Sustainability auditing and assessment challenges

The purpose of this short overview paper is to set out the basic meaning of the concept of sustainable development and the challenges it poses for society. The paper also explores the complexities that surround attempts to operationalize sustainability principles. What decision-makers at various levels in society require is a decision support system that includes methods and techniques capable of measuring sustainable development progress (or the lack of it). However, because sustainability itself is a multifaceted concept and process, a range of often divergent perspectives (worldviews) may all be judged relevant to the translation of the ideas into practice. The as yet unanswered question is how can decision-makers be offered a comprehensive yet consistent and coherent package of decision-making aids in order to facilitate the sustainability transition.