questionnaires were distributed. Taking Longtan Village as a pilot project, this paper demonstrates the scientificity and rationality of the evaluation index system. Finally, we draw conclusions and put forward some suggestion. (3) Results--Through calculation, the ranking of evaluation indicators is as follows: ecological environment sustainability (0. 348), social sustainability (0. 253), cultural sustainability (0. 241), management sustainability (0. 093), economic sustainability (0. 065). At the same time, it is calculated that the sustainable score of cultural and creative tourism in Longtan village forest regions is 3. 930. Therefore, we believe that the cultural and creative tourism in the forest region is basically sustainable: the ecological environment of the forest region is beautiful, the government supports the development of the forest region greatly, the social governance of new and old residents is harmonious and the innovation of the leadership of the Party Committee is beneficial. However, there are also deficiencies: because it is difficult to meet the psychological demands of novelty, the participation of tourists in cultural and creative activities is not prominent. The connotation of cultural creativity in forest regions is not excavated enough, and cultural creativity and cultural exchanges need to be strengthened. What' s more, the publicity and protection of rural environment are not enough, and public health and waste disposal need to be improved. Last but not least, residents' willingness and ability to participate are not adapted. ⑷ Conclusions and Discussions--In order to improve the sustainability of the development of cultural and creative tourism in forest regions, it is suggested that the relevant departments should formulate special support policies for cultural and creative tourism in forest regions, promote the construction of infrastructure, and increase industrial support. At the same time, we should strengthen the awareness of pluralistic co-governance, smooth the ways of pluralistic co-governance, adhere to the party building to lead cultural creation, innovate the development model of forest regions, increase the publicity of cultural and creative activities in forest regions, integrate culture and science and technology, and develop new business types to enhance tourists" sense of participation and interactive experience. In addition, it is expected that the planning and design of cultural and creative tourism products, in-depth excavation of cultural connotation. And also we should strengthen environmental improvement, improve the governance capacity and effectiveness of forest regions and protect the ecological environment of forest regions. Finally, it is very necessary to attach importance to the construction of human capital, absorb compound talents and strengthen the vocational skills training of residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The objective of the work is to have an insight into the degree of the contemporary concept of greening the organization through human resource management (HRM) and to attempt to bridge the gap toward environmental awareness, as well as to observe the dimensions of green HRM (GHRM) practices and its impression toward environmental sustainability by using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and FAHP. Design/methodology/approach: The research was carried out in two phases; multi-method was employed. The first phase mainly includes a systematic review to convene comprehensive knowledge of widespread GHRM practices to leverage environmental sustainability. In the second phase, the AHP and fuzzy AHP (FAHP) were employed to examine the influence of the respective dimension of GHRM practices toward environmental sustainability. Findings: This study emphasizes the status of GHRM practices such as green recruitment and green selection, green performance management, green training and development, green compensation and rewards, green welfare aspects as a way to aid environmental issues. The findings suggest that these initiatives help to leverage environmental sustainability. Further, this paper reveals that green compensation and rewards have the highest impact on leveraging environmental sustainability. However, this study also emphasizes the comparative study of GHRM dimensions through AHP and FAHP. Originality/value: As existing studies reveal, there is least research carried on this field of study and no study was conducted using AHP and FAHP in this field. Thus, this study reveals the necessity to discover the degree of concern toward GHRM practices in context to India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining sector contributes to the state in the form of state exchequer and foreign exchange, employment and physical development; however, in the other hand leaves environmental and socio-economic footprints in the societies. Therefore, it is imperative to develop mine in sustainable manner with implementing an appropriate mine closure plan early in the process of mine development throughout in all mine planning stages keeping in view of the post mine closure socio-economic need of societies and bio-diversity. In this paper, the post closure sustainable alternatives in the state of Goa were explored by transforming the mining activities into the long term prospective with improved environmental conditions even after cessation of mining activities. The criteria are selected based on the ecological, socio-economic and the cultural aspects by considering sustainability and spatial planning. The desired alternatives for post-mining land use are arrived by examining the relations between criteria and alternatives with the help of mathematical tool - Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results show, the support to the eco-tourism and restoration of the ecology are the priority alternatives of the post-mining land use utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization and the rapid growth of technologies are the main challenges facing the manufacturer and its sustainability and survival. Sustainability for any manufacturing plays an important role in competitive advantage which make the manufacturing firm a sustainable competitor. Sustainability in manufacturing is integrated with Industry 4.0 (I4.0) to achieve benefits of economic, environmental, and social. But it has many criteria and factors and contains incomplete and uncertain information. So, we used the neutrosophic sets to overcome this incomplete information and treat with uncertainty environment. The Single-Valued Neutrosophic Set (SVNS) is used to evaluate these criteria, which include three values (Truth, indeterminacy, and falsity). The SVNS is integrated with Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. The MCDM concept is used in this paper to deal with many conflicting criteria. A Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is utilized for determining the relation between five main criteria and fourteen sub-criteria in this study. