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This study addresses the complex dynamics of global sustainable development, emphasizing the need for a meticulous assessment of sustainability indicators in 159 countries. Using the Gaussian AHP multi-criteria method and descriptive and exploratory statistical analysis, the research quantifies countries' global performance concerning 18 critical indicators, integrating economic, social, and environmental aspects. The methodology applied allowed the construction of a comparative ranking, highlighting the superiority of nations with robust environmental policies, such as the Nordic countries, in contrast to the challenges faced by developing countries, which show lower scores due to less integrated policies. The results indicate the effectiveness of the Gaussian AHP in identifying leaders and laggards in sustainability, serving as a tool for guiding and building more informed public policies. Future investigations can enrich these analyses through longitudinal studies, expanding the understanding of sustainable development trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial institutions employ credit rating systems to classify new borrowers, set loan terms, and determine collateral requirements. Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are frequently found to be unorganised when it comes to financial data management. Credit risk assessment using unstructured financial data is multifaceted for financial institutions. Most extant credit rating systems are data-intensive and have been criticised for breaching their data distribution and structural assumptions. Such approaches may struggle to estimate SME's credit ratings accurately with sparse and missing data. To address the finance gap for SMEs, this study extends the application of expert systems by proposing a multi-criteria credit rating system. The proposed method utilises existing fuzzy-BWM to determine the weight of criteria and a newly proposed fuzzy-TOPSIS-Sort-C approach to classify SMEs according to their characteristic profiles. The suggested decision support system is expert-driven and built on sparse financial and non-financial data. BWM and TOPSIS were integrated with fuzzy set theory to overcome uncertainty when making decisions. This paper extends the prior TOPSIS-Sort-C method to fuzzy TOPSIS-Sort-C as a theoretical contribution. The suggested system efficacy is demonstrated by a case study that compares it with a commercial rating model using real-world data. The system performs with considerable effectiveness and a true positive rate when applied to credit rating. It could assist financial institutions in identifying potential SMEs for lending. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose learners course recommender system of the E-Dirassa platform. This system, which distinguishes between new and active learners, adopts three complementary recommendation approaches: content-based recommendation as well as course-based collaborative filtering for active learners, and static profile-based collaborative filtering for new learners. Let us also note the use of multi-criteria decision aid (MDA) techniques for the choice of the textual similarity measure to be used in the first approach of content-based recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the adaptive reuse of abandoned and underutilized cultural heritage has proven to be a sustainable winning strategy for the implementation of a new model of urban development centered on the principles of the circular economy. Cultural heritage, therefore, represents the entry point for the implementation of this new urban development model, and adaptive reuse practices, if integrated into strategic visions, can represent a driver to trigger a transition towards completely circular sustainability processes. However, resource allocation decisions for the adaptive reuse of assets require significant investments in the face of scarce available resources and investment projects characterized by high uncertainties. In this context, multiple-criteria approaches provide an adequate theoretical and methodological framework to address the complexity characterizing the adaptive reuse strategies of cultural heritage, with specific attention to adaptive reuse strategies of unused public assets of abandoned industrial heritage. This paper fits into this line of research by proposing a multi-criteria decision-making approach capable of supporting the decision-maker in optimizing investment choices for a more efficient allocation of public resources. In detail, applying A'WOT analysis to support decisions allows for classifying adaptive reuse strategies and establishing intervention priorities, especially in fragile and vulnerable contexts. The results provide useful information for the complex decision-making phase relating to the preliminary feasibility of interventions and the subsequent verification of their financial sustainability. In detail, the application of A'WOT analysis to supporting decisions allows for classifying adaptive reuse strategies and establishing intervention priorities, especially in fragile and vulnerable contexts. The results provide useful information for the complex decision-making phase relating to the preliminary feasibility of project intervention and subsequent verification of its financial sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a multi-criteria decision support method (WASPAS) to analyze and rank alternatives, this article proposes a method to assist in the selection of helicopter models that are the most suitable for police air activity in the State of Rio de Janeiro. A robust technical basis for defining the essential requirements of an aircraft is established, and solutions that can ensure the effective and safe execution of missions are indicated. Helicopter models were evaluated by considering predefined criteria, and the weights of these criteria were attributed using a questionnaire that was administered to pilots and aerostatic operators of Public Air Units (UAP) in several states of the federation. As a result of the evaluation of the 15 helicopter models used by police services in the State of Rio de Janeiro, the modeling with the WASPAS method ranked the Sikorsky UH-60 (Black Hawk) model in first place, the Leonardo AW 139 model in second place, and the Bell 412 model in third place. Based on the available data, we suggest that a comparative study integrating the Entropy and CRITIC methods be conducted to measure the weights of the criteria associated with the application of other multi-criteria techniques, such as COMET, MACAB, SPOTIS, VIKOR, SAPEVO, and PROMETHEE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a computer platform for online access named SADEMON. The computational model consists of implementing the SAPEVO-M method, enabling the integration of multiple decision-makers in a decision-making analysis process through ordinal inputs. The tool was developed in Python, providing a user-friendly interface for interaction. As a demonstration of the implementation of the computational model, the research present a case study for the feasibility of installing a new branch of a supermarket chain, from the moment given the problem, it consists of multiple stakeholders and different evaluation criteria. At the end of the application, the main points of the proposed model and proposal for future research are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Poland, there is a high ratio of private transport and unfavorable patterns of daily commuting. These patterns can be changed by introducing comfortable and eco-friendly vehicles, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. At the same time, the development of the e-micromobility-based vehicle sharing services market is developing. The aim of the article is to analyze selected e-scooters available on the Polish market and to identify the most useful vehicles from two opposing perspectives, i.e., the potential customer and owner of the vehicle sharing system. The PROSA GDSS (PROMETHEE for Sustainability Assessment—Group Decision Support System) method and the graphical representation of GAIA (Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Assistance) were used to search for a compromise and balance between the needs of the indicated stakeholders. The results of the methods used were compared with the results of the PROMETHEE GDSS method, which does not take into account the balance between the stakeholders and allows for a strong compensation of the assessments of decision makers. The conducted research allowed indicating the optimal e-scooter to meet the needs of both decision makers, and it is the JEEP 2xe Urban Camou. Both the sensitivity analysis and the solution obtained with the use of the PROMETHEE GDSS method confirmed that it is the optimal alternative, the least sensitive to changes in criteria weights and changes in the decision makers' compensation coefficients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Brazilian Federal Highway Patrol is an organ of public administration with the constitutional mission to carry out the extensive patrolling of federal highways. Stress and physical and emotional exhaustion are constant, causing illnesses along with frustration, demotivation, and depression. The objective of this research is the development of a self-evaluation model of performance for the Federal Highway Patrols, using their perceptions to enhance their motivation at work considering the factors under their control. The constructivist multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA-C) methodology was used to elaborate the model. The proposed model identifies, establishes, and structures a process to measure the performance of patrol officers on the relevant aspects that they can manage, to guide their decisions toward the desired consequences, thus regulating their stress levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the problem of finding suitable sites for wind farms in a region of Catalonia (Spain). The evaluation criteria are structured into a hierarchy that identifies several intermediate sub-goals dealing with different points of view. Therefore, the recent ELECTRE-III-H hierarchical multi-criteria analysis method is proposed as a good solution to help decision-makers. This method establishes an order among the set of possible sites for the wind farms for each sub-goal. ELECTRE-III-H aggregates these orders into an overall order using different parameters. The procedure is based on the construction and exploitation of a pairwise outranking relation, following the principles of concordance (i.e. majority rule) and discordance (i.e. respect for the minority opinions). This paper makes two main contributions. First, it contributes to the ELECTRE-III-H method by studying its mathematical properties for the construction of outranking relations. Second, the case study is solved and its results show that we can effectively represent and manage the overall influence of the various criteria on the global result at different levels of the hierarchy. The paper compares different scenarios with strict, normal, and optimistic preference, indifference and veto thresholds. Results show that the best site differs for technical, economic, environmental, and social intermediate criteria. Therefore, the best overall solution changes depending on the preference and veto thresholds fixed at the intermediate level of the hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactive software that helps the decision maker to choose the optimal ranking for complex systems has been prepared according to multiple preference criteria. The code algorithm is based on famous mathematical methods well known in multi-criteria decision making, such as VIKOR, TOPSIS, and the weighted sum method (WSUM). This code is used at the AECS to assess and classify the performance of employees or for inter-departmental comparison according to their scientific and technical output performance. It can also be used in wider fields outside the AECS according to preference criteria carefully selected by the decision-maker. Beneficiaries might include Syrian private and state universities or academics. Criteria elements can, for example, be drafted along international standards of copyrighted internal reports, published papers, journal impact factor, journal citations, H-index and registered patents. Two real examples are explained in this paper to prove the validity and consistency of this computer code.

