Using a multi-criteria decision aid methodology to implement sustainable development principles within an organization

• Published in: European journal of operational research Vol. 224; no. 3; pp. 603 - 613
• Main Authors: Merad, Myriam, Dechy, Nicolas, Serir, Lisa, Grabisch, Michel, Marcel, Frédéric
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.02.2013; Elsevier Sequoia S.A; Elsevier
• Subjects: Computer Science; Decision making models; Economics and Finance; ELECTRE and Choquet integral; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; Environmental management; Humanities and Social Sciences; Multi-criteria decision aid; Multiple criteria decision making; Operations Research; Studies; Sustainable development; Sustainable development action plan; Sustainable development indicators; Multi-criteria decision aid; Sustainable development action plan; ELECTRE and Choquet integral; Sustainable development indicators; Sustainable Development indicators; ELECTRE; Multi-Criteria Decision Aid; Choquet Integral; Sustainable Development action plan
• ISSN: 0377-2217; 1872-6860
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2012.08.019

► There is rarely an optimal solution in Sustainable Development (SD). ► MCDA methodology offers the opportunity to avoid monetization of the different dimensions of the SD. ► We have proposed a method to choose an adequate aggregation procedure for SD problems. ► We have implemented two aggregation procedures to rank SD actions within a public Organization: ELECTRE III and MAUT. The implementation of Sustainable Development (SD) within an Organization is a difficult task. This is due to the fact that it is difficult to deal with conflicting and incommensurable aspects such as environmental, economic and social dimensions. In this paper we have used a Multi-Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA) methodology to cope with these difficulties. MCDA methodology offers the opportunity to avoid monetary valuation of the different dimensions of the SD. These dimensions are not substitutable for one another and all have a role to play. There is an abundance of possible aggregation procedures in MCDA methodology. In this paper we have proposed an innovative method to choose a suitable aggregation procedure for SD problems. Real life case studies of the implementation of an outranking approach (i.e., ELECTRE) and of a mono-criterion synthesis approach (i.e., MAUT approaches based on the Choquet integral) were done to respectively rank 22 SD strategic actions within an expertise Institute and rank 20 practical operational actions to control energy consumption of the Institute’s buildings.