Abstract for:Use of qualitative information in the development of sustainability indicators; usefulness in system dynamics modeling

It is important to strive towards sustainable energy developmentn in an increasingly energy intensive world with depleting fossil fuels. Nonetheless, there is no universally accepted definition of what a sustainable energy future is thus making it difficult to determine how it can be reached. Through stakeholder engagement, goals and actions towards a sustainable energy future in Iceland are identified and the decision-making structure is analyzed. Informed stakeholders of the system were engaged through  interviews, the public’s voice was captured through focus groups, and results were verified through a Delphi survey. The common thread from all stakeholders was a lack of a comprehensive long-term energy policy. This even further adds value and immediacy to this research. The creation of such an energy policy can be a complex decision-making problem that requires the consideration of different objectives. The importance of stakeholder engagement has become increasingly apparent. An emphasis was placed on developing  a robust way of involving stakeholders and analyzing their input the re-applicability of methods being developed. Most current energy models do not adequately account for sustainability implications of energy development. By integrating sustainability indicators into a model, it is possible to assess the sustainability implications of different development pathways.