ABSTRACT
Technologies have been in use since the Neolithic revolution and intensively used since the industrial revolution. The rapid evolution of science and technology has been accompanied by increased energy and resource consumption and environmental pollution. There is a consensus among users and developers of assessment tools that there are already sufficient systems analysis tools that deal with at least the ecological and economic dimensions. In making sustainable development operational, human activities at different levels should be checked for compliance with these three considerations to fulfill the needs of present and future generations. The chapter discusses the concept of technology assessment (TA) at the general level in a wider perspective, followed by a discussion on limitations associated with conventional TA. It presents the activities at the international level and a survey of literature on conventional TA.
