Sustainable development is a principal concept for housing, urban infrastructure, energetics, transportation, or business. Fragmentation of concept definition is a result of abusive term overuse by the entire society. In 2015 UNECE established a clear sustainable housing definition through The Geneva UN Charter on Sustainable Housing and its 34 Rationales. The UN encourages its member states to measure progress in sustainable development through existing or newly developed indicators. Existing commercial housing evaluation tools are insufficient for the Geneva UN Charter concept. Initially, the tools measured the so-called greenness of buildings overlooking anthropocentric and social qualities of housing underlined in the UN Geneva Charter. Commercial certification tools heavily reliant on profits often utilize incorrect concepts of sustainability. That results in false sustainability. This work aspires to introduce a transparent housing sustainability assessment tool for the Czech Republic. Firstly, were identified unique phenomena outlining the concept of housing sustainability. To identified phenomena were consequently nominated and assigned appropriate indicators. While in a different situation is housing interpreted as a human environment, building, home, investment, or fundamental human...

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Life cycle costing (LCC) is the state-of-the-art method to economically evaluate long-term projects over their life spans. However, uncertainty in long-range planning raises concerns about LCC results. In Part I of this series, we developed a holistic framework of the different types of uncertainty in infrastructure LCCs. We also collected methods to address these uncertainties. The aim of Part II is to evaluate the suitability of methods to cope with uncertainty in LCC. Part I addressed two research gaps. It presented a systematic collection of uncertainties and methods in LCC and, furthermore, provided a holistic categorization of both. However, Part I also raised new issues. First, a combined analysis of sources and methods is still outstanding. Such an investigation would reveal the suitability of different methods to address a certain type of uncertainty. Second, what has not been assessed so far is what types of uncertainty are insufficiently addressed in LCC. This would be a feature to improve accuracy of LCC results within LCC, by suggesting options to better cope with uncertainty. To address these research gaps, we conducted a systematic literature review. Part II analyzed the suitability of methods to address uncertainties. The suitability depends on data availability, type of data (tangible, intangible, random, non-random), screened hotspots, and tested modeling specifications. We identified types of uncertainties and methods that have been insufficiently addressed. The methods include probabilistic modeling such as design of experiment or subset simulation and evolutionary algorithm and Bayesian modeling such as the Bayesian latent Markov decision process. Subsequently, we evaluated learning potential from other life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). This analysis revealed 28 possible applications that have not yet been used in LCC. Lastly, we developed best practices for LCC practitioners. This systematic review complements prior research on uncertainty in LCC for infrastructure, as laid out in Part I. Part II concludes that all relevant methods to address uncertainty are currently applied in LCC. Yet, the level of application is different. Moreover, not all methods are equally suited to address different categories of uncertainty. This review offers guidance on what to do for each source and type of uncertainty. It illustrates how methods can address both based on current practice in LCC, LCA, and LCSA. The findings of Part II encourage a dialog between practitioners of LCC, LCA, and LCSA to advance research and practice in uncertainty analysis.

