Multi-criteria analysis of heating sector sustainability in selected North European countries.

• A set of indicators for assessing sustainability of the heating sector at national level is developed. • MCDA performed by applying the TOPSIS approach. • Comparative assessment of heating sector sustainability in selected North European countries is performed. • Nordic Countries are the highest ranked in the assessment. Decarbonization of heating sector is an important part of the global low carbon energy transition, and an essential step towards implementing climate change mitigation commitments as this sector accounts for 40–50 % of global energy consumption and is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In addition, this sector is sensitive in terms of energy vulnerability and energy poverty. The aim of this paper is to develop a set of indicators and evaluation tool for assessing sustainability of the heating sector at national level and to apply developed methodology for comparative assessment in selected North European countries. The set of indicators developed address concept of sustainability in holistic way and could also be applied universally to compare the European Union (EU) countries and to track the achievements of measures taken at the EU level and in national energy strategies and plans. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) performed by applying the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and four scenarios of heating sector sustainability assessment revealed that three Nordic Countries are the highest ranked according to all sustainability assessment scenarios. These countries can be the cases of the best practice in the heating sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]