Sustainabilitynbsp;Assessmentnbsp;is an increasingly important tool for informing planningnbsp;and development decisions across thenbsp;globe. Required by law in some countries, strongly recommended in others, a comprehensive analysis of why Sustainabilitynbsp;Assessment is needed andnbsp;clarification ofnbsp;the value-laden and political nature of assessments is long overdue.

Currently the writing on the subject is limited and comprises, for the most part, guidance documents and completed assessments. This book overcomes these shortcomings by simultaneously providing the knowledge, inspiration and range of assessment tools in decision-making students require to tackle Sustainabilitynbsp;Assessmentnbsp;challenges nested within wide-ranging values and sustainability-grounded evidence.

The collectionnbsp;details the current state-of-the art in relation to Sustainabilitynbsp;Assessment theory and practice, andnbsp;considers the pluralistic nature of the tool and the implications for achieving sustainable decision-making.nbsp;The contributorsnbsp;set outnbsp;the context for Sustainabilitynbsp;Assessment and then outline some contested issues which can affect interpretations of whether the decision tool has been effective. Current practice worldwide is assessed against a consistent frameworknbsp; and then solutions to some of the inherent weaknesses and causes of conflict in relation to the perceived sustainability of outcomes are put forward.

The booknbsp;is unique in setting out state-of-the-art in terms of Sustainabilitynbsp;Assessment practice by focusing on those countries with developing experience. It also covers emerging factors influencing effectiveness of decision-making tools and evaluates how they affect the performance of Sustainabilitynbsp;Assessment.nbsp;Written by authors among thenbsp;leading university academics teaching impact assessment courses in the most acclaimed universities worldwide operating in this field, it is ideally suited for the growing numbers of courses in impact assessment education and training.