ABSTRACT Geothermal projects have significant socio-economic and environmental impacts, both positive and negative. In order for energy developments to contribute to sustainable developments they must result in positive impacts in all dimensions. Sustainability assessments are valuable tools for policy-or decision-makers for making informed conclusions regarding policy effectiveness and progress toward sustainable development. Currently available assessment frameworks are not suited to assessing geothermal projects, thus a new, specialized framework is required. The methodology for developing a geothermal sustainability assessment framework is described in this paper. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Geothermal Energy and Sustainable Development Energy usage worldwide is increasing. Global energy demand is predicted to grow by more than one-third by 2035, with China, India and the Middle East accounting for 60% of the increase (International Energy Agency, 2012). The use of alternatives such as geothermal energy is set to increase, since the world has only a finite supply of fossil fuels. As well as this, in order to combat climate change and fulfill international agreements, low carbon energy sources such as geothermal energy are now being tapped on a larger scale. In 2008, geothermal energy represented around 0.1% of the global primary energy supply, but estimates predict that it could fulfill around 3% of global electricity demand, as well as 5% of global heating demand by 2050 (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2012)
