Work best conducted by means of a multi-stakeholder workshop

The key environmental and social sustainability linkages are best identified and assessed within a multi-stakeholder workshop. This approach delivers direct and up-to-date information and accurate appraisals of future options and positions. It would also be conceivable to conduct a screening of product-specific sustainability linkages by means of an or through a , but this would presuppose greater availability of orientative quantitative data in order to deliver a comparable stability of results. 

Involving stakeholders in the strategic phase naturally presents risks, such as confidentiality problems. Figure 25 in the annex shows three options by which to involve stakeholders, and the advantages and drawbacks of these options.