Sustainability of water and sanitation state-owned companies in Brazil

Abstract

This paper assesses the sustainability of Brazilian’s water and sanitation state-owned companies’ services. The assessment was conducted based on the selection of six indicators reflecting three of the sustainability dimensions: social, economic, and environmental. We built a global sustainability index by adopting the MACBETH multicriteria analysis methodology, which aggregates the dimensions of sustainability with their respective indicators. As main result we found that two companies were considered sustainable in each of the three assessed dimensions of sustainability, and that three companies were globally sustainable according to the methodology applied in this study. Setting sustainability targets and increasing regulatory enforcement leads to improved services performance. Further, sustainable sanitation services bring us closer to achieving the national targets for universal access and Sustainable Development Goal 6 established by the United Nations.

How Is the Utilities Sector Contributing to Building a Sustainable Future? A Systematic Literature Review of Sustainability Practices

“…Several indexes have been used to assess sustainability, including the benefit-of-thedoubt index [87] for overall sustainability, or specific indicators for each of the three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, social and economic) [88][89][90]. Their integration in performance management systems could lead to more effective management and control of sustainability performance in utility companies [91].…”

Desafios, Oportunidades E Ações Para Promover a Sustentabilidade Econômico-Financeira Dos Prestadores De Serviços De Saneamento

“…Com relação aos serviços de esgotamento sanitário, os índices de atendimento são ainda mais preocupantes no que tange ao cumprimento das metas de universalização, já que apenas 55% da população total é atendida por tais serviços. Gonçalves et al (2022) observam que o Brasil está longe de atingir a meta de universalização do acesso definida no Plano Nacional de Saneamento Básico (PLANSAB) e Lei Nacional de Saneamento (Lei Federal n° 11.445/2007). Perard (2018) menciona que alcançar o acesso universal ao saneamento representa um desafio social e financeiro, no qual, a sustentabilidade financeira parece ser a questão mais crítica para o setor de saneamento.…”