A new research framework discussed in the International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, could offer a new approach to assessing the sustainability of technologies at their earliest stages, long before they enter the marketplace. The framework addresses a longstanding gap in how innovation is guided in relation to environmental and social goals.
Traditional tools such as life cycle assessments (LCA) have been the standard for evaluating environmental impacts of technologies. These tools assess emissions, resource consumption, and waste across a product’s full lifecycle. However, they are typically applied once a technology is close to commercial deployment or already in use. That delay means that key decisions about design, materials, and production methods, which are often made during the research and development phase, are commonly made without the benefit of a structured sustainability assessment.
The new framework, developed from eight real-world case studies, moves the assessment to a much earlier stage and so equips those in R&D with the means to consider sustainability not as a retrospective measurement, but as a real-time guide embedded in the innovation process. The implication is that the approach could be used at the conceptual and prototyping phases.
The researchers describe their framework as having a two-pronged basis. First, it examines the long-term sustainability potential of a technology across its lifecycle, from creation and use through to obsolescence. Secondly, it looks at the R&D process itself and allows sustainability principles to be integrated into how the technology is conceived and developed. This part of the assessment also considers how it interacts with supply chains, user communities, and society itself.
However, because early-stage technologies often lack precise data, the framework blends qualitative assessments with quantitative indicators. These indicators, known as key performance indicators, are selected based on relevance to the specific technology under study. Not every project will weigh each dimension equally. The model is quite adaptable and rather than imposing a universal checklist, it encourages research teams to define appropriate indicators and goals suited to their technological context. Some may prioritize carbon reduction, others might focus on labour impacts, yet others community benefits.
Viles, E., Santos, J., López, A., Revilla, O. and Rios-Davila, F-J. (2025) ‘Exploring sustainability in emerging technologies: a reference framework utilising multicase studies’, Int. J. Environmental Technology and Management, Vol. 28, No. 7, pp.1–23.