ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the existing research that has been undertaken on sustainability assessments. It involves a comprehensive literature review on how organisations integrate sustainability considerations into their business operations, specifically focusing within the impact assessment literature. The chapter specifically organises the extant literature related to horizontal impact assessments - including sustainability assessments, integrated impact assessments, integrated assessments and integrated appraisals. It focuses on establishing a clearer understanding of each of the seven steps of the corporate sustainability assessment framework: screening, scoping, impact analysis, alternative selection, monitoring, evaluation and feedback and follow up. It is clear from a review of the impact assessment field that there are specific gaps in the field: there are few empirical studies of multinational enterprises (MNEs) incorporating sustainability considerations into their business activities, specifically through a sustainability assessment framework. This provides a compelling basis from which to understand how the private sector might, and can, address sustainability in their business operations.
