Developing a new assessment tool in the area of sustainable development requires a strategic methodology for a cohesive and logical framework incorporating relevant theory and practical experience, building on a critical analysis of the state of the art. The assessment process implies the existence of tools, instruments, processes, and methodologies to measure performance in a consistent manner with respect to pre-established standards, guidelines, factors, or other criteria. Sustainability assessment practitioners have developed an increasing variety of tools. The present paper discusses a range of fundamental approaches, as well as specific and integrated strategies for sustainability assessment, as the foundation of a new rating system being developed for large industrial projects. Assessment methods identified by different schemes are also described. The focus then shifts onto environmental and sustainable rating systems, emphasizing the more popular tools. The present work is thus a review of the status of sustainability development and its different assessment tools: approaches, strategies, models, appraisals, and methodologies. This work also presents a description of the credit weighting tool used by the most popular sustainability and environmental rating systems.

In this paper, we explore the potential benefits of implementing environmental and sustainability rating systems (ESRS) in industrial sectors other than the building industry. The increasing demand for natural resource exploration and exploitation has generated greater attention to the impact of such activity on both the organization and its stakeholders. One solution to mitigate the negative impacts is to regulate it through government agencies and legal requirements. While providing general guidelines, these processes often provide little practical help for firms to address triple bottom line goals in sustainability (i.e. social, economic, environment). More recently, a variety of environmental and sustainability rating tools have been developed to assist firms in making decisions that best fit these goals. While readily used and championed by the building industry, these rating tools have yet to be adopted by adjacent industries like mining, energy, oil & gas, and heavy industrial. This paper outlines potential benefits that these industries could realize in choosing to use such tools for the assessment of sustainability performance.

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In the structure of the WA-PA-SU project sustainability rating system, three main aspects are considered: areas or categories of excellence, each with a set of criteria; areas or subdivisions of an oil sands or heavy oil project; and management integration. The resources involved in project development, expectations of stakeholders,