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Integrated Multidimensional Sustainability Assessment of Energy System Transformation Pathways

Author

Listed:
  • Tobias Naegler

    (Institute of Networked Energy Systems, German Aerospace Centre (DLR), 70563 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Lisa Becker

    (Institute of Economic Structures Research (GWS), 49080 Osnabrück, Germany)

  • Jens Buchgeister

    (Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany)

  • Wolfgang Hauser

    (Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS), University of Stuttgart, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Heidi Hottenroth

    (Institute for Industrial Ecology (INEC), Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany)

  • Tobias Junne

    (Institute of Networked Energy Systems, German Aerospace Centre (DLR), 70563 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Ulrike Lehr

    (Institute of Economic Structures Research (GWS), 49080 Osnabrück, Germany
    International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Abu Dhabi P.O. Box 236, United Arab Emirates)

  • Oliver Scheel

    (Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS), University of Stuttgart, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Ricarda Schmidt-Scheele

    (Center for Interdisciplinary Risk and Innovation Studies (ZIRIUS), University of Stuttgart, 70174 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Sonja Simon

    (Institute of Networked Energy Systems, German Aerospace Centre (DLR), 70563 Stuttgart, Germany)

  • Claudia Sutardhio

    (Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), University of Freiburg, 70910 Freiburg, Germany)

  • Ingela Tietze

    (Institute for Industrial Ecology (INEC), Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany)

  • Philip Ulrich

    (Institute of Economic Structures Research (GWS), 49080 Osnabrück, Germany)

  • Tobias Viere

    (Institute for Industrial Ecology (INEC), Pforzheim University of Applied Sciences, 75175 Pforzheim, Germany)

  • Anke Weidlich

    (Department of Sustainable Systems Engineering (INATECH), University of Freiburg, 70910 Freiburg, Germany)

Abstract

Sustainable development embraces a broad spectrum of social, economic and ecological aspects. Thus, a sustainable transformation process of energy systems is inevitably multidimensional and needs to go beyond climate impact and cost considerations. An approach for an integrated and interdisciplinary sustainability assessment of energy system transformation pathways is presented here. It first integrates energy system modeling with a multidimensional impact assessment that focuses on life cycle-based environmental and macroeconomic impacts. Then, stakeholders’ preferences with respect to defined sustainability indicators are inquired, which are finally integrated into a comparative scenario evaluation through a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA), all in one consistent assessment framework. As an illustrative example, this holistic approach is applied to the sustainability assessment of ten different transformation strategies for Germany. Applying multi-criteria decision analysis reveals that both ambitious (80%) and highly ambitious (95%) carbon reduction scenarios can achieve top sustainability ranks, depending on the underlying energy transformation pathways and respective scores in other sustainability dimensions. Furthermore, this research highlights an increasingly dominant contribution of energy systems’ upstream chains on total environmental impacts, reveals rather small differences in macroeconomic effects between different scenarios and identifies the transition among societal segments and climate impact minimization as the most important stakeholder preferences.

Suggested Citation

  • Tobias Naegler & Lisa Becker & Jens Buchgeister & Wolfgang Hauser & Heidi Hottenroth & Tobias Junne & Ulrike Lehr & Oliver Scheel & Ricarda Schmidt-Scheele & Sonja Simon & Claudia Sutardhio & Ingela T, 2021. "Integrated Multidimensional Sustainability Assessment of Energy System Transformation Pathways," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-28, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:9:p:5217-:d:550006
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