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to compute the weights of the main and sub-criteria. Our framework is applied to a real case study in Egypt to show the validity of our framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing the contradiction between increasing maintenance demand and limited financial, as well as smaller social and environmental impacts, the optimisation of bridge maintenance strategies should be carried out. In this paper, the assessment model of four objectives, including the safety performance, economic, social and environmental impacts, in sustainability criteria are proposed. Moreover, a systematic optimisation framework of maintenance strategy of deteriorating bridges considering sustainability criteria and a novel decision-making method are developed, based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and a decision-making algorithm based on linear programming techniques for multidimensional analysis of preference (LINMAP). The case analysis results verify the effectiveness and superiority of the previous optimisation framework, and also show that the final optimal strategy obtained by the proposed decision-making algorithm can reflect the will of experts well. Compare with the essential maintenance, the implementation of preventive maintenance is more conducive to realise the sustainable development of the deteriorating bridges. The sensitivity analysis results show that the monetary discount rate has a greater impact on the life cycle maintenance cost, which is mainly controlled by the total social cost, while the direct maintenance cost only accounts for a small part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of digitalization, data centers are critical facilities that help people and businesses in many sectors. Data centers, like other assets requiring high investment, face several risks during their operation. Also, data centers seek sustainable sources to boost their operations when selecting the most appropriate location. Therefore, the location of a data center is chosen based on sustainability and risk assessment. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been conducted for data center risk evaluation with environmental and sustainability assessment. This paper evaluates the eight main criteria and the forty-five sub-criteria for selecting the most appropriate location for the data center when considering the fifty different economies in different business regions. For this particular purpose, the continuous intuitionistic fuzzy sets (CIFS)-based analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is presented to define the weights of each criterion and sub-criterion. Then, the CIFS-based technique for order of preference by similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS) is developed to rank the fifty economies integrated with the weights from the CIFS-based AHP. Moreover, eight different scenarios were conducted, and comparison studies were presented. Finally, Denmark, Switzerland, and The Netherlands are the top three selections based on the criteria. [Display omitted] • Fuzzy multi-criteria methods are developed to evaluate data center locations. • Natural, energy, and infrastructure risks are the top three pillars. • Economies are ranked based on the eight scenarios with sustainability and risks. • Denmark tops the charts with the highest score associated with fifty economies. • Based on each income level, Denmark, Brazil, and Tunisia are suitable locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green ergonomics reflects on the bi-directional interaction between natural and human structures to ensure the well-being and efficacy of human and social systems. The concept of green ergonomics involves a number of principles, whose importance has become increasingly recognized in recent years. The green ergonomics compliance degree of a company is strongly related to how closely it adheres to these principles. Thus, the main objective of this study was to determine which of these principles and sub-principles take priority. Understanding them can only be achieved by determining their relative importance with respect to each other. For this prioritization, the study utilized the hesitant fuzzy analytic hierarchy process as one of the multi-criteria decision-making approaches to calculate the weight of the green ergonomics framework principles. The hesitant fuzzy linguistic term set approach was adopted to develop especially for the cases where experts hesitate during the decision-making process. With the participation of three experts, this paper determined the most critical principle to be "acknowledge how natural systems value design." The findings of this study can be utilized in a number of ways, such as helping company managers to formulate green ergonomics strategies, presenting a guideline for companies and raising awareness about the relationship between green ergonomics and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplier selection has long been a strategic cornerstone for the advancement of companies from the mining sector due to its impact on many sectors as inventory management, production planning, maintenance scheduling, financial resources and environment. In this regard, expert decision-makers should deem a number of performance conflicting criteria and supplier alternatives. Moreover, choosing a suitable Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach has become a key strategic consideration for supplier selection. Hence, this paper presents a combination of powerful MCDM methods to select the most suitable supplier of forklift filters. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is first used to calculate the initial weights of criteria and sub-criteria under uncertainty, followed by the implementation of Fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (FDEMATEL) to assess the interrelations and feedback between them. The fuzzy theory is used in both AHP and DEMATEL methods to represent the human vagueness when making judgments. Then, FAHP and FDEMATEL are combined to obtain the final contributions of both criteria and sub-criteria on the basis of interrelations and uncertainty. Finally, the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to rank the supplier alternatives. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, a case study is presented. The results evidence that quality criterion is the most crucial aspect when selecting suppliers of forklift filters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With an increasing number of different materials, choosing the best one has become an arduous task. The vast domain of alternatives and decision criteria has led to the complexity of decision making in the conceptual phase for designers. On the other hand, due to the importance of environmental and energy concerns, considering the sustainability principles through the decision process is significantly important. Although sustainable material selection as a strategy leads to some general and main assessment criteria, identification of sub-criteria not only depends on general criteria but also pertains to the specific type of elements in buildings. Interior walls are one of those elements in construction with a complex decision making process due to their great variety of types and features. This paper aims to provide a sustainable multi-criteria decision making framework for choosing the proper interior walls in buildings. A qualitative research method using literature review, unstructured interviews and questionnaires was adopted to achieve the aims of this research. The initial data, including the criteria and sub-criteria, were collected through literature review. A framework consisting of four main components related to environmental, financial, social and technical aspects was finally developed and validated through unstructured interviews held with 23 experts in the construction industry in Iran. By dividing the main criteria into sub-criteria, in total, 23 sub-criteria were identified; to calculate their weight, questionnaires were distributed among 143 experts in the construction industry in Tehran and the analytic hierarchy process method was applied. High-rise residential buildings in Tehran were selected as a case to apply the framework, and finally the results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) is a performance management tool that analyzes the relationship between tangible and intangible assets. Its ability to render business strategy visible has earned it the distinction of being a strategic management model. Sustainability has become an important part of daily and business life today. With the increasing importance given by stakeholders to environmental and social issues, companies find it necessary to evaluate sustainability activities in their performance evaluations. In order to meet this need, the Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) emerged with the addition of a sustainability perspective or parameters to BSC. The number of academic studies pertaining to the application of BSC, which numerous companies and subjects to research have utilized, is inadequate. Due to its hierarchical structure and the necessity to evaluate numerous criteria, BSC is suitable for using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods. In this paper, an integrated approach consisting of SBSC, the Picture Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (PF-AHP), and the Objective Matrix (OMAX) method is proposed for the performance measurement of companies. The PF-AHP method has been reorganized for ease of application in determining the perspectives, strategic objectives, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) weights within SBSC. Additionally, the OMAX method has been employed for calculating the performance scores. This proposed approach was implemented in a factory operating in the glass industry. The SBSC created for the company includes five perspectives, 16 strategic objectives, and 34 KPIs. PF-AHP method was used to determine the weights of perspectives, strategic objectives, and KPIs to be used in the performance score calculation with OMAX. The weight of financial perspective is 0.267, the weight of the customer perspective is 0.247, the weight of the internal process perspective is 0.191, the weight of the learning and development perspective is 0.161, and the weight of the sustainability perspective is 0.134. The evaluations made by the decision-makers indicate that the company's performance measurement still adheres to the traditional framework. The performance score of the company is 6.14 out of 10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper suggests a 29-indicator based transport sustainability governance index to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of eight regional transit operators in Tunisia using the absolute measurement approaches of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and analytical network process (ANP). Despite the difference in the overall sustainability scores, four companies have obtained the same ranking orders under both methods. The rest of the firms were ranked differently. Although both models generated interesting insights, ANP outperformed AHP in terms of priority distribution and significance of findings due to its