Businesses increasingly experiment with monetary impact valuation to assess their sustainability impacts, raising both promise and concern. We propose a scientific approach — grounded in eight principles — to ensure valuation serves sustainability rather than distorts it.This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institutionAccess optionsAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription27,99 € / 30 dayscancel any timeLearn moreSubscribe to this journalReceive 12 digital issues and online access to articles118,99 € per yearonly 9,92 € per issueLearn moreBuy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to full article PDFBuy nowPrices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutFig. 1: Eight guiding principles for sound and scientific monetary impact valuation.ReferencesBraig, P. & Edinger-Schons, L. M. Sustain. Prod. Consum. 23, 189–197 (2020).Article Google Scholar Pigou, A. C. The Economics of Welfare (Macmillan and Co., 1920).Christensen, H. B., Hail, L. & Leuz, C. Rev. Account. Stud. 26, 1176–1248 (2021).Article Google Scholar Stroehle, J. et al. J. Manag. Inquiry https://doi.org/10.1177/10564926251330815 (2025).Article Google Scholar Maechler, S. & Boisvert, V. Glob. Environ. Polit. 24, 10–30 (2024).Article Google Scholar Newfield, C., Alexandrova, A. & John, S. (eds) Limits of the Numerical: The Abuses and Uses of Quantification (Univ. Chicago Press, 2022).Porter, T. M. Trust in Numbers: The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life (Princeton Univ. Press, 1996).Hermann, C. The Critique of Commodification: Contours of a Post-Capitalist Society (Oxford Univ. Press, 2021).Pascual, U. et al. Nature 620, 813–823 (2023).Article CAS Google Scholar Mandle, L. et al. Nat. Sustain. 4, 161–169 (2021).Article Google Scholar Fourcade, M. Am. J. Sociol. 116, 1721–1777 (2011).Article Google Scholar Döbbeling-Hildebrandt, N. et al. Nat. Commun. 15, 4147 (2024).Article Google Scholar Coase, R. H. J. Law Econ. 3, 1–44 (1960).Article Google Scholar Greenstone, M. et al. Science 381, 837–840 (2023).Article CAS Google Scholar Sandel, M. J. What Money Can’t Buy: the Moral Limits of Markets. The Tanner Lectures on Human Values (Brasenose College, 1998).Download referencesAuthor informationAuthors and AffiliationsUniversity of Hamburg, Hamburg, GermanyLaura Marie Edinger-Schons & Timo BuschUniversity of St. Gallen, St. Gallen, SwitzerlandJudith StroehleUniversity of Oxford, Oxford, UKJudith Stroehle, Marya Besharov, Karim Harji, Colin Mayer & Juliane ReineckeLudwig-Maximilian University of Munich, Munich, GermanyAli Aslan GümüsayAlexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft, Berlin, GermanyAli Aslan GümüsayMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USAFlorian BergUniversity of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USADror EtzionHarvard Business School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USANien-hê HsiehBoston University, Boston, MA, USAAndy KingUniversity of Padua, Padua, ItalyGiovanna MichelonCopenhagen Business School, Copenhagen, DenmarkAndreas RascheIMD Lausanne, Lausanne, SwitzerlandFlorian HoosAuthorsLaura Marie Edinger-SchonsView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJudith StroehleView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAli Aslan GümüsayView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarFlorian BergView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarMarya BesharovView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarTimo BuschView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarDror EtzionView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarKarim HarjiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarNien-hê HsiehView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAndy KingView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarColin MayerView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarGiovanna MichelonView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAndreas RascheView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarJuliane ReineckeView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarFlorian HoosView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarContributionsL.M.E.-S. wrote the initial draft of the comment. All co-authors contributed to revising and editing the manuscript. L.M.E.-S. consolidated the feedback from all authors throughout the drafting and revision process.Corresponding authorCorrespondence to Laura Marie Edinger-Schons.Ethics declarationsCompeting interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.Peer reviewPeer review informationNature Sustainability thanks Sylvain Maechler and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work.Rights and permissionsReprints and permissionsAbout this article