Sustainability Assessment of Public Transport, Part I—A Multi-Criteria Assessment Method to Compare Different Bus Technologies

Jonas Ammenberg and Sofia Dahlgren
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Jonas Ammenberg: Environmental Technology and Management and Biogas Research Center (BRC), Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
Sofia Dahlgren: Environmental Technology and Management and Biogas Research Center (BRC), Department of Management and Engineering, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-25

Abstract: This article departs from the perspective of Swedish regional transport authorities and focuses on the public procurement of bus transports. Many of these public organizations on the county level have the ambition to contribute to a transition involving the continued marginalization of fossil fuels and improved sustainability performance. However, there are several renewable bus technologies to choose between and it can be difficult to know what alternative (or combination) is preferable. Prior research and the authors’ experiences indicate a need for improved knowledge and supportive methods on how sustainability assessments can support public procurement processes. The purpose of this article is to develop a multi-criteria assessment (MCA) method to support assessments of public bus technologies’ sustainability. The method, which was established in an iterative and participatory process, consists of four key areas and 12 indicators. The article introduces the problem context and reviews selected prior research of relevance dealing with green or sustainable public procurement and sustainability assessments. Further on, the process and MCA method are presented and discussed based on advice for effective and efficient sustainability assessments. In the companion article (Part II), the MCA method is applied to assess several bus technologies involving biodiesel, biomethane, diesel, electricity, ethanol and natural gas.

Keywords: bus technologies; multi-criteria assessment; MCA; MCDA; public transport; sustainability assessment; sustainable or green public procurement (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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