To be published in Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal 24:4 (2006)

Abstract: The last few years have brought many experiments with forms of sustainability assessment – applied at the strategic and project levels by governments, private sector firms, civil society organizations and various combinations. The attractiveness of the work so far suggests that it is now time to prepare for comprehensive adoption and more consistent application of sustainability assessment requirements and processes. The key first steps in sustainability assessment regime design are addressed in this paper. They centre on • the basic sustainability requirements that should inform a transition to sustainability assessment; • the main implications of these requirements for sustainability assessment decision criteria and trade-off rules; • how to incorporate proper attention to the specific circumstances of applications in particular cases and contexts; and more generally • how to design practical sustainability assessment regimes