Integrated Sustainability Index: the Case Study of Lithuania

Abstract

Sustainable development is the main aim of society development all over the world. It is also the priority policy area in the EU and Lithuania. The main mission of the State in implementing the Sustainable Development Strategy is the coordination and harmonisation of evolution of the main elements of sustainable development (environmental, economic and social spheres), provision of an opportunity for the population to actively participate in the sustainable development process and enjoy the results of the progress made through joint efforts. Measurement of the country’s sustainability and progress achieved towards implementing the sustainable development targets is an important part of the sustainable development policy. Therefore, novel measures and tools are developed to aid the sustainability analysis. Multi-criteria methods can be applied in order to solve the intricate problem. Multicriteria decision making (MCDM) methods are suitable to tackle the sustainability assessment problem. In this study, we will apply two MCDM methods, namely ARAS and TOPSIS for a more robust assessment. The aim of the paper is to analyse and apply several MCDM methodologies for sustainability assessment in Lithuania and to evaluate the progress achieved in implementing sustainable development priorities in the country.