capability of incorporating and quantifying criteria interdependencies. This research is the first in the literature that combines the three sustainability pillars with the governance principles using the direct rating approach of AHP and ANP to evaluate public transport firms. • A sustainability governance indicator-based framework for Tunisian public transport companies is designed. • 29 indicators categorized under four dimensions: economic, environmental, institutional and social. • AHP and ANP applications are performed under the absolute measurement approach. • Results reveal the strengths and the weaknesses in terms of sustainability and governance for different transport companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformation of cropping systems towards sustainable intensification (SI) is essential in order to meet the demands of society. In the Pampas region of Argentina, most agricultural research has focused on crop ecophysiology and agronomic factors, although what seems to be lacking is an integrated evaluation of cropping systems to determine their alignment with SI trends. Multi-criteria analysis (MCDA) methods provide a formal framework to assess trade-offs between production and sustainability, rendering them useful for SI analysis. This paper aims to compare and rank the cropping systems available in the rolling Pampas, the corn belt of Argentina, based on their alignment with SI trajectories, using the multi-criteria decision model "Preference Ranking Organization Methods for Enrichment Evaluations" (PROMETHEE). We used information from a mid-term experiment conducted in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina, to compare ten cropping systems over five consecutive years. These systems resulted from combining three crop sequences with either fallow or cover crops during the winter, and were grown using two different management practices. Sixteen economic, socioeconomic, and environmental criteria were defined to assess each of the cropping systems. We combined PROMETHEE with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to compare the cropping systems. We considered two different decision-making profiles: one obtained through interviews with farmers, and the other based on interviews with agents involved in sustainable production systems at the Ministry of Agriculture of Argentina. We ranked the cropping systems assessed according to how well they aligned with SI, the system that combines improving profits with reduced environmental impact. We found that the three-year rotation sequence of wheat/soybean-corn-soybean is the most aligned to the sustainable intensification option among the feasible crop sequences implemented in the rolling Pampas region. Furthermore, our results indicate that cover crops provide environmental benefits, but the associated costs discourage their implementation when the farmer profile focuses on maximizing economic benefits. We emphasize the importance of integrally analyzing cropping systems. Our findings confirm the advantages noted in prior studies and provide a more thorough evaluation of wheat/soybean-corn-soybean three-year sequence. Finally, our work demonstrates the value of PROMETHEE multi-criteria analysis in assessing the SI of cropping systems. This tool could be a useful aid in facilitating discussions among farmers, consultants and other stakeholders, in the search for sustainable intensification pathways. [Display omitted] • Multi-criteria analysis helps to assess the sustainability of farming systems. • We compare and rank farming systems according to sustainable intensification levels. • Wheat/soybean-maize-soybean is the most preferred rotation for the Pampas. • Costs of cover crops discourage adoption despite of the environmental benefits. • PROMETHEE effectively evaluated the sustainable intensification in crop sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate the valorisation opportunities for the secondary metallurgy slag (SMS) as a by-product of electric arc furnace (EAF) steel production. The key stakeholders, their aim and possible configurations of the SMS value chain are identified considering the treatment unit owners and locations, pre-treatment and treatment processes, and collaboration aspects. A multi-criteria Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model has been developed to evaluate value chain configurations according to criteria such as technology, legislation, economic and environmental sustainability, and supply chain. This approach helps analyse the impact of circular economy practices and the opportunities for industrial symbiosis in the European steelmaking areas. The AHP model was tested on the case of Lombardy region that is one of the major European hubs for EAF steel production. Knowledge was collected and formalized from interviews with several experts. The results show economic sustainability has the highest impact on the SMS value chain, followed by CO 2 emission and water consumption. The ranking of SMS value chain configurations shows that a pre-treatment phase is essential since it facilitates SMS logistics management and has environmental advantages. A collaborative approach among steel producers or with external recyclers is preferred when there is the readiness of the ecosystem, hardware infrastructure, and legislation about product certificates and operations. In a collaborative system, a value chain consisting of a third-party industry for SMS recycling is preferred to a consortium of producers due to the broader market coverage, environmental sustainability, and higher profits for the recycler. The multi-criteria combined with the multi-expert modelling approach helps balance the importance of different criteria from the actors' points of view, such as steel producers and technology providers. From the theoretical point of view, the analysis shows how an SMS collaborative ecosystem integrated with two recycling facilities reinforces the steelmaking business profitability, market potential, and environmental-friendly solutions. This study can help steel producers decide on the feasibility and profitability of