Water-energy-carbon nexus and sustainability-oriented prioritization of negative emissions technologies for the oil & gas industry: A decision support system under Fermatean fuzzy environment

Attaining carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions mitigation has become one of the central goals, and it has received wider attention from policymakers. The CO2 as a negative greenhouse gas (GHG) has been increasing in the atmosphere by anthropogenic activities, including the burning of fossil fuels. In view of this issue, negative emissions technologies can play a very useful role in reducing CO2 emissions concentration and mitigating climate change. Therefore, deploying these technologies is imperative. There are multiple available negative emissions technologies that should be assessed on the basis of different principles (criteria). A decision support system is needed to prioritize these technologies and select the most appropriate option. In this regard, a novel hybrid system including the two multi-criteria decision-making techniques under the Fermatean fuzzy environment is proposed. The Fermatean fuzzy set is applied for evaluating uncertainty in the water-energy-carbon nexus and sustainability principles performance levels of these technologies. The prioritization of negative emissions technologies considering the defined principles is assessed through the utilization of the proposed method. The results indicate that the technology of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage is the most suitable alternative for reaching the carbon management goals in Bidboland Persian Gulf gas refinery in southwestern Iran, Behbahan. This work extracts a roadmaping for piloting the oil & gas industry shift towards a circular carbon economy. Therefore, the industries such as the oil and gas industry should boost environmental awareness, ample funds, and incentives for implementing negative emissions technologies to encourage sustainable energy systems, develop low-carbon strategies, mitigate climate change, and promote sustainable economic growth. Concerning the government, corresponding policies and measures should be adopted to emphasize increasing the use of these technologies, especially in high-emission areas.