Sustainability integration across the project life cycle: a PRISMA-guided scoping review

Abstract

This paper presents a PRISMA-guided scoping review that examines how sustainability integration is described across the project life cycle. Studies were identified through searches in the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus. In the included studies, sustainability integration is discussed mainly in relation to the planning and execution stages; initiation is addressed less consistently, and the closing stage is rarely covered. Integration is most often described through stakeholder engagement and the setting of sustainability goals and decision criteria, with training and communication mentioned as supporting activities. Assessment is largely framework-driven: frameworks, methods, and standards are reported frequently, while indicator-based operationalisation is described less consistently. When implementation conditions are explicitly reported, barriers and enablers are most often discussed in relation to governance and policy context, cost pressure, and capability gaps. The review highlights areas that are rarely discussed, especially closing-stage integration of sustainability and the use of sustainability criteria at formal decision points.