Definition and use of Solution-focused Sustainability Assessment: A novel approach to generate, explore and decide on sustainable solutions for wicked problems (original) (raw)
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Sustainability assessment is a growing concern worldwide with United Nations' Agenda 2030 being implemented. As sustainability refers to the consideration of environmental, social and economic issues in light of cultural, historic-retrospective and prospective-and institutional perspectives, appropriate tools are needed to ensure the complete coverage of these aspects and allow the participation of multiple stakeholders. This article presents a scientifically robust and flexible tool, developed over the last 25 years and tested in different cultural and development contexts to build a framework for sustainability assessment of policies, strategies, programs and projects in light of Agenda 2030. A selected case study conducted on a major mining project in Québec (Canada) illustrates the Sustainable Development Analytical Grid performance for sustainability assessment. This tool and process is part of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals Acceleration Toolkit; it is one of the most adaptable, addresses all 17 SDGs and is fully accessible for free. Other advantages and limitations of the tool and process are discussed.
A Pathway to Linking Risk and Sustainability Assessments
Toxics, 2014
The US National Research Council recently released a report promoting sustainability assessment as the future of environmental regulation. Thirty years earlier, this organization (under the same senior author) had issued a similar report promoting risk assessment as a new method for improving the science behind regulatory decisions. Tools for risk assessment were subsequently developed and adopted in state and federal agencies throughout the US. Since then, limitations of the traditional forms of risk assessment have prompted some dramatic modifications toward cumulative assessments that combine multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors in community settings. At present, however, there is little momentum within the risk assessment community for abandoning this evolved system in favor of a new sustainability-based one. The key question is, how best to proceed? Should sustainability principles be incorporated into current risk assessment procedures, or vice versa? Widespread recognition of the importance of sustainability offers no clear guidance for the risk assessment community, especially in light of institutional commitments to sustainability tools and definitions that appear to have little in common with cumulative risk notions. The purpose of this paper is to reframe the sustainability challenge for risk assessors by offering analytical guidance to chart a way out. We adopt a decision analysis framework to
Concept Paper A Pathway to Linking Risk and Sustainability Assessments
2014
The US National Research Council recently released a report promoting sustainability assessment as the future of environmental regulation. Thirty years earlier, this organization (under the same senior author) had issued a similar report promoting risk assessment as a new method for improving the science behind regulatory decisions. Tools for risk assessment were subsequently developed and adopted in state and federal agencies throughout the US. Since then, limitations of the traditional forms of risk assessment have prompted some dramatic modifications toward cumulative assessments that combine multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors in community settings. At present, however, there is little momentum within the risk assessment community for abandoning this evolved system in favor of a new sustainability-based one. The key question is, how best to proceed? Should sustainability principles be incorporated into current risk assessment procedures, or vice versa? Widespread recognition of the importance of sustainability offers no clear guidance for the risk assessment community, especially in light of institutional commitments to sustainability tools and definitions that appear to have little in common with cumulative risk notions. The purpose of this paper is to reframe the sustainability challenge for risk assessors by offering analytical guidance to chart a way out. We adopt a decision analysis framework to
Using risk assessment to facilitate and enhance the movement to sustainability
Environmental Quality Management, 2006
Sustainable development means balancing economic growth and environmental protection in a manner that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development [WCED], 1987). The components of sustainable development are economic, environmental, and equity (or social) benefitthe "3 Es," or triple bottom line. Sustainability is enabled by the assessment of risks to human health and the environment. Risk assessment is simply the determination of the potential to cause harm, integrated with estimated, actual, or real-world exposure. Overview: Benefits of Using Risk Assessment Risk assessment is an integral part-and often a major driver-of sustainable development. It can and should be a significant element that contributes to the quality of processes, products, and overall operations, helping to provide confidence of safety. Use of risk assessment helps lead business organizations toward sustainability by providing them with a knowledge-based competitive edge or advantage that addresses all elements of the 3 Es. Risk assessment can offer: • relief from onerous regulatory requirements arising from extreme interpretations of the Precautionary Principle, such as chemical hazard or ban lists (economic benefit); • defense against competitor or legal claims and allegations that particular products are unsafe (economic, environmental, and equity benefits); • enhanced product quality resulting from confident scientific knowledge that products are, and will continue to be, used safely (economic, environmental, and equity benefits);
Integrated Approaches to Sustainability Assessment: An Alignment of Ends and Means
This paper outlines research on a model for Integrated Sustainability Assessment (ISA). The model combines 20 key elements of sustainability assessment into a workable sustainability framework. The model was applied in the assessment, generation and modification of 12 sustainability projects with findings indicating wider applications. The paper describes the 20 components used in the ISA process, provides a definition of ISA and each component of the ISA model used, explains the reason for the necessary inclusion of each component, the effect if omitted from an ISA process, and the descriptive labels for 20 conceptual types of sustainability assessment identified.
