Quantifying Sustainability for Industry

Sustainable development is now being recognised as a§vital component of our society in the environmental,§ethical, social, technological, economic, and§institutional dimensions, but what is missing is a§framework to quantitatively measure sustainability.§This thesis is distinctive in that it focuses on§quantitative methods encapsulated in a formal§assessment procedure and that it includes§sustainability concepts that have rarely been put§into practical use in sustainability reports. §§A configuration of the tools from Total Quality§Management (TQM) is adapted to identify§sustainability indicators which are then mapped onto§a scalar with mathematical functions and the§sustainability indices are presented on different§levels of details according to the need of different§stakeholders. To fully demonstrate the potential of§the methodology, the author has chosen to test it on§the electricity sector of New Zealand.§§This methodology is a tool to analyze the complex§interactions of decision makings and will be valuable§to policy makers and sustainability professionals who§can make use of it to test the overall effects of a§policy change before it is implemented.