Infrastructure projects are today major contributors to global warming. However, various strategies for reduction of greenhouse gas emission are available, as described in sustainability assessment schemes and performed in infrastructure projects. Beyond the choice of methodology, greenhouse gas reduction represents an important challenge, namely to engage involved actors. The establishment of a common sustainability policy, reflected in procurement requirements could be a solution. However, often in subject of complications such as misunderstandings or increased cost. Impres, a research project aiming to streamline the process of greenhouse gas reduction in the infrastructure sector, conducts case studies around the world in which useful methods and examples are assimilated. In cooperation with Impres, the present report includes the case study of California High-Speed Rail (CHSR). The aim of this report is to compare strategies for greenhouse gas reduction of sustainability assessment schemes for infrastructure projects, and evaluate the feasibility as procurement requirements. Furthermore, to identify corresponding processes of greenhouse gas reduction in the case study of CHSR, as well as revealing important factors towards realization. The course of work involves a study of the schemes Envision, BREEAM Infrastructure, CEEQUAL, IS Rating System as well as the standard PAS 2080. Regarding the case study, the sustainability policy, procurement requirements and project reports are the main used sources. Moreover, qualitative interviews with involved actors have been performed in California. Finally, to create a comparative matrix for greenhouse gas reduction processes, standards ISO and PAS 2080 have been reviewed. The results show that greenhouse gas criteria of the studied schemes not are mandatory to perform in anyone but PAS 2080. Which means that further requisites might be needed in order for the schemes to be useful as procurement requirements. Furthermore, the outlining of processes reveals a weakness in the setting of a greenhouse gas reference point, and while every scheme includes a greenhouse gas quantity assessment, there is a difference in the priority of reduction. Regarding CHSR, an exclaimed policy goal is to perform climate neutral construction. While procurement requirements are limited to quantification of emitted greenhouse gases and the use of effective construction machinery, which is insufficient to meet the goal. Nevertheless, the Authority in charge is performing CO2 compensating measures, such as planting trees. Finally, a variety of driving forces, success factors and challenges for realizing greenhouse gas reduction have been identified. For example, personal motivation and legislation as driving forces. Whereas, sustainability as a core mission, experience and communication are seen as success factors, and resistance to transfer sustainability goals to procurement is an exclaimed challenge. As a conclusion, sustainability assessment schemes do have certain processes for greenhouse gas reduction in common. However, they present criteria with different degrees of obligation, affecting feasibility as procurement requirements. In CHSR, similar processes are found, where further reduction of greenhouse gases can be achieved, especially by an optimized choice of construction materials. In the end, personal motivation seems to be an important factor for introducing and realizing greenhouse gas reduction goals in infrastructure projects. / Impres

This dissertation aims to investigate the sustainability impacts of alternative vehicle technologies and develop comprehensive sustainability assessment frameworks to analyze potential impacts of these vehicles in the U.S. In order to assess sustainability impact of vehicle alternatives, life-cycle based models has been extensively used in the literature. Although life cycle-based models are often used for environmental impacts of alternative vehicles, analysis of social and economic impacts of these vehicles has gained a tremendous interest. In this regard, there is a growing interest among the international platform and academia to use the Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework to have more informed sustainable products, material and technology choices by considering the environmental, as well as social and economic impacts. The Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment framework is still under development and there is an ongoing research to advance it for future applications. In this dissertation, current and future needs of sustainability assessment frameworks and the U.S. transportation are identified and addressed. The major research gaps are identified as follows: (1) there has been small emphasis on effects of spatial and temporal variations on the sustainability impacts of alternative vehicle technologies, (2) no national research efforts as of now have been directed specifically toward understanding the fundamental relationship between the adoption of electric vehicles and water demand, (3) there has been a lack of understanding the dynamic complexity of transportation sustainability, encompassing feedback mechanisms, and interdependencies, for the environmental, social, and economic impacts of alternative vehicles, and (4) there is no emphasis on addressing uncertainties inherent to the U.S. transportation and its complex relationships with the environment, society, and economy. The environmental, economic, and social impacts of alternative vehicles are highly critical for truly assessing and understanding the long-term sustainability of vehicles and propose economically viable, socially acceptable, and environmentally-friendly transportation solutions for U.S. passenger transportation. This dissertation provides a more comprehensive sustainability assessment framework by realizing following objectives: (1) inclusion of spatial and temporal variations when quantifying carbon, energy, and water footprints of alternative vehicle technologies, (2) quantifying environmental, social, and economic impacts of alternative vehicle technologies, (3) capturing the dynamic relations among the parameters of U.S. transportation system, environment, society, and the economy, (4) dealing with uncertainties inherent to the U.S. transportation sector considering the complexity of the system and dynamic relationships. The results of this dissertation reveal that the results with consideration of uncertainties, temporal and spatial variations, and dynamic complex relationships among the system variables can be significantly different than those of without consideration of those. Therefore, when developing policies the robustness of proposed scenarios should be valuated with consideration of uncertainties, temporal and spatial variations as well as the dynamic feedback mechanisms. The outcomes of this study can pave the way for advancement in the state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice in the sustainability research by presenting novel approaches to deal with uncertainties and complex systems.

