Methods for Measuring and Evaluating Sustainability: State-of-the Art, Challenges, and Future Developments

摘要: By now, the term sustainability suffers from being degenerated into a buzzword resulting in an exceptionally large amount and variety of literature. Likely due to this, dispersal descriptions, perspectives, facets regarding sustainability-assessing methods reveals deficits terms theoretical methodological rigor, novelty, practical usefulness. Against this background, article contains overview eight selected tools for assessment. The qualitative review current research articles concerning energy technologies highlights objectives purposes, origins, main procedures, fields application, examples as well critical acclaim each method. Next several considerations general such role principles, criteria, indicators are illustrated important challenges measuring sustainability. Thereby, we develop six-stage model that supports choice appropriate method In doing so, derive two fundamental namely “content-related” features “performance-related” features. At same time, underlines coexistence various different, highly complex methods, approaches, assess We evidence increasing defragmentation specialization on our findings likely foster further theoretical, conceptual, analytical developments field. This also promotes customization value assessment methods. Keywords: sustainability methods; selection methodologies; sustainability principles; criteria indicators; references