treatment units, collaborating with other producers, or selling SMS to recyclers. In addition, policymakers can analyse the regional perspective, identify potential industrial sectors, and explore new business models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing economic crisis and strict government policies and regulations regarding the environment have forced the battery industries to practice the recycling process for both economic and environmental benefits. Moreover the consideration of sustainability issues makes the recycling process more significant, successful implementation of recycling activity in the battery industry requires several strategic decisions. Among these decisions, a complex decision faced by the management is to identify the suitable location for the establishment of a formal Battery Recycling Plant (BRP). In this research work, a three-stage hybrid methodology with the combination of ISM (Interpretive Structural Modeling), fuzzy AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process), and fuzzy COPRAS (Complex Proportional Assessment of Alternatives) methods was proposed to select the best sustainable location from the available options for BRP in India. In this study, a total of eight experts were selected from both academia and industry. Initially in this paper, 4 main sustainable criteria and 20 sustainable sub-criteria were considered from the literature review and field visits along with experts' opinions for evaluation of alternatives. This work contains three stages. In the first stage, the ISM method was used to filter 18 important sustainable sub-criteria from the primary list of 20 sub-criteria, based on its higher driving power. Then, fuzzy AHP was applied in the second stage to compute the criteria weights. In the last stage, the fuzzy COPRAS was used to rank and choose the best sustainable location for BRP. The findings emphasize that the Environmental protection level, Distance from residential areas, Distance from water source, Capital investment, Government policies, Social acceptance, Availability of scrap batteries, and Availability of utilities were the most significant criteria in the sustainability dimension. Thus, the present work helps the management in the selection of an appropriate sustainable location for BRP. [Display omitted] • A hybrid methodology was proposed for selecting battery recycling plant location. • Sustainable criteria are considered for decision making. • Interpretive Structural Modeling was used to identify the noteworthy criteria. • Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied to obtain the criteria weights. • Fuzzy Complex Proportional Assessment of Alternatives was used to select location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel quantitative sustainability evaluation model of hybrid natural gas combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems integrated with solar technologies, including sustainability indicator selection, normalization, weighting, aggregation, application, and sensitivity analysis. Three hybrid CCHP schemes respectively integrated with stationary and concentrating solar heat collectors and photovoltaic/thermal collectors and two natural gas CCHP schemes are configured and compared. Eleven indicators considering resources, technology, economics, environment and society were selected to estimate a composite sustainability index (CSI) for each of the five CCHP schemes. The "combined weighting" method was employed to define the indicators' weights, which combines subjective opinion of experts in the analytic hierarchy process method and the objective information of quantitative data in the information entropy method. The aggregated CSI provides a unique value for indicating the sustainability degree of schemes that is proportional to it. The results for a defined specific case demonstrate that the hybrid system integrated with stationary evacuated tube collectors has the largest CSI (0.868) and that the CSI of natural gas CCHP system, 0.756, is declined to 0.753 because of integrating the concentrating PV/T collector. The CSI provides a quantitative method to calculate the penalty cost of a scheme's negative environmental and social impact according to the economic cost of energy products, in which the dimensionless impact adjustment factor represents the magnitude of environmental and social impact. When the impact adjustment factor is set to 1.0, the lowest penalty cost of hybrid schemes accounts for 13.2% of total cost of energy product. The sensitivity analysis of indicator weights demonstrated the reliability of final evaluation results of the proposed quantitative sustainability evaluation model for hybrid CCHP schemes, and the comparisons with the conventional techno-economic model validated the proposed model. • A quantitative sustainability evaluation model of hybrid system was developed. • Five combined cooling, heating and power schemes were evaluated and compared. • Expert opinion and objective data were combined to obtain weight of criteria. • An index was defined to obtain penalty cost of environmental and social impacts. • Impact cost accounts for at least 13.2% of the total cost in the five schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable purchasing requires the consideration of the three pillars of sustainability simultaneously, namely the economy, the environment and the society. From a practical perspective, it can be challenging to quantify and integrate the environmental and societal considerations into day-to-day purchasing decisions. In this paper, a multi-criteria sustainable purchasing decision framework is applied where the environmental and societal criteria are obtained using a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) approach. For this purpose, an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model has been developed in conjunction with LCA to solve a sustainable purchasing problem from a large internet service provider (ISP) in the telecommunications industry, where the aim is to select the best jacketing option for fiber optic cabling. The jacketing options