Multi-Objective Design under Sustainability Constraints: From Pareto Fronts to Planetary Boundaries

Abstract

This review aims to synthesize the evolution of multi-objective optimization frameworks that embed sustainability constraints, tracing the conceptual and methodological transition from Pareto-front optimization toward boundary-aware design paradigms aligned with planetary sustainability limits. This qualitative systematic review employed a structured literature-based design focusing on peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2025 across engineering, optimization, and sustainability domains. Fourteen eligible articles were selected through database searches in Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, using inclusion criteria centered on multi-objective design incorporating environmental, economic, and social sustainability dimensions. Data collection was limited to document analysis, and data analysis followed qualitative thematic synthesis using NVivo 14 software. Open, axial, and selective coding were applied to extract conceptual patterns from the literature. The coding process continued until theoretical saturation was reached, yielding four overarching themes: evolution of sustainability-constrained optimization, modeling of sustainability constraints, computational and analytical methodologies, and sustainability assessment within planetary boundaries. Results indicate that sustainability-constrained multi-objective optimization is transforming engineering design by embedding life-cycle, ecological, and socio-economic dimensions into the optimization process. Studies increasingly integrate environmental thresholds and planetary boundary indicators as explicit constraints rather than post-analysis metrics. Computational advances, including surrogate modeling, hybrid multi-fidelity frameworks, and AI-assisted Pareto analysis, enable tractable exploration of complex sustainability trade-offs. Furthermore, the alignment of optimization outcomes with planetary boundary frameworks introduces a normative anchor for absolute sustainability assessment. However, challenges persist regarding data uncertainty, inter-scale consistency, and the translation of global ecological limits into local design decisions. The synthesis underscores a paradigm shift from efficiency-oriented optimization to ecologically bounded design, where feasible solutions are defined by the biosphere’s limits. Integrating planetary boundaries within multi-objective frameworks offers a transformative pathway for reconciling engineering innovation with global sustainability imperatives.