In recent years, the adaptive reuse of abandoned and underutilized cultural heritage has proven to be a sustainable winning strategy for the implementation of a new model of urban development centered on the principles of the circular economy. Cultural heritage, therefore, represents the entry point for the implementation of this new urban development model, and adaptive reuse practices, if integrated into strategic visions, can represent a driver to trigger a transition towards completely circular sustainability processes. However, resource allocation decisions for the adaptive reuse of assets require significant investments in the face of scarce available resources and investment projects characterized by high uncertainties. In this context, multiple-criteria approaches provide an adequate theoretical and methodological framework to address the complexity characterizing the adaptive reuse strategies of cultural heritage, with specific attention to adaptive reuse strategies of unused public assets of abandoned industrial heritage. This paper fits into this line of research by proposing a multi-criteria decision-making approach capable of supporting the decision-maker in optimizing investment choices for a more efficient allocation of public resources. In detail, applying A’WOT analysis to support decisions allows for classifying adaptive reuse strategies and establishing intervention priorities, especially in fragile and vulnerable contexts. The results provide useful information for the complex decision-making phase relating to the preliminary feasibility of interventions and the subsequent verification of their financial sustainability. In detail, the application of A’WOT analysis to supporting decisions allows for classifying adaptive reuse strategies and establishing intervention priorities, especially in fragile and vulnerable contexts. The results provide useful information for the complex decision-making phase relating to the preliminary feasibility of project intervention and subsequent verification of its financial sustainability.

Using a multi-criteria decision support method (WASPAS) to analyze and rank alternatives, this article proposes a method to assist in the selection of helicopter models that are the most suitable for police air activity in the State of Rio de Janeiro. A robust technical basis for defining the essential requirements of an aircraft is established, and solutions that can ensure the effective and safe execution of missions are indicated. Helicopter models were evaluated by considering predefined criteria, and the weights of these criteria were attributed using a questionnaire that was administered to pilots and aerostatic operators of Public Air Units (UAP) in several states of the federation. As a result of the evaluation of the 15 helicopter models used by police services in the State of Rio de Janeiro, the modeling with the WASPAS method ranked the Sikorsky UH-60 (Black Hawk) model in first place, the Leonardo AW 139 model in second place, and the Bell 412 model in third place. Based on the available data, we suggest that a comparative study integrating the Entropy and CRITIC methods be conducted to measure the weights of the criteria associated with the application of other multi-criteria techniques, such as COMET, MACAB, SPOTIS, VIKOR, SAPEVO, and PROMETHEE.

The Brazilian Federal Highway Patrol is an organ of public administration with the constitutional mission to carry out the extensive patrolling of federal highways. Stress and physical and emotional exhaustion are constant, causing illnesses along with frustration, demotivation, and depression. The objective of this research is the development of a self-evaluation model of performance for the Federal Highway Patrols, using their perceptions to enhance their motivation at work considering the factors under their control. The constructivist multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA-C) methodology was used to elaborate the model. The proposed model identifies, establishes, and structures a process to measure the performance of patrol officers on the relevant aspects that they can manage, to guide their decisions toward the desired consequences, thus regulating their stress levels.

In Poland, there is a high ratio of private transport and unfavorable patterns of daily commuting. These patterns can be changed by introducing comfortable and eco-friendly vehicles, such as e-scooters and e-bikes. At the same time, the development of the e-micromobility-based vehicle sharing services market is developing. The aim of the article is to analyze selected e-scooters available on the Polish market and to identify the most useful vehicles from two opposing perspectives, i.e., the potential customer and owner of the vehicle sharing system. The PROSA GDSS (PROMETHEE for Sustainability Assessment—Group Decision Support System) method and the graphical representation of GAIA (Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Assistance) were used to search for a compromise and balance between the needs of the indicated stakeholders. The results of the methods used were compared with the results of the PROMETHEE GDSS method, which does not take into account the balance between the stakeholders and allows for a strong compensation of the assessments of decision makers. The conducted research allowed indicating the optimal e-scooter to meet the needs of both decision makers, and it is the JEEP 2xe Urban Camou. Both the sensitivity analysis and the solution obtained with the use of the PROMETHEE GDSS method confirmed that it is the optimal alternative, the least sensitive to changes in criteria weights and changes in the decision makers’ compensation coefficients.

