Embedded value systems in sustainability assessment tools and their implications

This paper explores the implications that arise with the selection of specific sustainability evaluation tools. Sustainability evaluation tools are conceptualized in this paper as value articulating institutions and as such their choice is a far from a trivial matter. In fact their choice can entail...

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Publicado en:Journal of Environmental Management Vol. 91; no. 8; pp. 1613 - 1623
Autor principal: Gasparatos, Alexandros
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Academic Press Inc. Aug2010
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Aug2010
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      pub: Academic Press Inc.
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        51158379
        10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.03.014
      ppf: 1613
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      tig:
        atl: Embedded value systems in sustainability assessment tools and their implications
      aug:
        au: Gasparatos, Alexandros
        affil:
          Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS), United Nations University, 1-1-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku 220-8502, Yokohama, Japan
          School of Frontier Sciences, Department of International Studies, University of Tokyo, Japan
      su:
        Sustainability
        Evaluation methodology
        Evaluation research
        Methods engineering
        Environmental management
        Value (Economics)
      sug:
        subj:
          Sustainability
          Evaluation methodology
          Evaluation research
          Methods engineering
          Environmental management
          Value (Economics)
      keyword:
        Human values
        Participation
        Sustainability evaluation
        Value articulating institutions
        Human values
        Participation
        Sustainability evaluation
        Value articulating institutions
      ab: This paper explores the implications that arise with the selection of specific sustainability evaluation tools. Sustainability evaluation tools are conceptualized in this paper as value articulating institutions and as such their choice is a far from a trivial matter. In fact their choice can entail various ethical and practical repercussions. However, in most cases the choice of the evaluation tool is made by the analyst(s) without taking into consideration the values of the affected stakeholders. By choosing the analytical tool the analyst essentially “subscribes to” and ultimately “enforces” a particular worldview as the legitimate yardstick to evaluate the sustainability of a particular project (or policy). Instead, this paper argues that the selection of evaluation tools should be consistent with the values of the affected stakeholders. With this in mind, different sustainability evaluation tools’ assumptions are critically reviewed and a number of suggestions that could facilitate the choice of the most appropriate tool according to the context of the sustainability evaluation are provided. It is expected that conscious evaluation tool selection, following the suggestions made in this paper, will reduce the risk of providing distorted sustainability evaluations.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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