A systems approach to evaluating sustainability of biofuel systems

摘要: Biofuels are evolving in complex systems of interrelating environmental, economic and social issues. For this reason a number sustainability criteria covering these issues have been developed. However, there has little effort given to the development mechanism evaluate compliance biofuel with available. Grounded theoretical practical insights from thinking literature on indicator selection processes, paper intends extend existing discussions biofuels by providing critical review conceptual framework guide about measuring, monitoring evaluating systems. The focuses integration social, environmental establish holistically established that evaluation indicators should reflect: (i) all processes involved life cycle biofuels; (ii) interrelationships subsystems related impacts; (iii) different subsystem perspectives (economic, social); (iv) process continual learning, which facilitates improved functioning entire system.