The data presented in this article describes a multi-criteria decision problem, where 13 criteria and 14 alternatives have been taken into account, consisting in the selection of an electric vehicle. The data set contains: (1) the parameters of the electric vehicles concerned included in the alternative performance model, (2) the weights of the criteria for assessing the vehicles, preference functions and thresholds constituting the preference model, (3) the overall performances and rankings of the alternatives (electric vehicles concerned). The data on vehicle parameters were collected from reports, catalogues and websites of car manufacturers and then processed into a decision table. In turn, data constituting various random preference models were generated using the Monte Carlo method. The overall performances and ranks of the alternatives were obtained using the MCDA (multi-criteria decision aid) method called NEAT F-PROMETHEE (New Easy Approach To Fuzzy Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation), based on the performance model (decision table) and individual preference models. By linking vehicle parameters, preference models and vehicle rankings, the data allow, among other things, determining the impact of the preference model (weights of criteria, preference functions, thresholds) on the obtained vehicle rankings. The data also allow determining the probability of individual vehicles taking a specific position in the ranking on the basis of vehicle parameters, and regardless of the preferences of decision makers. Therefore, the data presented are valuable for practitioners and theorists dealing with electric vehicles and management, and in particular decision support. In the context of decision support, this data is also valuable to consumers considering the purchase of an electric vehicle, electric vehicle manufacturers, and dealers because it indicates the vehicles with the greatest market potential and user acceptance. This fact was confirmed by the research article entitled “Multi-criteria approach to stochastic and fuzzy uncertainty in the selection of electric vehicles with high social acceptance” [1] linked to this data article.

All over the world, including Poland, authorities are taking steps to increase consumer interest in electric vehicles and sustainable transport as a way to reduce environmental pollution. For this reason, the electric vehicle market is dynamically and constantly developing, more and more modern vehicles are introduced to it, and purchases are often subsidized by the government. The aim of the article is to analyse the A–C segments of the Polish electric vehicle market and to recommend the most attractive vehicle from the perspective of sustainable transport. The aim of the research was achieved with the use of three multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) methods, which deal well with the uncertainty and imprecision of data that occur in the case of many different parameters of electric vehicles. In particular, the following methods were used: the fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), the fuzzy simple additive weighting (SAW) method, and the new easy approach to fuzzy preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation II (NEAT F-PROMETHEE II). Electric vehicle rankings obtained using each method were compared and verified by stochastic analysis. The conducted analyses and comparisons allowed us to identify the most interesting electric vehicles, which currently appear to be the Volkswagen ID.3 Pro S and Nissan LEAF e+.

Multi criteria decision aid (MCDA) deals with the problem of evaluating a set of finite alternatives regard to a set of finite criteria. A remarkable volume of qualitative and quantitative researches are done on decision making methods and situations, indicating its important role for managers at different organizational levels. These types of problems are applied in many different fields of human life. A challenging feature of these problems is non-existence of an optimal solution due to considering multiple criteria and the proposed methods seeking to find a satisfactory solution called efficient of Pareto-optimal. In consideration of MCDA problem, in this paper a new method is proposed for solving DM problems, consisting three fundamental steps of initialization, orthogonalization, and comparison. Thus, a new MCDA method called total area based on orthogonal vectors (TAOV) is introduced. This method is constructed on orthogonality of decision criteria. Application of TAOV method is illustrated in a decision problem and its performance is evaluated regard to other MCDA methods. Furthermore, its features are explained around the features of a desirable MCDA method. The obtained results indicate that the TAOV method can be considered as an acceptable method of handling multi-criteria decision making problems.

Implementation of environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) in public environmental protection schemes and in the performance standards of enterprises is an important development compared to the situation prevailing before the 1970s where only technical and economic considerations were involved in deciding on the implementation of projects. Some consider that the ESIA promotes the integration of environmental and social considerations, from design to project implementation, and consideration of public concerns in decision-making. However, the shortcomings of current practice combined with the pressure to relax ESIA schemes could lead to their marginalization. It is important to provide answers to the many criticisms made by observers and various study committees over the years concerning the relevance of the information contained in the impact studies and the transparency of the analysis process. A solution to this problem lies in the innovation of ESIA methods. The structuring of the approach of evaluation by stakes and the use of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods would be all measures likely to improve the situation. The proposals made in this paper are consistent with the characteristics of the collaborative approach to ESIA. They are designed to respond to the issues raised and to meet the challenge posed by a pressing social demand for increased citizen participation in decisions affecting the environment and society.

