Slide 1

Slide 2 1 Indicators, reporting and sustainable development David Stanners Programme Manager for strategic development & international cooperation European Environment Agency International/Interagency Collaboration Information Technology for Environmental Information & Environmental Data Exchange Network, EEA &EPA, USGS, CNR, JRC and UNEP Copenhagen, 25-26 April 2002 Slide 3 2 Outline 1. Environmental challenges and responses 2. The role of indicators in the EEAs work in support of the policy process 3. Indicator frameworks and typologies 4. Linking indicators to the policy process 5. A few thoughts on sustainability indicators Aim: to reflect on the background and approches to the indicator choices being made to help build a more relevant, effective, consistent and streamlined reporting system Slide 4 3 To develop a more robust, relevant, effective, consistent and streamlined set of indicators for tracking course towards a more sustainable future The final goal....... Slide 5 4.....to help.... manage what you measure (indicators); respond and be rewarded or penalised for those things which you can be held accountable (benchmarking); and, achieve what has been agreed (targets). Slide 6 5 1. Environmental challenges State of the environment Sectoral trends Responses main policy processes Slide 7 6 Overall, what do we see ? The environmental problems that are most difficult to solve persist Tackling climate change Greenhouse gas emissions 1990 1992199419961998 4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 million tonnes CO 2 equivalent EU15 greenhouse gas emissions 2008-2012 kyoto target Slide 8 7 Overall, what do we see ? (2) The environmental problems that are most difficult to solve persist Protecting nature and bio-diversity from land take and use Every day during 1990 - 1998, about 10 hectares of land (10 football pitches) were taken for motorway construction in the EU 1980 - 100 120 built-up area 115 110 105 100 95 90 85 1980 1990 1994 1998 forest land length of road network permanentgrassland Slide 9 8 Overall, what do we see ? (3) The environmental problems that are most difficult to solve persist Sustainable management of waste and natural resources 600 waste generated 500 400 300 1990 waste landfilled 200 100 0 199319951996 kg/per capita Slide 10 9 Overall, what do we see ? (4) The environmental problems that are most difficult to solve persist Environment and health Air quality in urban areas (ozone and particulate matters) 40 Fine particles 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 899091929394959697Ozone35 30 25 20 15 10 0 5 939495969798 Slide 11 10 Most issues intimately linked with energy consumption A reflection of the overall scale of resource use 1000 mtoe 800 600 400 200 0 households industry transport services and agriculture 19861988 19901992 19941996 1998 Slide 12 11 Eco-efficiency and material flows Positive trends in sectoral eco-efficiency have led to a decrease in total air polluting emissions Emissions of ozone precursors Emissions of acidifying substances 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 6000 5000 4000 3000 2000 1000 0 0 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 198019821984198619881990199219941996 acid equivalents ktonnes NH 3 NO x SO 2 CLRTAP target 2010 total proposed NECD target 2010 GDP GDP in billion US$ CH 4 CO NMVOC EU15(NO X +VOC) NO X proposed 2010 target NECD only NO X + VOC 2010 CLRTAP target only NO X + VOC 198019821984198619881990199219941996 GDP TOFP equivalents ktonnes GDP in billion US$ Slide 13 12 The challenge: evolving patterns and scale of consumption and production Transport is constantly increasing and is a core activity of the tourism sector The number of inbound tourist visitors grew faster than total passenger transport Passenger transport 1980 =100 250 200 150 100 50 0 1980 19851990 1995 2000 2005 2010 number of cars passenger-km population million tourists 300 250 200 150 100 50 198019851990 1992 1994 1996 1998 Tourist arrivals Slide 14 13 Country performance on selected indicators The indicators used in this report give a clear signal to Ireland and the southern European countries that more needs to be done. ir popopopogritfres lulululubesw dkdkdkdkau ukukukukfi nlnlnlnl dededede climate change air emission s water quantity waste Slide 15 14 Headline Indicators Keys Good progress towards meeting objective, improvement No significant change, static Movement away from objective, declining ? Insufficient data = tool for awareness