Sustainability Assessment Methods and Their Application to Harmonization of Policies and Sustainability Monitoring

Sustainability assessment methods and techniques are analyzed in this paper. Criteria for sustainability assessment of state policies are defined as based on priorities of the National Sustainable Development Strategy. Technique for sustainability assessment of state policies is developed. An integrated indicators approach is constructed for monitoring implementation of a sustainable development strategy in Lithuania. This work aims at developing the technique for sustainability assessment of state policies and measures based on various sustainability assessment tools, methods and techniques developed by other scientists. The most important methods and techniques for sustainability assessment are analyzed and systematized. Based on the analysis of priorities of Lithuanian government policies the principal economic, environmental and social criteria for sustainability assessment of policies and measures are established for Lithuania. The proposed multi-criteria decision analysis technique is based on the integrated sustainability indices developed for the state, region, enterprise level and it includes a set of social, economic and environmental indicators of different levels. Monitoring technique for the progress achieved towards sustainability is applied to monitoring implementation of the Lithuanian sustainable development strategy.