METHODS OF STANDARDIZATION, WEIGHTING AND AGGREGATION IN THE FORMATION OF SUSTAINABILITY INDEX

Abstract

The structuring of a sustainability index requires a transparent and reliable process, so that its results are the closest to reality and consistent. This study aimed at a critical analysis of the process of structural elaboration of the (sub) sustainability indexes, comparing its main disadvantages and advantages. The methodology used focuses on the qualitative through the technique of systematic literature review and snowballing. The keywords (composite indicators, index, sustainability, aggregation, normalization, advantages and disadvantages) have been inserted into the Google Scholar, Science Direct, Springer Link and Wiley Online Library search directories. The main results show that the techniques used in the process of standardization, weighting and aggregation of a set of data in a sustainability index present indifferent weaknesses and limitations. In addition, the multicriteria aggregation techniques cover qualitative, quantitative data and their uncertainties, but they do not eliminate the weaknesses and limitations of structuring the sustainability index. Thus, they tend to be more suitable, but do not guarantee that the index generated reflect the complexity of the reality of the system that has been reduced. The theoretical and practical contributions of this study are related to the choices of methods and techniques in structuring the (sub) sustainability index, since even with the choice of the most adequate ones in their elaboration, they do not eliminate their fragilities and limitations. The originality of the study is the combination of the main methods and techniques of elaborating a (sub) sustainability index in a single document, in the Portuguese language.