An Ecological Sustainability Assessment Approach for Strategic Decision Making in International Shipping

Relatively little attention is currently paid to understanding the ecological impacts of international shipping, although ecological sustainability has become a necessary condition for developing international trade. Sustainability assessment, which identifies the sustainability-oriented effects of developmental activities for supporting decision-making, has been widely used. This study attempts to propose an ecological sustainability assessment approach to serve international shipping development based on the general assessment steps initiated by the OECD and the multi-dimensional decision making (MDDM) model. Compared with the existing sustainability assessment methods, the proposed approach is unlikely to be restricted to data acquisition, indicators evaluation, or causal recognition. Through a case study, the results recommend not only to prioritize avoiding the negative impacts of international shipping on noise, air, plants, water, and animals but also to promote continuous improvement of the local ecosystem and international shipping, particularly in the conditions of sediment and micro-organism communities of Xiamen. This proposed approach as a supplement to the current sustainability assessment methodology helps to make informative and integrative strategic sustainability decisions associated with international shipping.

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Sustainability Assessment and Agricultural Supply Chains Evidence-Based Multidimensional Analyses as Tools for Strategic Decision-Making—The Case of the Pineapple Supply Chain in Benin

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13042060 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 2060

Author(s):

Doriane Desclee ◽

David Sohinto ◽

Freddy Padonou

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Sustainable Development ◽

Developing Countries ◽

Supply Chains ◽

Agricultural Sector ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Strategic Decision ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Agricultural Supply

Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030 is a shared objective of all institutions and people. The challenges differ according to the characteristics of every context. In developing countries, strongly dependent on the agricultural sector, agricultural supply chains are recognized as crucial for economic growth and enablers for livelihood improvement. Moreover, sustainable development issues are correlated and can meet in agricultural supply chains. For several decades, parallel to decision-makers, the research community has elaborated sustainability assessment tools. Such tools evolved to fit with actuality, but it is challenging to find decision-making support tools for sustainable development adequate in agricultural supply chains and developing countries contexts. There is a necessity to define evidence-based tools and exhaustive analytical frameworks according to sustainability multidimensionality and strategical tradeoffs necessity. The VCA4D method aims to go beyond the limits of previous methods. It proposes a combination of multidisciplinary analytical tools applied empirically to analyze agricultural supply chains in their context. It provides evidence-based analytical results allowing to identify enablers for strategic sustainable and inclusive interventions. However, to even better meet contextual exhaustiveness’s expectations and indicators’ robustness to lead to relevant interventions, we should insist on a stricter framing of contextual data collection processes.

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Green Strategic Planning Approach for International Shipping Activities

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12010041 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 41 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xiaofang Wu ◽

Luoping Zhang ◽

Huan Feng

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Strategic Planning ◽

Point Of View ◽

Strategic Decision ◽

Life Cycle Thinking ◽

Strategic Decision Making ◽

Holistic View ◽

International Shipping ◽

Green Development

Sustainability is a long-term and ultimate goal for international shipping, although it is slowly making progress. The shipping perspective that moves away from “port-to-port” operations to “door-to-door” services also requires international shipping to take a long-term and holistic view instead of fragmented efforts. How to achieve the long-term sustainability goal becomes a key issue for door-to-door international shipping. Hence, green strategic planning for door-to-door international shipping was proposed with green development that puts forward the eco-centric point of view as its basic theory for sustainability. This study used a strategic decision-making approach, a so-called multi-dimensional decision-making (MDDM), coupled with the life-cycle thinking and continual improvement of ISO 14000, to achieve strategic planning for door-to-door international shipping aiming at sustainability. A case study showed an example of potential framework and/or methodology for the door-to-door international shipping, which integrates green development principles into international shipping planning to reach the long-term goal of sustainability, and meet the needs of the “door-to-door” logistics. It not only points out the general environmental problems but also identifies many critical issues for sustainability in international shipping. As a result, this study developed an approach and methods for sustainable door-to-door international shipping based on the proactively strategic decision-making associated with green development.

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How do current sustainability assessment tools support farmers’ strategic decision making?

