Cleaner Production Tools -- Environmental Indicators
[ Description | Links ]
Environmental Indicators (EI) attempt to provide a numerical basis for evaluating environmental performance. Hundreds of different EIs have been proposed. Good indicators have a strong connection from the measurement of some environmental condition to practical policy options.
Environmental indicators can be used at the regional, national or international level, and are frequently cited in state-of-the-environment reports. They are used to calculate the impact of human activities - over time - on the environment. Environmental commitments are frequently made by governments, and EIs can be used to judge how well those commitments are kept, and to determine the environmental credibility of that government.
One very common EI is urban air quality - that is, the number of days gound-level ozone exceeds the national objective. Other common EIs include forest area (as a percentage of total area) and water withdrawal (as a percentage of gross annual availability.)
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development lists the following purposes for Economic Indicators:
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to keep track of environmental progress
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to ensure integration of environmental concerns into sectoral policies (e.g. transport, energy and agriculture)
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to ensure integration of environmental concerns into economic policies
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to use indicators to measure environmental performance and to help determine whether countries are on track towards sustainable development
Environmental Indicators Links
ŠNDRC 2000-2006