Construction of municipal utility complexes has to support continuing population growth, economic development, and a widespread of social interest in environmental preservation. Municipalities face challenges in designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sustainable utility complexes, and their primary goal in developing such a complex is to minimize the environmental impact resulting from energy production and waste treatment (both liquid and solid), management, and disposal. However, decision and policy makers lack a system of systems approach that takes into account multiple interdependent systems comprised of the functional system (infrastructure, facilities, operations within the complex…), the economic system, the social/cultural system, and the environmental system (environmental impact on air, water, soil…). This research proposes a decision support system (DSS) with a new methodology using Vensim software and system dynamics methodology to assess the sustainability of a municipal utility complex system. This DSS incorporates 1) multiple interdependent systems, 2) multiple sustainability/performance indices, and 3) composite sustainability index. Engineers, managers, and researchers should benefit from a system of systems perspective, and from the application of a sustainability assessment method that is developed to provide an environmentally-conscious design, construction and management. Although a municipal utility complex is built with synergistic opportunities for integration of processes of a wastewater treatment plant, a resource recovery facility (aka waste-to-energy (WTE) or incineration facility), a material recycling facility (MRF), and a landfill; engineers tend to use the traditional sustainability assessment methods only to assess the life cycle (LCA) of each system's process over time. They might not necessarily incorporate an assessment based on system dynamics of the functional, economic, environmental, and social/cultural systems. Data from a case study is utilized in this dissertation based on the municipal utility complex in Pasco County in the western region of the State of Florida, USA.

[ES] Durante las últimas décadas, múltiples retos han puesto en riesgo la sostenibilidad medioambiental, económica y social de los sistemas de producción de vacuno lechero (SPL). Esta Tesis Doctoral aborda algunos de los principales retos del sector en materia de sostenibilidad mediante el desarrollo de conceptos, metodologías y estrategias adaptadas a las necesidades particulares de un amplio abanico de SPL en Europa. Las investigaciones se centran en la evaluación de las herramientas de análisis de la sostenibilidad, el análisis de la diversidad de sistemas de producción existentes, así como en la mitigación adaptada de las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero (GEI) y pérdidas de nitrógeno (N) a escala de granja. Esta Tesis Doctoral presenta un marco cuantitativo que permite un análisis exhaustivo de las herramientas existentes para la determinación de la sostenibilidad a escala de granja. Los resultados muestran como las herramientas evaluadas presentan un mayor número de indicadores asociados con el pilar medioambiental que con el pilar económico y social. En adición, se facilita la identificación de vías para el desarrollo futuro de los modelos, permitiendo una más completa y detallada evaluación de la sostenibilidad. Asimismo, los resultados obtenidos en materia de análisis de la diversidad de SPL, permiten la identificación, descripción y agrupación de las regiones europeas de acuerdo con diferentes tipologías de sistemas productivos. Las 16 tipologías representativas identificadas, combinan las características estructurales, productivas, socioeconómicas y medioambientales de los SPL con la distribución de cultivos forrajeros más relevantes para la producción láctea a escala NUTS2. Al analizar y agrupar la diversidad de sistemas productivos y evaluar su nivel de integración, esta Tesis Doctoral facilita la toma de decisiones basadas en el conocimiento, el diseño y la aplicación de medidas de mitigación de emisiones específicas y adaptadas, así como la promoción de sinergias económicas y sociales positivas. En adición, esta Tesis Doctoral pone de manifiesto la gran influencia de las condiciones climáticas, las características estructurales y las prácticas de manejo sobre las emisiones de N y GEI asociadas a la fermentación entérica, los cultivos, así como a toda la cadena de gestión del estiércol. Al identificar la magnitud y fuentes de emisión de los SPL, se facilita la aplicación de medidas específicas a cada contexto. En términos de mitigación de las emisiones, la reducción de la proteína bruta en la fracción comprada de la dieta es una estrategia eficaz a la hora de mitigar tanto las emisiones de GEI como las pérdidas de N. Además, la implantación