Ecological Indicators ◽

10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106298 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 114 ◽

pp. 106298 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ine Coteur ◽

Hilde Wustenberghs ◽

Lies Debruyne ◽

Ludwig Lauwers ◽

Fleur Marchand

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Assessment Tools ◽

Strategic Decision ◽

Strategic Decision Making ◽

Sustainability Assessment Tools

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Sustainability Assessment of Annual and Permanent Crops: The Inspia Model

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11030738 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 738 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Paula Trivino-Tarradas ◽

Manuel Gomez-Ariza ◽

Gottlieb Basch ◽

Emilio Gonzalez-Sanchez

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Best Management Practices ◽

Management Practices ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Composite Index ◽

Strategic Decision ◽

Best Management ◽

Decision Making Processes ◽

Pie Chart

The Initiative for Sustainable Productive Agriculture (INSPIA) project promotes best management practices for agriculture, to enhance the provision of ecosystem services through better stewardship of soil and water resources while ensuring high levels of productivity. This paper presents the INSPIA methodology for the assessment of sustainability and for guiding farmers on strategic decision-making at farm level, applicable to any kind of cropland. The methodology is based on the application of 15 best management practices, which are assessed through a set of 31 basic sustainability indicators that cover the economic, social and environmental dimensions both agreed by a panel of experts. Basic indicators are then grouped into 12 aggregated indicators, to build the final INSPIA composite index. The INSPIA methodology provides farmers and advisers with a tool to understand sustainability and which, to a certain extent, serves to improve performance toward sustainability. Results are presented in three different ways: a bar diagram with the whole set of basic indicator-values; a pie chart representing the sustainability split in the aggregated indicators; and a final sustainability index. In the medium and long term, the INSPIA methodology can help to monitor and assess agricultural and environmental policy implementation, as well as help improve its decision-making processes in the future.

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Stakeholders’ perceptions towards non-native acacias and implications for their management in Portugal

Forestry An International Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1093/forestry/cpz060 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 93 (4) ◽

pp. 557-566 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ana Sofia Vaz ◽

Joana Ribeiro ◽

João P Honrado ◽

Joana R Vicente

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Native Species ◽

Ecological Impacts ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Invasion History ◽

Management Actions ◽

Native Trees ◽

Effective Decision ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Effective Decision Making

Abstract Humans act as drivers for the introduction of non-native trees. Some non-native species may become invasive and cause undesirable impacts, thereby motivating targeted decision-making and management actions. Australian acacias (or wattles; genus Acacia subgenus Phyllodineae) have been introduced worldwide, offering both opportunities and risks for local communities. Understanding how stakeholders perceive invasive acacias is paramount to assist effective decision-making. We assessed stakeholders’ perceptions about these non-native acacias, their invasion process, social-ecological impacts and management. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey with experienced managers and decision-makers in Northern Portugal, where acacia invasions are widespread. We found that most stakeholders are not able to recognize non-native species, failing to identify the introduction period, drivers of dispersion and appropriate management methods of Australian acacias. We could also identify different stakeholder perceptions on the benefits and negative impacts provided by these species. We call for the implementation of technical training and information outreach strategies to address stakeholders’ lack of knowledge (and experience) on the recognition and identification of non-native trees, as well as on their introduction and invasion history, drivers of dispersion, costs and benefits, and effective management actions. Stakeholders’ engagement should be promoted in the design and implementation of biosecurity efforts to control (and/or adapt to) invasive acacias at relevant scales of invasion management.

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A Review of Multicriteria Assessment Techniques Applied to Sustainable Infrastructure Design

Advances in Civil Engineering ◽

10.1155/2019/6134803 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-16 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Ignacio J. Navarro ◽

Víctor Yepes ◽

José V. Martí

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Sustainability Assessment ◽

Multicriteria Decision Making ◽

Analytic Hierarchy ◽

Sustainable Infrastructure ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Assessment Approach ◽

Assessment Techniques ◽

Development Goals ◽

Simple Additive Weighting

Given the great impacts associated with the construction and maintenance of infrastructures in both the environmental, the economic and the social dimensions, a sustainable approach to their design appears essential to ease the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. Multicriteria decision-making methods are usually applied to address the complex and often conflicting criteria that characterise sustainability. The present study aims to review the current state of the art regarding the application of such techniques in the sustainability assessment of infrastructures, analysing as well the sustainability impacts and criteria included in the assessments. The Analytic Hierarchy Process is the most frequently used weighting technique. Simple Additive Weighting has turned out to be the most applied decision-making method to assess the weighted criteria. Although a life cycle assessment approach is recurrently used to evaluate sustainability, standardised concepts, such as cost discounting, or presentation of the assumed functional unit or system boundaries, as required by ISO 14040, are still only marginally used. Additionally, a need for further research in the inclusion of fuzziness in the handling of linguistic variables is identified.

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