evaluated include Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). The results show that while PVC is the most economical viable option, HDPE emerges as the most sustainable option. A detailed sensitivity analysis indicates that even for highly cost-centric perspective (with relatively low weights on the environmental and social criteria) the results would hold. An impact analysis shows that switching to a sustainable jacketing option can reduce the related carbon emissions by 29% and particulate matter by 40%. • In telecom, economic criteria weigh heavily compared to environmental and social. • Global warming/cancer effects are the highest weighed environmental/social criteria. • High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is the most sustainable jacketing option. • Carbon emissions would be reduced by about 29% and particulate matter by about 40%. • Sustainability benefits do come at an increased cost about a 5.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry systems are widely promoted for their economic and environmental benefits. Food, energy, water and land resources in agroforestry systems are inextricably intertwined and expected to be severely impacted by climate change. Socioeconomic development and increasing populations have posed unique challenges for meeting the demand for food, energy, water and land, and the challenge will become more pressing under projected resource shortages and eco-environmental deterioration. Thus, a method of optimizing and sustainably managing the water-land-food-energy nexus in agroforestry systems under climate change must be developed. This paper develops an optimization model framework for the sustainable management of limited water-land-food-energy resources in agroforestry systems under climate change. The aims are to (1) quantify the interactions and feedbacks within water, land, food and energy subsystems; (2) provide trade-offs among water and energy utilization efficiency, economic benefits and environmental protection in agroforestry systems; and (3) generate optimal policy options among water and land resources for different crops and woodlands in different regions under different climate change patterns. The model framework is based on multiobjective fractional programming, and compromise programming is used to solve it. Climate change patterns are obtained from atmospheric circulation models and representative concentration pathways. The above aims are investigated through an actual nexus management problem in northeast China. Spatiotemporal meteorological and report-based databases, life cycle assessments, Pearson correlation analyses, data envelopment analyses and analytic hierarchy processes are integrated to realize practical application. The results show that climate variation will change the water and land allocation patterns and these changes will be more pronounced for major grain-producing areas. The optimized water allocation decreased (especially for rice, e.g., the optimal average value of the irrigation quota of rice was 4226 m3/ha, while the corresponding actual irrigation requirement of rice was [4200–7200] m3/ha) to improve the water use efficiency, and surface water allocation accounted for two-thirds. Maize had the largest planting area, although planting soybean generated the most greenhouse gases (greenhouse gas emissions from field activities for rice, maize, and soybean were 43.46%, 84.06% and 91.16%, respectively); However, these gases can be absorbed by forests. The model improved the harmonious degree of the resource-economy-environment system from 0.24 to 0.56 after optimization. Integrated models contribute to the sustainable management of water, food, energy and land resources and can consider the complex dynamics under climate change. It can be used as a general model and extended to other agroforestry systems that show inefficient agricultural production. [Display omitted] • Food, energy, water and land resources in agroforestry systems are inseparable and are impacted by climate change. • A cooperative optimization model is proposed to manage water-land-food-energy nexus (WLFEN) and cope with climate change. • Resources reallocation in WLFEN improve synergy of resource use efficiency, economic benefit and environmental impacts. • Inner linkage and synergy exist among resources in WLFEN in agroforestry systems and they are sensitive to climate change. • We put forward a quantitative way to assist managing agricultural resources sustainability in a change environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The coal power plants will continue to be the backbone of the Indian power sector for next few decades in India. • The Advanced Coal Technologies (ACT) have higher Sustainability Index. • The ACTs coupled with Carbon Capture Systems help to meet the future electricity demand as well as combat climate change. • Optimal mix of all energy source and technologies will create a sustainable society. In India, more than two-thirds of the total electricity is generated from coal-based power plants. The country will be heavily dependent on coal for electricity generation at least for a few more decades. A low carbon scenario for 2030 is projected and the results show that coal-based power plant will contribute to 58 % of electricity generated. This paper reports the sustainability assessment of several Advanced Coal Technologies (ACT), with and without a CO 2 capture system, for application in Indian coal-based power plants. In order to assess sustainability quantitatively, an index called Sustainability Index is estimated using a sequential combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and a multi-criteria decision-making method. The results show that ACTs like supercritical and ultra supercritical power plants with a carbon capture system have higher sustainability indices. These ACTs will help in reducing the CO 2 emissions and combat climate change. This study helps academicians, industrialists, policymakers, and other stakeholders to develop a technology roadmap for sustainable development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]