Search Results (34)

The greatest challenge of our era is achieving climate neutrality while strengthening adaptation and resilience to climate change. Addressing this requires an integrated approach that combines scientific, technological, and economic solutions with community engagement and public awareness. In this context, the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative serves as a bridge linking science and technology with art, culture, social inclusion, and civic participation. This paper investigates the regeneration of an urban area in Kozani, Greece, carried out in alignment with the principles of NEB. The project comprises the energy and esthetic renovation of three public buildings—two schools and a cultural center—together with the comprehensive revitalization of an adjacent park. The impact of these interventions is assessed through a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) defined within the NEB framework. These KPIs encompass technical, social, and economic dimensions, with a particular emphasis on the initiative’s three core values: Beautiful, Sustainable, and Together. The implementation represents one of the earliest practical applications of the NEB framework in Europe. Beyond the tangible outcomes, its significance lies in the systematic evaluation of both the interventions and the methodological tools employed, highlighting how the implementation process diverges from conventional urban regeneration approaches, how it operationalizes NEB principles, and how these principles contribute to results that are more effective. Finally, this comprehensive assessment provides a transferable model for monitoring, learning, and scaling similar initiatives in other urban contexts. Full article

Urban energy systems are expected to undergo a rapid transition towards smart, sustainable, and resilient infrastructures. Within this transformation, the interaction between smart buildings and energy grids plays a critical role in shaping future urban energy solutions. Smart building–grid interaction strategies facilitate the bidirectional energy flow between buildings and urban energy systems and support the integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) into cities’ energy systems through advanced control systems, sensing technologies, and digital infrastructures. However, the adoption of these solutions remains complex due to fragmented key performance indicators (KPIs) and the diversity of enabling technologies, and it requires accurate performance-driven design and operation. Despite recent advancements, the management and evaluation of the interaction of smart buildings and urban energy systems remain challenging due to overlapping and fragmented KPIs as well as the complexity of enabling technologies. Therefore, this study aims to review the recently published research works and provide a holistic taxonomy of KPIs and enabling technologies for such interplay between smart buildings and urban energy systems to achieve the goal of sustainable energy transition in cities. The study identifies and categorizes several existing KPIs across sustainability dimensions, including technical, environmental, economic, and social, covering the KPIs to measure the performance of smart building–urban energy systems from a sustainability-aware lens, offering an integrative framework for assessing urban energy resilience and efficiency. Additionally, the study contributes to classifying the enabling technologies for smart building and urban energy system interaction and discusses the interdependencies among such technology clusters. The findings contribute to ongoing urban energy transitions by promoting systemic approaches to planning, performance evaluation, and decision-making for sustainable and equitable urban energy futures. This contributes to the sustainability of the building and energy sectors at the urban scale by promoting and helping multi-dimensional performance assessment and informed decision-making. Full article

The increasing decentralization of energy systems calls for robust frameworks to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of hybrid renewable configurations at the community scale. This study presents an integrated methodology that combines Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), sensitivity analysis, and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making to assess hybrid systems in Castanheira de Pera, a small community in central Portugal. Fourteen configurations (C1–C14) integrating hydropower, solar PV, wind, and battery storage were simulated using HOMER Pro 3.16.2, PVsyst 8.0.16, Python 3.14.0, and Excel under both wet and dry hydrological conditions. A gate-controlled hydro-buffering model was applied to optimize short-term storage operation, increasing summer energy generation by 52–88% without additional infrastructure. Among all configurations, C8 achieved the highest Net Present Value (≈EUR 153,700) and a strong Internal Rate of Return (IRR), while maintaining a stable Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of around 0.042 EUR/kWh. Comparative decision scenarios highlight distinct stakeholder priorities: storage-intensive systems (C14, C11) maximize energy security, whereas medium-scale hybrids (C8, C7) offer superior economic performance. Overall, the results confirm that hybridization significantly improves community energy autonomy and resilience. Future work should extend this framework to include environmental and social indicators, enabling a more comprehensive techno-socio-economic assessment of hybrid renewable systems. Full article

