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Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 31927

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Paolo Biancone

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Guest Editor

Department of Management, University of Turin, 10134 Turin, Italy
Interests: accounting; accountability; social impact assessment; Islamic finance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Silvana Secinaro

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Guest Editor

Department of Management, University of Turin, 10134 Turin, Italy
Interests: accounting; technologies; smart cities; accountability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At a time of extreme difficulty for companies, there exists a wide range of studies and guidelines that invoke impact assessment as a driver for more sustainable development and effective resource planning.

The issue of sustainable development is determined not only by the effective use of resources and the application of appropriate strategies, but also by considering the social aspect as well. Thus, impact assessment has been established in companies with taking into consideration multiple criteria of different nature (economic, environmental, and social), as well as the transparency and engagement of the different stakeholders, such as organizations, government, and communities.

Several studies have highlighted the role of environmental and strategic impact assessment (EIA & SEA) as a facilitator of the evidence of climate change impacts within organizations. In the same way, social impact assessment (SIA) is a means of resilience in responding to change, to the needs of external stakeholders seeking to replace the contribution of public authorities, and therefore identifying opportunities that enhance benefits for local communities. The literature focuses extensively on both lines of research; however, few studies focus on how hybrid organizations, for example, can be involved in these processes.

Social impact and environmental impact have a reflection on economic aspects and are closely related to the complex reality in which hybrid organizations provide their services by focusing on both social impact and profit aspects by involving different sectors (i.e., public/private/third sectors in terms of governmental/profit/non-profit). Involvement of all of these could play a key role in promoting sustainable development through specific social, institutional, and technological innovations and practices.

This Special Issue aims to discuss the role of environmental and social impact assessment in companies in spheres such as profit and non-profit realities as a pathway for sustainable development as well as the role of hybrid organizations in the context of development and change. This Special Issue invites original research papers, case studies, reviews, and critical perspectives for current and new applied approaches also with an innovative vision.

Prof. Dr. Paolo Biancone
Prof. Dr. Silvana Secinaro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

social impact assessment
environmental assessment
impact assessment
corporate development
profit and non-profit sector
sustainable development

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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31 pages, 5302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Information Modelling Management and Green Public Procurement for Waste Management and Environmental Renovation of Brownfields

by Laura Pellegrini, Mirko Locatelli, Silvia Meschini, Giulia Pattini, Elena Seghezzi, Lavinia Chiara Tagliabue and Giuseppe Martino Di Giuda

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8585; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158585 - 1 Aug 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2909

Abstract

Information Modelling and Management (IMM) methods for Most Economically Advantageous Tender (MEAT) can promote the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices. Despite the wide regulatory framework and existing drivers, Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) trends are still growing. The literature review analyzed IMM and CDW management implementation during design phases although few studies focused on Green Public Procurement (GPP) and CDW management integration from the Public Client’s point of view. This research aims at investigating the integration and efficiency of MEAT and IMM to promote the application of sustainable strategies focused on waste reduction and resource valorization. The study investigates the Public Client’s role in promoting sustainable practices, introducing digital material inventory and BIM during the design phases, and including environmental award criteria in the call for tender documents. A Design Build (DB) procurement model was considered in the case study of a brownfield renovation and the construction of a new school in northern Italy. The methodology provided the Public Client and included a method to evaluate the environmental impact of the bids, allowing for proper selective demolition planning, CDW decrease, and organization while promoting their integration in companies’ expertise and procedures. The replicability of the methodology is demonstrated by positive results of present and previous case studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development)

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0 pages, 745 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Human Capital for Value Creation and Social Impact: The Interpretation of the IR’s HC Definition

by Maurizio Cisi and Francesca Alice Centrone

Sustainability 2021, 13(13), 6989; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13136989 - 22 Jun 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2829

Abstract

The paper aimed at assessing and identifying in a comparative way the potentiality and suitability of the Integrated Reporting (IR)’s definition of human capital (HC) within a selection of companies and social cooperatives. Employing in-depth interviews, the qualitative study analyzed the points of view of a selection of human resources managers to firstly check and test the connection between human capital, value creation, and social impact. The contribution of human capital to value creation is not easily recognized, especially by smaller-sized companies. The results suggested that the HC definition of the IR in the for-profit sector seems to be more applicable to the top management than to the whole workforce, while it appears as “fitting” for the managers of social cooperatives because of its explicit focus on ethical values, loyalty, and motivation. This allowed opening possible channels of dialogue between the profit and not-for-profit sectors. The paper proposed practical recommendations to operationalize the IR’s HC definition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development)

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26 pages, 1013 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Social Impact and Value Creation in Hybrid Organizations: The Case of Italian Civil Service

by Paolo Esposito, Valerio Brescia, Chiara Fantauzzi and Rocco Frondizi

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 4058; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13074058 - 6 Apr 2021

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3720

Abstract

The aim of this paper is twofold: first, it aims to analyze what kind of value is generated by hybrid organizations and how; second, it aims to understand the role of social impact assessment (SIA) in the measurement of added value, especially in terms of social and economic change generated by hybrids. Hybrid organizations are a debated topic in literature and have different strengths in responding to needs, mainly in the public interest. Nevertheless, there are not many studies that identify the impact and change generated by these organizations. After highlighting the gap in the literature, the study proposes an innovative approach that combines SIA, interview, interventionist approach and documental analysis. The breakdown of SIA through the five elements of the value chain (inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and impact) guarantees a linear definition of the value generated through change with procedural objectivity capable of grasping hybrid organizations’ complexity. The value generated or absorbed is the change generated by the impact measured based on the incidence of public resources allocated. Through the SIA and counterfactual approach, the civil service case study analysis highlights how the value generated by public resources can be measured or more clearly displayed in the measurement process itself. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development)