The paper presents a possibility to use a new PVM-VSI (Preference Vector Method computed in Vector Space of Increments) method in making decisions that demand that different variants should be considered, while being evaluated with respect to different criteria. Hence, knowledge about them is a must, and that knowledge is not necessarily available quantitatively, whereas the very evaluation should be relatively objective; that is, independent from the decision maker’s preferences or opinions. The paper presents the use of the PVM-VSI method in support decisions related to urban development—to rank projects submitted for implementation within the framework of a citizen budget. The ranking will make it feasible to determine which of the submitted projects will have the dominant influence on the town’s sustainable development, and, subsequently, which ones should be presented to citizens as the better ones out of the projects submitted, and to compare the method mentioned with methods used in similar decision-making problems in the past: Fuzzy AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process), Fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), and Fuzzy PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment of Evaluation).

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This work presents a multi-criteria classification system considering multiple, conflicting and incommensurate evaluation aspects influencing energy efficiency in school buildings. The multi-criteria ELECTRE TRI method is used to classify energy performance of school buildings into categories of merit using the IRIS software. The alternatives under evaluation are assigned to predefined ordered categories according to their absolute performance and not in comparison with the performance of other alternatives. Each alternative is assessed using reference profiles defining the boundaries of the categories in which the alternatives should be sorted. The model was applied using a set of performance indicators obtained in the framework of a research and development project aimed at assessing the energy performance of a sample of Portuguese school buildings. IRIS allowed inferring robust conclusions by indicating the range of categories for each alternative, considering the decision maker's preferences, captured by the parameters of ELECTRE TRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to provide support to an evaluation in urban planning, creating a useful approach for the choice of future alternative Operational Plans in Cava De' Tirreni (Salerno). They represent planning tools that are usually formed after public announcements to select the interventions to be implemented in the areas of transformation identified by the general Municipal Urban Plan. A suitable system of territorial indicators to verify the achievement of such goals is also taken into account. With reference to three different urban areas, the evaluation has been carried out by Multi-Criteria Decision Aid (MCDA), using the PROMETHEE (Preference Ranking Organisational Method for Enrichment Evaluation) multi-criteria method and GAIA (Graphical Analysis for Interactive Aid) tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies have been challenged to attend to multiple objectives and to achieve appropriate decisions facing dichotomies mentioned in literature, such as shareholder versus stakeholder; financial versus non-financial; single versus multiple measures. Since the translation of the sustainable development concept to business by the triple bottom line (TBL), there have been attempts to implement operational approaches. This study proposes a model that helps corporate decision-making considering the TBL framework and a stakeholder view. Multi-criteria decision aid methods are used to generate a sustainability balanced single measure and performance indices. We apply the model to a Brazilian electricity corporation, where the indices are calculated from existing GRI indicators, and the use of the model within the company's strategic plan annual review is demonstrated. The findings suggest that the model has the potential to support informed decisions and the integration of corporate sustainability performance measurement and reporting activities with traditional management control systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Health literacy (HL) is low for 40-50 % of the population in developed nations, and is strongly linked to many undesirable health outcomes. Older adults are particularly at risk. The intervention research on health literacy in ageing populations project systematically created a large inventory of HL interventions targeting adults age 50+ , to support practical production of policy and practice guidelines for promoting health literacy in European populations. Methods: We comprehensively surveyed international scientific literature, grey literature and other sources (published 2003+) for implemented HL interventions that involved older adults. Studies were screened for eligibility criteria and