3. Issues of sustainability assessment
There has been intense debate about the process of sustainability assessment. Some suggest that the issues come from the age-old question ‘What is the good life?’ evoked by the ancient Greeks (Hodge & Hardi, 1997). In recent years, questions such as how STD shouldbe assessed, and who should evaluate its efficacy are increasingly being discussed around the world (Richardson, 1993; Forsyth, 1997; Mercer, 2000). Carpenter (1995) mentions measurement difficulties that are indicated in the real ecosystem context. Similar barriers can be seen to apply to sustainability assessment in the human system. Cockl in (1989) also discusses difficulties that are specific to the evaluation of the achievement of sustainable development, suggesting four broad methodological dilemmas: the boundary problem; single resource analysis vs. integrated evaluation; the quantification problem; and the goal of sustainability and other goals. In addition, there are a number of unanswered questions, and a certain amount of skepticism, concerning the process of sustainability.