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17 pages, 288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Principle of Sustainable Development as the Basis for Weighing the Public Interest and Individual Interest in the Scope of the Cultural Heritage Protection Law in the European Union

by Adam Kozień

Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3985; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073985 - 2 Apr 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2685

Abstract

The concept of sustainable development is widely used, especially in social, environmental and economic aspects. The principle of sustainable development was derived from the concept of sustainable development, which appears in legal terms at the international, EU, national and local levels. Today, the value of cultural heritage that should be legally protected is indicated. A problematic issue may be the clash in this respect of the public interest related to the protection of heritage with the individual interest, expressed, e.g., in the ownership of cultural heritage designates. During the research, scientific methods that are used in legal sciences were used: theoretical–legal, formal–dogmatic, historical–legal methods, as well as the method of criticism of the literature, and legal inferences were also used. The analyses were carried out on the basis of the interdisciplinary literature on the subject, as well as international, EU and national legal acts—sources of the generally applicable law. Research has shown that the interdisciplinary principle of sustainable development, especially from the perspective of the social and auxiliary environmental aspect, may be the basis for weighing public and individual interests in the area of legal protection of cultural heritage in the European Union. It was also indicated that it is possible in the situation of treating the principle of sustainable development in terms of Dworkin’s “policies” and allows its application not only at the level of European Union law (primary and secondary), but also at the national legal orders of the European Union Member States. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development)

19 pages, 4168 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Social Finance and Banking Research as a Driver for Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Analysis

by Silvana Secinaro, Davide Calandra, Denisa Petricean and Federico Chmet

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 330; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010330 - 31 Dec 2020

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 5653

Abstract

Social finance and banking with an embedded social purpose have been on the rise in recent decades. Social entrepreneurs have repeatedly stressed the critical need for financial support from social banks. This study aims to provide a bibliometric analysis of the status of the field in social finance and banking, recognising main topics from existing research and establishing future re-search challenges. Our study used science mapping workflow and multiple research questions to investigate the broad literature about social banking and finance. With in-depth bibliometric analysis, authors examined qualitative and quantitative variables as primary research infor-mation, relevant sources, subject areas, authors data, social, thematic and intellectual structure. The data was retrieved from Web of Science (WOS) and then analysed using Bibliometrix R-package. The analysis was based on a sample of 270 articles and demonstrates a multidisciplinary vision of the research flow investigated. Our results show several insights regarding journals, authors and geographical interest of this research stream. Specifically, the literature, although dwelling on social finance and banking, includes five theoretical and practical clusters as (1) people’s well-being, combined with technological innovation, (2) governance, (3) ethical investment and sustainable development, (4) corporate social responsibility (CSR), and (5) transparency. The authors also note a line of research that observes technological solutions for the response to social and environmental problems. These results may be useful for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to foster social finance and financial system tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development)

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16 pages, 1420 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Limits of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in Malaysia: Dam Politics, Rent-Seeking, and Conflict

by Peter Ho, Bin Md Saman Nor-Hisham and Heng Zhao

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10467; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410467 - 14 Dec 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 6103

Abstract

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is often portrayed as a policy measure that can mitigate the environmental influence of corporate and government projects through objective, systematic, and value-free assessment. Simultaneously, however, research has also shown that the larger political context in which the EIA is embedded is crucial in determining its influence on decision-making. Moreover, particularly in the case of mega-projects, vested economic interests, rent-seeking, and politics may provide them with a momentum in which the EIA risks becoming a mere formality. To substantiate this point, the article examines the EIA of what is reportedly Asia’s largest dam outside China: the Bakun Hydro-electric Project (BHP) in Malaysia. The study is based on mixed methods, particularly, qualitative research (semi-structured interviews, participatory observation, and archival study) coupled to a survey conducted in 10 resource-poor, indigenous communities in the resettlement area. It is found that close to 90% of the respondents are dissatisfied with their participation in the EIA, while another 80% stated that the authorities had conducted the EIA without complying to the procedures. The findings do not only shed light on the manner in which the EIA was used to legitimize a project that should ultimately have been halted, but are also testimony to the way that the BHP has disenfranchised the rights of indigenous people to meaningfully participate in the EIA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development)

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Review

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16 pages, 513 KiB

Open AccessReview

Mapping Social Impact Assessment Models: A Literature Overview for a Future Research Agenda

by Luigi Corvo, Lavinia Pastore, Arianna Manti and Daniel Iannaci

Sustainability 2021, 13(9), 4750; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13094750 - 23 Apr 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 5950

Abstract

The social impact assessment (SIA) process is widely utilised and is receiving increasing interest from both scholars and practitioners. A systematic approach was applied in this study to search for articles about SIA models. In the first step, we analysed six main SIA model mappings between 2004 and 2015. In the second step, 98 models were identified. The main findings include the definition of emerging paths for the future research agenda on this topic. Compared with previous SIA mappings, we identified 22 additional models that are related to the sustainability discourse. The meaning of sustainability is defined both by the emergence of new systems in finance that require specific metrics and in relation to the global agenda towards sustainable development. It is interesting to notice how social impact models, sustainability indicators (under the global framework of sustainable development goals (SDGs)) and new financial scores (such as environmental, social and governance (ESGs)) are converging into a common discourse, even if divergence is still present, and further research is needed to unlock the relationships among them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development)

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