Sustainability reporting has emerged as a pivotal tool for corporate accountability, integrating environmental, social, and economic performance into transparent disclosures that align with global frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This study evaluates the environmental sustainability performance of Turkey’s automotive manufacturing sector by analyzing the extent and depth of GRI-based disclosures and their alignment with SDG targets. A mixed-method approach, combining quantitative Key Performance Indicator (KPI) coverage analysis with qualitative content assessment, was applied to sustainability reports from 12 major manufacturers. By identifying the most frequently reported indicators, assessing their coverage of economic, environmental, and social dimensions, and evaluating their direct relevance to specific SDGs, this research fills a critical gap and provides actionable insights for policymakers, industry leaders, and sustainability practitioners. The results indicate that while social indicators achieve the highest average disclosure rate (77.3%), environmental themes dominate narrative emphasis, reflecting sectoral materiality and regulatory pressures rather than proportional (KPI) coverage. Key gaps include underreporting of governance-related SDGs (e.g., SDG 5, SDG 8, SDG 16), limited target-level mapping, and a lack of measurable, outcome-based indicators. The study proposes a structured methodology for linking GRI metrics to SDG targets, enabling more consistent benchmarking and highlighting opportunities for balanced integration across all sustainability pillars. The findings contribute to both academic discourse and industry practice by demonstrating the need to bridge the gap between quantitative breadth and qualitative depth in sustainability reporting, ensuring more robust alignment with the 2030 Agenda. Full article

Smallholder farmers, key actors in agri-food supply chains, still face persistent challenges in applying sustainability strategies due to limited resources, context variability, and weak-performance monitoring systems. Their multidimensional needs, across economic, environmental, and social domains, are frequently inadequately captured by traditional key performance indicators (KPIs). This paper proposes an innovative framework to prioritize KPIs tailored to smallholders by integrating a multi-capital approach with expert-based and contradiction-resolving methods. A five-phase methodology is developed that combines Multi-Expert Fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (FQFD) and the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ). Expert input and field data identified 30 KPIs, narrowed to 19 via a capital-constrained algorithm; TRIZ resolved key contradictions like global warming versus land use efficiency. Expert input and field data are used to identify the sustainability capitals and KPIs, which are then ranked using FQFD and filtered using a capital-constrained algorithm. TRIZ is then used to address contradictions between indicators. Applied to a case study, the framework successfully identified a ranked, coherent set of sustainability KPIs. The sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the prioritization. TRIZ offered innovative solutions to trade-offs between key indicators (such as environmental impact versus productivity). This is the first known integration of FQFD and TRIZ in sustainability KPIs for smallholders. This approach is adaptable and replicable within similar agricultural contexts, thereby allowing informed and context-sensitive planning for sustainability. It provides actionable insights to guide smallholder-focused agricultural policies globally. Full article

Consumers are increasingly willing to choose more sustainable products, driven by affordability and sustainability considerations. However, they often face difficulties in understanding the multitude of product certifications and identifying “greenwashing” marketing claims. This highlights the need for a clear and harmonized sustainability scoring system that allows consumers to benchmark products. Sustainability encompasses three key pillars: environmental, social, and economic. Accurately scoring a product’s sustainability requires addressing a wide range of criteria within these pillars, introducing significant complexity. This study proposes a multicriteria methodology for scoring the sustainability of apparel products into an A to E label. The approach combines a life cycle assessment covering environmental impacts from “farm-to-gate”, with a social evaluation based on country-level social key performance indicators (KPIs) and factory-specific data aligned with the International Labour Organization (ILO). Additionally, the sustainability score incorporates the impact of product durability, as longer-lasting products can reduce environmental footprint and costs for consumers. The methodology is defined and validated through a case study of a white T-shirt produced with 50% recycled cotton and 50% organic cotton. The results demonstrate the comprehensive assessment of the T-shirt’s environmental and social impacts, providing a detailed sustainability score, highlighting the role of recyclability. This comprehensive sustainability scoring system aims to provide consumers with a clear, harmonized, and reliable assessment of product sustainability, empowering everyone to make informed purchasing decisions aligned with their values. It will also enable brands and retailers to calculate the sustainability score of their products, including in the scope of digital product passport, provided they can ensure traceability and transparency along the supply chain. Full article

Natural fiber-based biocomposites are rapidly gaining traction in sustainable manufacturing. However, their supply chain (SC) designs at the feedstock pre-processing stage often lack robust multicriteria decision-making evaluations, which can impact downstream processes and final product quality. This case study proposes a sustainability-driven multicriteria decision-making framework for selecting pre-processing equipment configurations within a hemp-based biocomposite SC. Using a cradle-to-gate system boundary, four alternative configurations combining balers (square vs. round) and hammer mills (full-screen vs. half-screen) are evaluated. The analytical network process (ANP) model is used to evaluate alternative SC configurations while capturing the interdependencies among environmental, economic, social, and technical sustainability criteria. These criteria are further refined with the inclusion of sub-criteria, resulting in a list of 11 key performance indicators (KPIs). To evaluate ranking robustness, a non-linear programming (NLP)-based sensitivity model is developed, which minimizes the weight perturbations required to trigger rank reversals, using an IPOPT solver. The results indicated that the Half-Round setup provides the most balanced sustainability performance, while Full-Square performs best in economic and environmental terms but ranks lower socially and technically. Also, the ranking was most sensitive to the weight of the system reliability and product quality criteria, with up to a 100% shift being required to change the top choice under the ANP model, indicating strong robustness. Overall, the proposed framework enables decision-makers to incorporate uncertainty, interdependencies, and sustainability-related KPIs into the early-stage SC design of bio-based composite materials. Full article