further selected for aspects important in European public health policy, including priority diseases, risk factors and vulnerable target groups. Interventions were prioritised using a multiple criteria tool to select final interventions that also featured strong evidence of efficacy and a broad range of strategies. Results: From nearly 7000 written summaries, 1097 met inclusion criteria, of which 233 were chosen for scoring and ranking. Of these, seven had the highest multi-criteria scores. Eight more articles were selected based on rounded criteria including a high multi-criteria score as well as elements of innovation. Final selections were 18 articles describing 15 programmes, which feature strong evidence of efficacy among important diseases or risk factors and vulnerable groups, or that had success with elements of innovation were identified. Most programmes tried to increase skills in communication, self-management and understanding healthcare or lifestyle choices. Conclusions: These programmes have multiple positive attributes which could be used as guidance for developing innovative intervention programmes to trial on European older adults. They provide evidence of efficacy in addressing high priority diseases and risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following recent legislations and public policies on solid waste and product take-back, companies in Brazil are now impelled to incorporate reverse logistics practices in their business processes. The Brazilian National Policy of Solid Waste – NPSW, approved in 2010, obligates companies to implement reverse logistics. Considering this, many companies in Brazil have studied the possibility to outsource these activities by engaging third-party reverse logistics providers – 3PRLP. Considering these demands, it is important to define which systematic approaches can be used to select the most suitable 3PRLP. The objective of this article is to identify the main criteria, the systematic methods that can be used in order to select the most appropriate 3PRLP and also propose a framework based in multicriteria decision aid approach to select 3PRLP. Thus, a Systematic Literature Review was carried out and a conceptual framework for decision making in this context using Multicriteria Decision Aid – MCDA modeling was proposed. Therefore, this paper presents two contributions: i) a SLR covering the past decade based on the MCDA experiences in 3PRLP selection, highlighting the main criteria and systematic approaches used; ii) based on this SLR, a proposal for a conceptual methodological framework to help decision makers and researchers in performing a MCDA in the area of 3PRLP selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We develop an approach to manage conflict and imperfection of expert judgments represented with belief functions. [•] We assess expert reliability degrees (discount operators) based on multiple criteria using the PROMETHEE method. [•] We discount and combine expert judgments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents an application of the classical TODIM method that is compared against the use of the same approach, but extended through the Choquet Integral to evaluate and recommend alternatives for the destination of the discovery of natural gas reserves in Santos Basin. The application focus on the Mexilhão field, analyzing the uncertainties and risks involved, concerning the regional market (South America) as well as the influence of others (such as Europe and the US).In order to produce a decision, various quantitative as well as qualitative factors such as politics, available technologies, return vs. risk, balance between supply and demand in Brazil, environmental and social impacts, regulatory issues, timing of implementation and alignment with the company's strategies must be taken into account. This leads to a multi-criteria analysis. It can be seen through a non-parametric statistical sign test that there are no significant differences between the results from the two methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a fossil fuel that has been attracting a lot of attention in national and global markets because of its logistical versatility, its calorific power, and because it emits a low level of pollutants. The history of its exploitation in the sharply competitive Brazilian market has been marked by various crises which made the exploitation of LPG an activity that has been subject to a number of uncertainties. The product is in the production chain of different market segments and is an important component in the national energy matrix. As a result of this, the process of classifying consumers by LPG distributors is a strategic task and subject to a set of criteria that need to be observed. In this context, this article concentrates on multi-criteria modeling in order to resolve the problematic of classifying clients in a LPG distribution company. A model is proposed based on the ELECTRE TRI method and the aim is to allocate the portfolio of clients to a set of ranked classes.

