Índice de sustentabilidade energética de cidades: caso de estudo em cidades inteligentes e sustentáveis

Abstract

Sustainability issues in the energy sector are directly linked to the generation and use of energy. Those are connected by the strong link between electricity consumption and economic development, making it the sector that emits the most greenhouse gases. On the other hand, the world’s population is increasingly concentrated in cities, generating the need to overcome the problems caused by overpopulation. In this scenario, cities are adapting and seeking to offer an economically sustainable and environmentally responsible urban environment, with a high quality of life for all their citizens, using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) efficiently. Within the scope of these so-called smart cities, which are evolving to become even more sustainable using various forms of management, issues of assessing the alleged sustainability required of the urban environment are discussed. The study is therefore inter and transdisciplinary, involving areas of engineering, social and environmental sciences, among others. From this perspective, the general objective of this thesis is to propose an energy sustainability index for evaluating Smart and Sustainable Cities. The research was exploratory-descriptive, with a mixed approach to data collection and processing, using a Systematic Literature Review with an integrative bias and, additionally, using documentary research with Content Analysis. The resulting index was applied to seven cities with Smart and Sustainable characteristics, identifying differences and inconsistencies and translating them into a numerical value for comparative purposes. The created Energy Sustainability Index ISE-CIS is an optional tool to assess cities on their path to becoming intelligent and sustainable, perhaps resilient and prepared for future climate-caused challenges using open data.