Analysis of the structure and criteria in the elaboration of a sustainability index

Authors

  • Alexandre André Feil Centro Universitário UNIVATES
  • Dusan Schreiber Universidade Feevale

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v8n2.2017.21516

Keywords:

Sustentabilidade, Indicadores, Normalização, Ponderação, Agregação

Abstract

The sustainability of human-environmental systems currently represents the best choice for its continuity.
Sustainability index can be used for possibly identifying the direction of sustainability, although
regarded as complex and subjective. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the process of constructing
a sustainability index, by identifying main definitions, structure and methods. The used methodology included qualitative research, with data collection from literature review and interpretation analysis. The
results illustrate that the structure of a sustainability index is developed by identifying the aims and the
human-environmental system, by the selection, normalization, ponderation and aggregation of indices,
thus generating the index. We conclude that there is no single model for the process of elaborating
sustainability index, so different processes can be used, differing in their quality of measurement of
sustainability. Additionally, the choice for a process is related to the available information on the
measured subsystem. In this context, it is recommended great attention, once the generated index
could present unsatisfactory and unrealistic results.

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Author Biographies

Alexandre André Feil, Centro Universitário UNIVATES

Graduado em Ciências Contábeis, Pós-graduado em Cooperativismo e Gestão de Negócios, Mestre em Ambiente e Desenvolvimento e Doutor em Qualidade Ambiental. Professor adjunto do Centro Universitário UNIVATES, Centro de Gestão Organizacional do Curso de Ciências Contábeis.

Dusan Schreiber, Universidade Feevale

Graduado, Mestre e doutorado em Administração. Professor dos PPGs de industria criativa e Qualidade Ambiental da Universidade Feevale.

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Published

2017-09-01

How to Cite

Feil, A. A., & Schreiber, D. (2017). Analysis of the structure and criteria in the elaboration of a sustainability index. Sustainability in Debate, 8(2), 30–43. https://doi.org/10.18472/SustDeb.v8n2.2017.21516

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Artigos