Role of Impact Assessment in Sustainable Development

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

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