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are rates, percentages, or averages that convey information depending on their application field. In the Food Supply Chain (FSC), a comprehensive study is lacking. This paper fills the gap through a systematic literature review of 125 documents on FSC performance measurement. Bibliometric analysis shows a growing publication trend, with common keywords being KPIs, supply chain management, performance, and sustainability. Content analysis identifies nine FSC product types, with agricultural, dairy, and meat products being the most common categories. Similarly, three FSC areas (supply, production, distribution) are outlined, with production receiving the greatest attention. Finally, KPIs are classified into economic, environmental, and social sustainability categories, to highlight their relationships with the triple bottom line. A framework including the most common KPIs for each stage of the FSC is also proposed, together with the specific KPIs for the different product types. Full article

Objectives: This study aims to develop performance indicators for service robotics in senior community-based environments and analyze their impact on independent living and quality of life for older adults. Methods: To achieve this, a sequential exploratory design within the Mixed Methods Research (MMR) framework was employed, integrating qualitative research (Focus Group Interview, FGI) and quantitative research (Analytic Hierarchy Process, AHP). The FGIs were conducted with a panel of six experts over three rounds, leading to the identification of six key performance indicators (KPIs) for service robotics in senior communities: Technical Performance, User-Centered Performance, Social and Psychological Impact, Ethical and Safety Performance, Economic and Operational Performance, and Service Efficiency. Following this, the AHP analysis was conducted with a final sample of 29 participants from an initial 32 respondents. Results: The AHP analysis results revealed that Technical Performance (rank 1, 0.256) was the most critical factor, followed by User-Centered Performance (rank 2, 0.205) and Social and Psychological Impact (rank 3, 0.167). These findings suggest that enhancing a user-friendly, intuitive UI/UX is essential for ensuring ease of use by older adults. Additionally, while Ethical and Safety Performance (rank 3, 0.139), Economic and Operational Performance (rank 4, 0.126), and Service Efficiency (rank 5, 0.105) had relatively lower importance scores, the study highlights the necessity of establishing optimized systems through ethical and safety standards and emphasizes that real-time monitoring systems play a crucial role in enhancing operational efficiency. Conclusions: Enhancing service robotics performance requires prioritizing technical capabilities and user-centered design, along with ethical standards and real-time monitoring. This study proposes a structured evaluation framework to support more effective robotic solutions in senior care environments. Full article

European cities have adopted different solutions to address the challenges of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, depending on their specific characteristics and needs. The widespread adoption of effective solutions could accelerate the transition towards more sustainable urban mobility. However, as cities differ in socio-economic, infrastructural, and environmental aspects, a one-size-fits-all approach may not be suitable. Currently, there is a lack of studies in the literature that identify similarities among cities to support the development of shared strategies for sustainable electric mobility. This paper contributes to filling this gap by proposing a methodology based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to classify and compare cities according to their electric vehicle infrastructure. Using quantitative data from 80 European cities across civil, social, and transport-related factors, as well as electric vehicle charging characteristics, we identified five reference city clusters. A sensitivity analysis, conducted across 30 scenarios, validated the robustness of the KPI framework. This approach provides a tool for policymakers to monitor the evolution of charging infrastructure, supporting data-driven decision-making for sustainable urban mobility. By promoting efficient and adaptable electric vehicle policies, this study aligns with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly in fostering sustainable cities and clean energy adoption. Full article

Existing buildings in the European Union account for 40% of its energy consumption. To significantly reduce this impact, annual deep energy renovation rates should triple by the end of the 2020s. However, the lack of automation in the construction industry has hindered energy renovation efforts. Horizon Europe’s INPERSO project (Industrialised and Personalised Renovation for Sustainable Societies) aims to create a user-centered energy rehabilitation method based on industrialized technologies and systems, enhancing efficiency and building performance. To bridge the gap between predictions and real-world outcomes, the 22 project partners—using a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) process—devised a list of key performance indicators (KPIs) for evaluating rehabilitation based on economic, energy, environmental, social, and technological factors. Adopting a human-centric approach, these project partners aim to minimize the technologies’ environmental impact while optimizing users’ comfort and experience. The indicators are designed to evaluate performance at every stage of the renovation process, enabling continuous feedback and user engagement and ultimately ensuring that projected energy savings are met throughout the building’s lifespan. The KPIs selected for INPERSO provide a solid framework for evaluating and monitoring sustainable renovation. However, challenges such as administrative reluctance and user disruption must be addressed to further boost the adoption of deep energy renovations. Full article