This paper explores the issue of sustainability at the macro scale employing multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) methods. The incommensurability of values and the essentially multi-dimensional and dynamic nature of sustainability challenge the use of composite measurement indices. This determined the choice of MCDA methods. Austria was chosen as a case study, due to the wide availability of data, especially on indicators of strong sustainability. The structure of the multi-criteria problem comprised the evolution of different sustainability dimensions over time. The process for selecting criteria included a critical assessment of institutional sustainability agendas (UN, EU and Austrian Government) and theoretical recommendations. After an assessment of MCDA methods, the NAIADE method demonstrated the most suitable properties for sustainability assessment. The application of this outranking approach was undertaken in three separate settings: long-term from 1960 to 2003, medium-term, 1970–1995, and short-term, 1995–2003 with varying numbers of criteria. The response of results to the addition of evaluating criteria and periods was tested. The degree of credibility for accepting preference relations was also employed for sensitivity analysis. According to the results of long-term and medium-term assessments, especially in the weak sustainability setting, sustainable progress is taking place in Austria. In the short term, in the stronger sustainability setting and, especially as the number of criteria increases, more incomparable periods appear and trends are less determined. Moreover, it is shown how results crucially depend on the methodological choices. This is one of the first applications of the multi-criteria tools to the dynamic analysis of sustainability at the macro scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

When formulating economic development strategies, the environment and society must be considered to preserve well-being. This paper proposes a comparative sustainability assessment method using environmentally extended input-output analysis and multi-criteria decision aid. Using symmetric input-output tables and sectoral CO2 emissions and employment data for six countries, linkage coefficients are calculated for 163 sectors in each country. Multi-criteria decision aid tool, ELECTRE III, is used to derive outranking relationships among each country's sectors using these coefficients as criteria, resulting in a hierarchy of sectors ordered by sustainability. Sectors that frequently appear at the top of the six hierarchies included education, health care, construction, and financial intermediation. China's results differ significantly because of its concentration of economic activity on the primary/secondary sectors. The results can enable identification of key intervention pathways along which sustainable development could be stimulated. Country-specific recommendations and reflections on economic and sustainability policy initiatives are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Developing an approach that combines different types of uncertainty in decision-making. • Interpretation taking into account the preferences of the society made up of individual users. • Aggregation into the fuzzy form of many theoretically certain data from various sources. • Verification of the approach by solving the decision problem of electric vehicles assessment. • Indication of the relationship between fuzziness, outranking, and stochastic uncertainty. In recent years, a number of legal solutions have been adopted in Poland aimed at reaching the number of 1 million electric cars in use in 2025. Therefore, an important research issue is the assessment of electric vehicles available on the Polish market and the identification of vehicles that meet consumers' expectations to the greatest extent. The assessment of electric vehicles is a multi-criteria issue, characterized by a number of uncertainties related to their operational parameters, as well as the preferences of individual users and, more broadly, the preferences of society. A novelty of the article is the application of the fuzzy multi-criteria decision aid method called NEAT F-PROMETHEE (New Easy Approach To Fuzzy PROMETHEE), combined with the Monte Carlo method and elements of the SMAA (Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis) method for the assessment of vehicles under uncertainty conditions. The theoretical contribution of this research therefore includes the synthesis of a fuzzy and stochastic approach to decision-making support, supported by outranking and incomparability relationships. Such a set of approaches to uncertainty makes it possible to improve the accuracy of decision-making, because the approaches indicated verify each other's results. Moreover, the application of the NEAT F-PROMETHEE method has solved the problem of evaluating electric vehicles from the perspective of a single decision-maker, while the combination of NEAT F-PROMETHEE and the stochastic approach has made it possible to simulate preferences of the society. Although there are many uncertainties in the decision-making problem, the approach has allowed to identify almost unambiguously the electric vehicle that is likely to gain the highest acceptance. As a result of the conducted research it was found that the approaches to uncertainty based on fuzzy sets, outranking relations and stochastic analysis complement each other, allowing the decision-maker to conduct a wider analysis of the imprecision of the obtained solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a theory and a tool for the treatment of problems arising when a decision making agent faces a situation involving a choice between a finite set of strategies, having access to a finite set of autonomous agents reporting their opinions. Each of these agents may itself be a decision making agent, and the theory is independent of whether there is a specific coordinating agent or not. Any decision making agent is allowed to assign different credibilities to the statements made by the other autonomous agents. The theory admits the representation of vague and numerically imprecise information, and the evaluation results in a set of admissible strategies by using criteria conforming to classical statistical decision theory. The admissible strategies can be further investigated with respect to strength and also with respect to the range of values that makes them admissible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the dynamic development of renewable energy has been visible all over the world, including Poland. Wind energy is one of the most used renewable energy sources. In Poland, by 2030, it is planned to commission at least six offshore wind farms with a total capacity of 3.8 GW. It is estimated that these investments will increase Poland's GDP by approximately PLN 60 billion and increase tax revenues by PLN 15 billion. Therefore, they could be a strong stimulus for the development of the Polish economy and may be of great importance in recovering from the crisis caused by the economic constraints related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the article is a multi-criteria evaluation of the investments planned in Poland in offshore wind farms and identification of potentially the most economically effective investments. To account for the uncertainty in this decision problem, a modified fuzzy Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method was used and a comprehensive sensitivity analysis was performed. As a result of the research, a ranking of the considered projects was constructed and the most preferred investments were identified. Moreover, it has been shown that all the investments considered are justified and recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]