Insights from different academic disciplines become relevant when developing solutions for a sustainable future. This gradual realization has influenced the emergence of dedicated inter- and transdisciplinary fields of enquiry such as sustainability science and sustainability economics. However, despite this concerted academic effort we are still far from agreeing on how to define, plan and measure the progress towards sustainability. 

The aim of this commentary is to suggest ways to choose the most appropriate sustainability assessment tool. After briefly introducing the main assumption of each sustainability assessment tool category, we identify the main implications that the choice of a tool entails. We then proceed to offer four different suggestions for conscious tool selection.