The Italian ceramic tiles district has a long tradition but is called to face new sustainability challenges related to the profitability, the environmental impact, and the capability to offer pleasant and motivating working conditions for new young employees. New Industry 4.0 approaches are emerging to evolve the current industrial organization and are expected to enhance the overall economic, environmental, and social viability. In this context, this paper aims at demonstrating the positive correlation between the new technologies and the sustainability of the sector. It outlines the main achievements of a 4-year project financed by the Italian government, involving the entire chain made up of research centers, technology providers, and tiles producers. The presented approach is concretized in several technological innovations based on the Industry 4.0 paradigm. Furthermore, a pilot line was created to test the new systems and collect data on the process. The main results are reported in terms of improved sustainability KPIs, such as extended possibility of control of production plants, waste reduction, lower consumption of raw materials and chemical additives. Finally, a sensible increase in the operators’ digitalization level is registered, making a shift from a physical and hard working environment towards more conceptual and attractive job conditions. Full article

Addressing the urgent sustainability challenges in the wine industry, this study explores the efficacy of sustainability-oriented innovations (SOIs) and smart farming technologies (SFTs) across wine value chains in Cyprus and Italy. Utilising a mixed-methods approach that includes quantitative analysis through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and qualitative assessments to understand stakeholders’ perspectives, this research delves into the environmental, economic, and social impacts of these technologies. In Cyprus, the integration of digital labelling and smart farming solutions led to a substantial reduction in pesticide usage by up to 75% and enhanced the perceived quality of wine by an average of 8%. A pilot study in Italy witnessed a 33.4% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions, with the additional benefit of a 5.3% improvement in intrinsic product quality. The pilot introduced a carbon credit system, potentially generating an average annual revenue of EUR 4140 per farm. These findings highlight the transformative potential of SOIs and SFTs in promoting sustainable practices within the wine industry, demonstrating significant advancements in reducing environmental impact, improving product quality, and enhancing economic viability. This study underscores the critical role of innovative technologies in achieving sustainability goals and provides a compelling case for their wider adoption within the agricultural sector. Full article

One of the most important challenges in the construction industry is to develop projects covering all three dimensions of sustainability: economic, social, and environmental. However, the construction project management literature lacks clarity regarding the fundamental principles and effective strategies for implementing sustainability for on-site construction processes. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the sustainability dimensions in the construction sector, highlighting sustainability key performance indicators (KPIs) for on-site practices. The analysis stems from a systematic literature review sourced from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. The search identified 17 environmental, 20 social, and 15 economic indicators, with the most relevant being those associated with key terms such as cost, profit, labor, customer satisfaction, community impact, resource utilization, and contaminant management. The theoretical implications of this study contribute a critical framework for integrating the sustainability dimensions into construction practices, advancing the industry’s sustainability. For practitioners, the findings offer a prioritized guide to enhance on-site construction processes (O-SCP) sustainability and provide measurable KPIs for tracking progress toward sustainable development goals. This study not only sheds light on the current application of sustainability in O-SCP but also paves the way for future research to further this field. Full article

Urban freight transportation is the activity that has the greatest impact on urban areas in terms of sustainability and livability, and it is, therefore, necessary to reduce its impact. Currently, there is a lack of methodologies to validate the methods proposed by companies to reduce their impacts. The proposed methodology presents the implementation of a KPI (Key Performance Indicator) based on the triple bottom line approach: economic, social and environmental, since a company with good results on the “triple bottom line” will experience an increase in its economic profitability and its environmental commitment while reducing the impacts that generate negative perceptions of it. This KPI is the OEEM (Overall Equipment Effectiveness for Mobility), a redesign of the well-known OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), but adapted to the needs of urban freight transportation since this indicator provides a quick overview of the efficiency or performance of the activity according to five components: quality of deliveries, vehicle utilization, availability of the vehicle–driver tandem and efficiency (result of traffic and efficiency of delivery stops). The methodology developed will be implemented in a case study where the KPI will be calculated on the basis of real-time data and visualized on a control panel; thanks to this KPI, the company will be able to validate whether the measures taken have a positive or negative impact. Full article