de una planta de digestión anaerobia es efectiva a la hora de reducir la intensidad de GEI en todos los SPL evaluados, aumentando únicamente las pérdidas de N en el sistema mediterráneo intensivo. El impacto del incremento de la productividad a través de un mayor uso piensos sobre las pérdidas de N y las emisiones de GEI es variable entre los sistemas examinados. A este respecto, el sistema semi-extensivo centroeuropeo muestra un mayor potencial de reducción de GEI, mientras que el semi-extensivo atlántico obtiene mejores resultados en la reducción de las pérdidas de N. Del mismo modo, el uso de la inyección de purines reduce las pérdidas de N en campo, incrementando las emisiones de GEI en el sistema mediterráneo. La sustitución de urea por nitrato amónico tiene diferentes efectos sobre los GEI y la intensidad de N, observándose un mayor potencial de mitigación en el sistema semi-extensivo atlántico. Por último, las cubiertas rígidas de purines mitigan eficazmente las pérdidas de N durante el almacenamiento, con un impacto mínimo en las emisiones totales de GEI. Así mismo, a lo largo de esta Tesis Doctoral se demuestra como la aplicación cumulativa de medidas de mitigación, deriva en sinergias positivas a la hora de reducir las emisiones globales de la explotación. / [CA] Durant les últimes dècades, múltiples reptes n'han posat en risc la sostenibilitat mediambiental, econòmica i social dels sistemes de producció de boví de llet (SPL). Aquesta Tesi Doctoral aborda alguns dels principals reptes del sector en termes de sostenibilitat mitjançant el desenvolupament de conceptes, metodologies i estratègies adaptades a les necessitats particulars d'un ampli ventall de SPL a Europa. Les investigacions se centren en l'avaluació de les eines per a la seua quantificació, l'anàlisi de la diversitat de sistemes de producció existents, així com en la mitigació adaptada de les emissions de gasos d'efecte d'hivernacle (GEH) i pèrdues de nitrogen (N) a escala de granja. Aquesta Tesi Doctoral presenta un marc quantitatiu que permet una anàlisi exhaustiu de les eines existents per a la determinació de la sostenibilitat a escala de granja. Els resultats obtinguts mostren com les eines avaluades presenten un major nombre d'indicadors associats amb el pilar mediambiental que amb el pilar econòmic i social. A més, aquest treball facilita la identificació de vies per al desenvolupament futur dels models i facilita una avaluació de la sostenibilitat més completa i detallada. Els resultats obtinguts en matèria d'anàlisi de la diversitat de SPL permeten la identificació, descripció i agrupació de les regions europees d'acord amb diferents tipologies de sistemes productius. Les 16 tipologies representatives identificades combinen les característiques estructurals, productives, socioeconòmiques i mediambientals dels SPL amb la distribució de conreus farratgers més rellevants per a la producció làctia a escala NUTS2. En addició, en analitzar i agrupar la diversitat de sistemes productius i avaluar el seu nivell d'integració, aquesta Tesi Doctoral facilita la presa de decisions basada en el coneixement, el disseny i l'aplicació de mesures de mitigació d'emissions específiques i adaptades, així com la promoció de sinergies econòmiques i socials positives. Així mateix, aquesta Tesi Doctoral indica la gran influència de les condicions climàtiques, les característiques estructurals i les pràctiques de maneig sobre les emissions de N i GEH associades a la fermentació entèrica, els conreus, així com tota la cadena de gestió del fem. A més, en identificar la magnitud i fonts d'emissió dels SPL, es facilita l'aplicació de mesures específiques a cada context. En aquest sentit, la reducció de la proteina bruta en la porció comprada de la dieta és una estratègia eficaç per a mitigar tant les emissions de GEH com les de N. A més, la implantació d'una planta de digestió anaeròbia va reduir la intensitat de GEH en totes les SPL avaluades, augmentant únicament les emissions de N en el sistema mediterrani intensiu. L'impacte de l'increment de la productivitat a través d'un major use pinsos sobre les pèrdues de N i les emissions de GEH va variar entre els sistemes d'explotació examinats. Referent a això, el sistema semi-extensiu centreeuropeu va mostrar un major potencial de reducció de GEH, mentre que el semi-extensiu atlàntic va obtindre millors resultats en la reducció de les pèrdues de N. De la mateixa manera, l'ús de la injecció de purins va reduir les emissions de N a nivell de camp, incrementant les emissions de GEH en el sistema mediterrani. La substitució d'urea per nitrat d'amoni va tindre diferents efectes sobre els GEH i la intensitat de N, observant-se un major potencial de mitigació en el sistema semi-extensiu atlàntic. Finalment, les cobertes rígides de purins van reduir eficaçment les pèrdues de N durant l'emmagatzematge amb