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M. Zolfaghari and S. J. Zafarmand
8.3 Framework
8.3.1 Sustainability Dimensions and Indicators
Sustainable indicators, which were first brought up at the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, are used
as important tools for measuring different aspects of sustainable development (De
1992). Generally, three dimensions of Environment, Society and Economy have been
also utilized for sustainability in order to assess transportation sustainability (Freitas
and Silva 2012; Haghshenas and Vaziri 2012). A definition supported by international
institutions has also the above dimensions (Alonso et al. 2015). Mitropoulos and
Prevedouros have divided sustainable transportation vehicles into five dimensions
of Environment, Technology, Energy, Economy and Users. In this paper, the authors
have used these five dimensions as: vehicles environmental sustainability (I Env ),
vehicles technological sustainability (I Tec ), vehicles energical sustainability (I Ene ),
vehicles economical sustainability (I Eco ), vehicles users’ sustainability (I Use ) and
finally vehicles overall sustainability (I Ov ). The process of calculating the overall
dimension (I Ov ) is shown in Fig. 8.2.
8.3.1.1 Environment
The European Commission defines a healthy environment as “one of the cornerstones of sustainable development… it defines our common identity and thus its
preservation for present and future generations” (Wolff 2004). Vehicles emit carbon
dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC),
particulate matter (PM), hydrofluorocarbon 134a (HFC-134a), methane (CH 4 ), and
nitrous oxide (N 2 O). An understanding of these emissions is needed in discussions
Fig. 8.2 Process of
calculating overall
dimension (I Ov )
Select vehicles sustainability dimensions
Select vehicles sustainability indicators
Quantify vehicles sustainability indicators
Normalize the indicators
Calculate I Env , I Tec, I Ene, I Eco , I Use
Calculate overall dimension (I Ov )
M. Zolfaghari and S. J. Zafarmand
8.3 Framework
8.3.1 Sustainability Dimensions and Indicators
Sustainable indicators, which were first brought up at the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, are used
as important tools for measuring different aspects of sustainable development (De
1992). Generally, three dimensions of Environment, Society and Economy have been
also utilized for sustainability in order to assess transportation sustainability (Freitas
and Silva 2012; Haghshenas and Vaziri 2012). A definition supported by international
institutions has also the above dimensions (Alonso et al. 2015). Mitropoulos and
Prevedouros have divided sustainable transportation vehicles into five dimensions
of Environment, Technology, Energy, Economy and Users. In this paper, the authors
have used these five dimensions as: vehicles environmental sustainability (I Env ),
vehicles technological sustainability (I Tec ), vehicles energical sustainability (I Ene ),
vehicles economical sustainability (I Eco ), vehicles users’ sustainability (I Use ) and
finally vehicles overall sustainability (I Ov ). The process of calculating the overall
dimension (I Ov ) is shown in Fig. 8.2.
8.3.1.1 Environment
The European Commission defines a healthy environment as “one of the cornerstones of sustainable development… it defines our common identity and thus its
preservation for present and future generations” (Wolff 2004). Vehicles emit carbon
dioxide (CO 2 ), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrocarbons (HC),
particulate matter (PM), hydrofluorocarbon 134a (HFC-134a), methane (CH 4 ), and
nitrous oxide (N 2 O). An understanding of these emissions is needed in discussions
Fig. 8.2 Process of
calculating overall
dimension (I Ov )
Select vehicles sustainability dimensions
Select vehicles sustainability indicators
Quantify vehicles sustainability indicators
Normalize the indicators
Calculate I Env , I Tec, I Ene, I Eco , I Use
Calculate overall dimension (I Ov )