raising Slide 16 15 2. The role of indicators in the EEAs work in support of the policy process Slide 17 16 The aim of EEA indicator reports is to provide signals: yon the integration of environmental policy into other policy fields yon eco-efficiency and material flows yon country performance yon progress made and promises for the future Slide 18 17 policy preparation policy formulation policy execution policy evaluation The Policy Cycle Slide 19 18 What steps for sustainable decision making? Sustainable development strategy (Gothenburg Summit, June 2001) Cardiff integration strategy (since April 1998) Lisbon Socio-economic process (since March 2000) 6 th environmental action programme (still to be finally agreed) All include reporting and indicators to measure & benchmark progress Slide 20 19 The 'three corridors model' to follow progress in sustainable development Strategy for Sustainable Development (Gothenburg Summit June 2001 to RIO+10 June 2002) Structural Indicators Lisbon agenda (socio- economic policies) ('Synthesis report' to Stockhom summit, March 2001) Sectoral integration ind. Sectoral strategies & action programmes (Economic councils for Gothenburg Summit June 2001) Issue indicators Environmental action plan (Env council, 6EAP for Gothenburg 2001 and specific development plans) Integrated Monitoring and reporting Slide 21 20 EU Indicator architecture EU Indicator architecture (tentative number of indicators per group) Spring Council indicators 36 sectoral headline indicators (n x 3) env. issue indicators ~100 sectoral indicators n x 30 env. issue headline indicators 10 structural indicators 30 Slide 22 21 The EEA focus for indicators in support of the policy process Indicators and the 6th Environmental Action Programme Indicators and the integration strategies Monitoring progress with the Sustainable Development Strategy indicators for the Synthesis report and Spring Councils Slide 23 22 Priorities under the ECs 6 th Environmental Action Programme (6EAP) Limiting climate change Nature and biodiversity protecting a unique resource Environment and health & quality of life Ensuring the sustainable management of natural resources and wastes Slide 24 23 The 6EAP seeks to develop...ex ante evaluation of the possible impacts of new policies...ex post evaluation of the effectiveness of existing measures in meeting their environmental objectives Slide 25 24 Indicators and the integration strategies Agriculture ) Environmental Transport) Impacts Energy) Supply/demand Tourism) Eco-efficiency Fisheries) Subsidies Households) Prices Industry) Externalities Slide 26 25 Gteborg European Council, 15-16 June 2001 Presidency Conclusions...agrees a strategy for sustainability development which..... adds a third, environmental dimension to the Lisbon strategy and establishes a new approach to policy making. Slide 27 26 Gteborg conclusions on sustainable development Four priority areas singled out for future policy development (based on SDS, 6EAP, sector strategies): Climate change, Transport Public health Natural resources [The other SDS priorities are: social exclusion and poverty, demography and ageing, clean energy (with climate change), mobility and land use.] Slide 28 27 Gteborg conclusions cont... the Commission will evaluate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Strategy, in its annual synthesis report, on the basis of a number of headline indicators... Starting from Spring 2003, the Commission will begin covering the candidate countries and their national policies in its annual synthesis report. Slide 29 28 Six indicators each for: General Economic background I. Employment II. Innovation III. Economic reform IV. Social Cohesion Six indicators for environment: V. Environmental aspects of Sustainable Development 1. Greenhouse gas emissions 2.Energy intensity of the economy 3. Volume of transport (tonnes and passenger km) relative to GDP 4. Modal split of transport 5. Urban air quality 6. Municipal waste Possible indicators for the Spring European Council published by the Commission on 30/10/2001 Slide 30 29 List of indicators to be developed under Environment chapter of Commission publication 30/10/01 Consumption of toxic chemicals Disability-free life expectancy Biodiversity Resource productivity Recycling rate of selected materials Generation of hazardous waste Slide 31 30 3. Indicator frameworks and typologies A typology of questions and indicators The assessment framework and the role of indicators in the policy life cycle Slide 32