Objective dimensionality reduction method within multi-objective optimisation considering total footprints

• Simplified and more practical objective dimensionality reduction method –Representative Objectives Method.
• The method is applied within multi-objective optimisation considering different total (burdening and unburdening) footprints.
• Reducing the number of objectives to a minimum number of representative footprints.
• Practical tool for the dimensionality reduction of footprints during the economic and environmental optimisation.

This contribution presents a simplified and more practical version of an objective dimensionality reduction method within multi-objective optimisation – a Representative Objectives Method. This method is based on similarities between several objectives in order to reduce the number of objectives to a minimum number of representative objectives. This method can be applied to different direct and total objectives. In this contribution the selected objectives are annual profit and total footprints. Total footprints are the sum of direct and indirect footprints where the direct footprints only consider the burdening of the environment, whilst the total footprints consider both the burdening and unburdening of the environment.This dimensionality reduction method is applied during a demonstration case study of regional supply chains regarding the evaluations of different total environmental footprints. This case study indicates that this simplified version of the Representative Objectives Method is easy to apply and enables the user to more easily understand multi-objective optimisation solutions. It represents a practical tool for performing the dimensionality reduction of criteria during the economic and environmental optimisation of different problems when considering total environmental footprints.