Recognizing the urgent need for sustainability, we argue that to move beyond the rhetoric and to actually realize sustainable development, it must be considered as a decision-making strategy. We demonstrate that sustainability assessment and sustainability indicators can be powerful decision-supporting tools that foster sustainable development by addressing three sustainability decision-making challenges: interpretation, information-structuring, and influence. Particularly, since the 1990s many substantial and often promising sustainability assessment and sustainability indicators efforts are made. However, better practices and a broader shared understanding are still required. We aim to contribute to that objective by adopting a theoretical perspective that frames SA and SI in the context of sustainable development as a decision-making strategy and that introduces both fields along several essential aspects in a structured and comparable manner.
Sustainability assessment as problem structuring: three typical ways
Sustainability Science, 2017
Sustainability assessment (SA) is an increasingly popular term referring to a broad range of approaches to align decision-making with the principles of sustainability. Nevertheless, in public and private sectors sustainability results are still disappointing, and this paper reflects on this problem and proposes a way forward. We argue that, because sustainability issues are generally wicked problems (i.e. a 'complex of interconnected factors in a pluralistic context'), effective assessments need to be reflexive about the definition of the issue and about the criteria for sustainable solutions. Based on a distinction of policy problems, we characterize SA as a form of problem structuring, and we distinguish three typical ways of problem structuring, corresponding to three different ways of integrating reflexivity in the assessment. We illustrate these routes in three examples. We discuss the way reflexivity is integrated in each example by discussing the mix of methods, SA process and epistemological balance. Rather than merely calling for more stakeholder participation, our aim is to call for more reflexivity integrated into the SA approach, and we conclude by proposing a process map for reflexive sustainability assessment to support this.
The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 2013
Purpose Sustainability Science (SS) is considered an emerging discipline, applicative and solution-oriented whose aim is to handle environmental, social and economic issues in light of cultural, historic and institutional perspectives. The challenges of the discipline are not only related to better identifying the problems affecting sustainability but to the actual transition towards solutions adopting an integrated, comprehensive and participatory approach. This requires the definition of a common scientific paradigm in which integration and interaction amongst sectorial disciplines is of paramount relevance. In this context, life cycle thinking (LCT) and, in
A Systemic Framework for Environmental Decision-Making
Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and Management, 1999
The context of sustainable development poses new challenges for traditional environmental decision-making tools, such as environmental impact assessment, environmental management systems and life cycle assessment. Today these tools are expected to provide multidisciplinary information to aid sustainability decisions, not just to inform decisions about environmental effects. This paper brings together the different perspectives of authors from EIA, EMS and clean technology/LCA to examine critically the separate tools in the context of sustainable development, and their inter-relationships, and identifies a "tool-user's dilemma": whether to use a tool as intended, to adapt it or develop something new. The paper examines the similarities of these key tools and recognises both a paradigm shift and a congruence in the way in which they have developed: from being merely tools, through being techniques to approaches. The paper concludes by suggesting an integrated framework within which the tools can continue to operate effectively, and one that helps resolve the tool-user's dilemma. Clean Technology is seen as providing a useful philosophical understanding for the operation of this outline framework.