un impacte mínim en les emissions totals de GEH. Així mateix, al llarg d'aquesta Tesi Doctoral es demostra com l'aplicació cumulativa de mesures de mitigació deriva en sinergies positives a l'hora de reduir les emissions globals de l'explotació. / [EN] During the last decades, multiple challenges have put the environmental, economic, and social sustainability of dairy cattle production systems (DPS) at risk. This Ph.D. Thesis tackles some of the sector's main challenges in terms of sustainability by developing concepts, methodologies, and strategies adapted to the particular needs of a wide range of European DPS. In particular, special emphasis is placed on evaluating the tools for sustainability assessments, the analysis and clustering of the diversity of existing production systems, and the adapted mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nitrogen (N) losses at the farm scale. This Ph.D. Thesis presents a quantitative framework that comprehensively evaluates whole-farm tools and models. The obtained results show how the models considered incorporate more indicators from the environmental pillar than those related to the economic or social sphere. In addition, this work facilitates the identification of avenues for future model developments, allowing for a more complete and detailed assessment of sustainability. Furthermore, the results obtained allow for the identification, description, and clustering of European regions according to different typologies of production systems. The 16 representative typologies identified combine DPS's structural, productive, socio-economic, and environmental characteristics with the level of overlap with the most relevant fodder crops for dairy production at the NUTS2 scale. Furthermore, by analyzing and clustering the diversity of production systems and assessing their level of integration, this Ph.D. Thesis facilitates knowledge-based decision-making, the design and implementation of targeted and adapted emission mitigation measures, as well as the promotion of positive economic and social synergies. Moreover, this Ph.D. Thesis highlights the strong influence of climatic conditions, structural characteristics, and management practices on N and GHG emissions associated with enteric fermentation, fields, and manure management. In terms of emission mitigation, reducing the amount of crude protein in the purchased fraction of the diet is an effective strategy to mitigate both GHG and N emissions. Additionally, implementing an anaerobic digestion plant reduces GHG emissions in all assessed DPS but increases N losses only in the intensive Mediterranean DPS. The impact of increased productivity through larger use of concentrates on N losses and GHG emissions varied depending on the farming systems examined. In this sense, the Central European semi-extensive system shows a higher potential for GHG reduction, while the Atlantic semi-extensive system accounts for better results when lowering the N losses. Similarly, shallow slurry injection effectively decreases N losses at the field level, although it increases GHG emissions in the Mediterranean DPS. Substituting urea with ammonium nitrate has different effects on GHG and N emission intensity, with greater potential for mitigation in the Atlantic semi-extensive system. Lastly, rigid slurry covers effectively reduces N losses during storage with minimal impact on GHG emissions. Furthermore, this Ph.D. Thesis shows how the cumulative application of mitigation measures leads to positive synergies in reducing the overall emissions of the farm. / All studies conducted in the course of this Ph.D. Thesis were funded by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) through the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE) within the framework of the project "MilKey" (grant number 2819ERA08A), funded by the joint call 2018 ERA-GAS (grant no. 696356), SusAn (grant no. 696231) and ICT-AGRI 2 (grant no. 618123) on "New technologies, solutions, and systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in animal production systems". BC3-Research is supported by the Spanish Government through María de Maeztu excellence accreditation 2018–2022 (Ref. MDM-2017-0714) and María de Maeztu excellence accreditation 2023-2026 (Ref. CEX2021-001201-M, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) and by the Basque Government through the BERC 2018–2021 program. Agustin del Prado is financed through the Ramon y Cajal program by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness (RYC-2017-22143). / Díaz De Otalora Aguirre, X. (2023). Sustainability Assessment of Key European Dairy Cattle Production Systems: System Identification, Analysis, and Greenhouse Gas and Nitrogen Emission Mitigation [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/196465

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