The SDGs and the sustainability assessment of private-sector projects
Theoretical conceptualisation and comparison with current practice using the case study of the Asian Development Bank
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21153385 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Theo Hacking (0000-0003-0205-0610, Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 2-16 |
| Publication date | 2019-01-02 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Impact Assessment and Project Appraisal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1461-5517 • E-ISSN: 1471-5465 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14615517.2018.1477469 |
| OpenAlex | W2805340671 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 19 |
| References cited | 30 |
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are receiving increasing attention in the private sector; however ex post assessment of operational sustainability performance remains well in advance of ex ante sustainability assessment of capital projects. It is also not yet commonplace to structure emergent forms of sustainability assessment to support the SDGs explicitly. This article reviews theoretical frameworks that aim to conceptualise sustainability assessment, and then explores the potential to develop SDG-focussed forms for use at the project-level. The extent of enhancement needed to current practice is illustrated using the case study of the Asian Development Bank. This analysis reveals that sustainability is being presented as a goal of project-level assessment and there has been progress towards delivering on this by, in particular, extending the thematic coverage. Amongst the key challenges remaining are how to address trade-offs (typically unavoidable for projects) and how to connect the SDGs, set at a global level, to the local-level where projects are considered. These findings, which reveal the gap between theory and practice, can inform efforts to develop SDG-focussed sustainability assessment
Business · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental planning · Environmental resource management · Impact assessment · Political science · Private sector · Process management · Sustainability · Sustainable development · Computer Science · Environmental and Social Impact Assessments · Mining and Resource Management · Public Administration · Sustainable Building Design and Assessment
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Sustainability assessment
Gearing up impact assessment as a vehicle for achieving the UN sustainable development goals
Embracing evolutionary change to advance impact assessment (IA)
Using Sustainable Development Goals to develop EIA scoping practices
Innovation through the EIA tender
Mutual benefits of sustainability integration in the value chain
Environmental impact assessment and sustainable development
The role of private sector in the implementation of sustainable development goals
Asymmetric linkages between public-private partnership, environmental innovation, and transport emissions
Evaluating the sustainability of land use integrating SDGs and its driving factors
A comparative evaluation of the environmental impact assessment legislation of South Africa and Zambia
Evaluating the effectiveness of integrating the environmental impact assessment and mine closure planning processes
The mutualism of strategic environmental assessment and sustainable development goals
Motivating a change in environmental assessment practice
Integrating SDGs in environmental assessment
Linking the UN SDGs and environmental assessment
Design principles for sustainability
Conflict translates environmental and social risk into business costs
Sustainability assessment
Application of a contribution to sustainability test by the Joint Review Panel for the Canadian Mackenzie Gas Project
Strategic environmental assessment and transport planning
Emphasising enhancement in all forms of impact assessment
Strategic environmental assessment for sustainability
Sustainability assessment as problem structuring
Retracted
Reconceptualising sustainability assessment
A framework for clarifying the meaning of Triple Bottom-Line, Integrated, and Sustainability Assessment
Conceptualising and managing trade-offs in sustainability assessment
Social impact assessment
| Citations per year | 3.17 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2025 (6) |
| Highly cited | No |