SDGIs: Proposals and Reflections on the Way Forward

Prof. Laszlo Pinter CEU and IISD

November 22, 2012

Sustainable Development Assessment:

Towards Measurable Goals Asia-Europe Environment Forum Seminar

Singapore

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“We need many indicators because we have many different purposes—but there may be over-arching purposes that transcend nations and cultures, and therefore there may be overarching indicators.” (Donella H. Meadows, 1998)

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Key points • SDGs should be grounded in common values, relevant science, and a

conceptual framework and not be data driven

• Sustainable development goal indicators (SDGIs) and underlying data are needed for goal and target setting and strong SDG accountability

• Developing the SDGIs could be best done in a parallel, but arms length process from the political SDG process

• The development of the SDGIs should follow a principles-based approach

• The development of SDGIs represents a major opportunity for mainstreaming beyond-GDP thinking into policy

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The identification of SDGs should not be data driven, but grounded in common values, relevant science, and a conceptual framework that represents key domains of sustainable development and interlinkages between the domains.

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Source: Pinter, L., K. Zahedi and D. Cressman. (2000) Capacity Building for Integrated Environmental Assessment and Reporting. Nairobi: UNEP and IISD. 6

Sustainable development goal indicators (SDGIs) should inform goal and target setting and serve as an important element of the SDGs’ governance and accountability mechanism.

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In order to ensure scientific credibility, objectivity, and timely access to relevant facts and evidence in the political SDG process, a parallel but arms-length institutional arrangement and process should be set up from the beginning for the development of the SDGIs. The political SDG and technical SDGI processes should work iteratively and in close coordination.

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The development of the SDGIs should follow a principles-based approach, such as the Bellagio Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles or BellagioSTAMP developed in a multistakeholder process coordinated by the OECD and IISD.

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BellagioSTAMP

1. Guiding vision 2. Essential considerations 3. Adequate scope 4. Framework and indicators 5. Transparency 6. Effective communication 7. Broad participation 8. Continuity and capacity

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The development of SDGIs represents a major opportunity for mainstreaming results of the ongoing review of the system of national accounts, including the development of a new framework for environmental statistics and sustainability indicators into policy.

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MDGs and

MDGIs

2015

Sustainable Development Goal Monitoring and Indicators

Sustainable Development Goals

Post-2015 Development Agenda

Implementation Planning

2012

Beyond GDP and SNA reform

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