‘Fit-for-Purpose’ sustainability index: a simplified approach for U.S. water utility sustainability assessment
| Autor: | Maya A. Trotz, K. Vairavamoorthy, Matthew Ries |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
business.industry
Triple bottom line 0208 environmental biotechnology Social sustainability Environmental resource management 02 engineering and technology 010501 environmental sciences Environmental economics 01 natural sciences 020801 environmental engineering Financial management Environmental Sustainability Index Sustainability Asset management Sustainability organizations business Green infrastructure 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Water Science and Technology |
| Zdroj: | Water Practice and Technology. 11:35-47 |
| ISSN: | 1751-231X |
| DOI: | 10.2166/wpt.2016.009 |
| Popis: | The theoretical framework presented in this paper proposes a method for determining which practices will inform a set of key indicators provide a ‘snapshot’ sustainability assessment of U.S. urban water utilities. It describes the method used to gather data via two qualitative research approaches to inform a sustainability index: semi-structured interviews with an external advisory committee of 12 U.S. urban water utility leaders, and online surveys of water professionals using the freelisting technique. The utility leader interviews revealed public education and communication as the most frequently cited sustainable practice, followed by asset management, community return on infrastructure investment, financial management, green infrastructure, and resource recovery practices. The water professionals survey revealed resource recovery as the most frequently cited sustainable practice, followed by water conservation, asset management and financial management, and energy efficiency. A consensus did not emerge about what is needed to drive more widespread adoption of sustainability indictors. The most frequently cited barriers to more widespread adoption were the absence of a definition of sustainability, lack of incentives, and resource requirements. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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