A data envelopment analysis approach to choose transport modes based on eco-efficiency

Ilton Leal (), Pauli Almada Garcia () and Márcio Almeida D’Agosto ()

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2012, vol. 14, issue 5, 767-781

Abstract: The main purpose of this paper is to use data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a support tool to establish a relative eco-efficiency measure for the different bioethanol transportation modes and to prioritize these different modes according to these figures. From a review of previous studies, we selected a set of attributes to be considered in DEA, and then experts were consulted about the importance of these attributes for this type of analysis in Brazil. To quantify the attributes, we established indicators and submitted them to DEA to evaluate the relative eco-efficiency to each available transportation mode for the case studied. The use of DEA established the guidelines to improve the transportation modes that were not considered 100 % relatively eco-efficient. These improvements could be achieved considering the percentage, reduction or growth for each of the attributes in the selected transportation mode. The proposed approach can help the Brazilian government to develop a plan to improve the bioethanol transportation infrastructure and can be used to propel short-term improvements in the highway transport of bioethanol, which could be useful given the Brazilian transportation context. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2012

Keywords: Data envelopment analysis; Transportation modal choice; Eco-efficiency; Bioethanol (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-012-9352-x

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