The article pertains to the utilization of the application potential of MCDM/MCDA (Multi-Criteria Decision Making/Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis) methods in decision-making problems in the field of transport in light of sustainable development. The article consists of a theoretical and an empirical part. As part of the literature studies, a review was carried out on the latest applications of MCDM/MCDA methods for decision-making problems in the field of transport. In the empirical part, a multi-criteria analysis of the placement selection for a strip of expressway located in north-eastern Poland was carried out. For this purpose, a hybrid approach was used, consisting of three selected MCDM/MCDA methods: DEMATEL, REMBRANDT, and VIKOR. The ranking was compared with the results achieved in the EIA report of the investment and the results were obtained by using a different set of MCDM/MCDA methods that were proposed in the first part of the research, i.e., AHP, Fuzzy AHP, TOPSIS, and PROMETHEE. The performed multi-criteria analyses allowed for an eventual multi-dimensional evaluation of the most popular MCDM/MCDA methods currently applied in the field of transport.

The encouraging Design for Disassembly appears in the literature more and more often. Such a design appears to offer clear environmental advantages. However, there are still not enough research results to support the existence of these benefits. The authors using the Life Cycle Assessment method, which assesses the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions during the demolition and operation of steel structure. Steel is completely recyclable and, in terms of tonnage, is the most recycled material worldwide. We assessed three scenarios: (1) complete re-remelting (recycling) of the structure; (2) partial reuse of construction elements + remelting (recovery + recycling); and (3) complete reuse of the structure (recovery). GaBi software was used for the analysis. It was found that the environmental impact varied significantly among the examined scenarios. The first scenario poses the greatest environmental burden. However, compared to Scenario no. 1, Scenario 3’s environmental impact is more than 70% lower.

The paper’s priority aim is to review the scientific literature on multi-criteria analysis in the transport sector. The work is a continuation of research published in the previous works: Broniewicz, Ogrodnik, Multi-criteria analysis of transport infrastructure projects; and Broniewicz, Ogrodnik, A comparative evaluation of multi-criteria analysis methods for sustainable transport. This paper updates the literature review of the subject matter, considering scientific papers published between 2021 and 2024. Based on a literature review, the topic’s popularity under study was assessed, the most popular methods/groups of MCDM/MCDA methods applied to transportation decision-making problems were identified, and new research topics that emerged in recent years were also identified. The article also includes the case study—a multi-criteria analysis of a selected road investment in Poland. The project variant was selected using four different criteria weighting methods, and the obtained results were compared. The comparative analysis performed allowed for the assessment of the application potential of the selected MCDM/MCDA methods. Special attention was paid to the weighting methods. Based on the multi-criteria analysis, a comparable set of weights was obtained using the AHP and Fuzzy AHP methods, while different results were obtained using the CRITIC method characterized by an objective approach to weighting. The TOPSIS method was used for the final ranking of the variants of the selected real road investment. The results confirmed the ranking obtained from the official design documentation of the selected investment.

The aim of this article is to analyze the environmental disclosures of non-financial information presented in the selected Polish banks in terms of meeting the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) guidelines. The ESRS reporting standards, adopted by the European Commission in July 2023, not only introduced an increase in the scope of reporting but also clearly defined the information to be disclosed in reports that banks are obligated to submit. The research method used was a critical analysis of the subject-matter literature, and, in the empirical part, a method of analyzing information posted on bank websites was assumed. Among the analyzed entities, 23 banks operating in Poland, functioning in the form of joint-stock companies, were taken into consideration. Research has shown that the required data is contained in various documents published by banks, and their availability on websites is relatively low. The scope of environmental disclosures was assessed as insufficient in relation to the ESRS guidelines. The highest number of disclosures occurred in the “Climate” area and the lowest in the “Biodiversity and Ecosystems” area, which may stem from the specificity of the banks' activities. The conducted research revealed that banks were inadequately prepared for reporting that takes into account ESRS guidelines.

Environmental Protection Expenditure in European Union | InTechOpen, Published on: 2011-06-21. Authors: Elzbieta Broniewicz