With　the　continuous　social　and　economic　development,　the　output　of　municipal　sewage　sludge　is　increasingly　rising.　Sludge　treatment　and　disposal　technologies　need　economical　investment　and　resource　consumption,　and　their　comprehensive　performance　should　be　investigated　from　pros　and　cons,　to　provide　systematic　information　for　policy-makers.　Based　on　the　characteristics　of　sludge　treatment　and/or　disposal　systems,　this　study　proposed　an　improved　emergy　approach　which　considered　emissions’　impact,　and　then　it　presented　a　set　of　indicator　system　to　explore　the　comprehensive　performance　of　sewage　treatment/disposal　practice.　Application　of　the　proposed　method　and　indictors　to　one　sewage　sludge　treatment　system　with　earthworm　compositing　technology　located　in　Chengdu,　China　results　show　that　(1)　the　dewatered　sludge　is　the　main　contributor　to　this　system,　followed　by　mushroom　dregs;　(2)　direct　emissions　from　diesel　use　should　be　emphasized;　(3)　this　system　can　promote　resource　conservation　effectively　through　lower　emergy　investment;　(4)　emissions’　impact　slightly　reduces　the　comprehensive　performance;　(5)　this　system　is　not　sustainable　in　the　long　term　due　to　great　dependence　on　nonrenewable　resources.　Finally,　this　work　puts　forward　some　improvement　suggestions　for　the　sewage　sludge　treatment　practice.　©　2017　Elsevier　B.V.