Indicators Strategy Final

Strategies for Sustainable Development
in Politics and Economy
- Strategies and indicators -
Prof. Dr. Matthias Finkbeiner

Dr. Vanessa Bach
Technische Universität Berlin

Department of Environmental Technology
Chair of Sustainable Engineering
Sustainable development – definition: Brundtland report
• Sustainable development is a …
“development which meets the needs of current
generations without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs"”
• Development = process od developing
• Needs = they include environmental, social and economic

factors
• Present generation = knowing the current state of the art

(present targets)
• Future Generation = long term targets
Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Sustainability & sustainable management
Strong sustainability
• Environment as basis of the social and economic dimension

• Eco centric view
Weak sustainability
• All three dimensions on the same level, can “replace” each other
(main capital must stay the same)
• Anthropocentric view
• Sustainability, like development, is all about people

– little point achieving sustainable system that reduces
the quality of life of the people in that system

Strategies

Strategy definition
“A method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement

of a goal or solution to a problem”
• Different definitions exist in different fields
• Important aspects are:

– Goal: what is the need of the strategy/its goal
– Plan: systematic idea how to achieve this goal
Sustainability Strategy:
Method or plan chosen to achieve/foster sustainable development (i.e. focused

on promoting economic, environmental and social advancement)

Setting up a strategy
Analysis (e.g. observing, collecting information)
Find deficiencies (e.g. areas where you want to improve)
Definition of goal (e.g. SMART goal) or vision
Screening of Reduce GHG

High GHG
GHG emissions (by 30% in 3
emissions
of company years)

Analyse current
No strategy for state of the art GHG reduction of
decreasing GHG and identify 20% over the next
emissions improvement 3 years
options

Analysis (e.g. observing, collecting information, assessing resources)
Analyse current
state of the art
Decreasing of Less heating in
and identify
GHG emissions winter
improvement
options

SMART Goals
Specific • State what you want to do
Measurable • Provide a way to evaluate
Achievable • Possible tp accomplish?
Relevant • Does it make sense?
• State when do you want to achieve

Timely it
9

SMART Goals

Timely it
10

SMART Goals
Achievable • Possible to accomplish?

Timely it
11

SMART Goals
Achievable • Possible to accomplish?

Timely it
12

SMART Goals

Timely it
13

SMART Goals - Example
• I will obtain a job as a junior sustainability

Specific consultant within three months after
graduating
Measurable • Success can be measured by the number of

applications, interviews and job offers
Achievable • Appropriate degree for the job
• I am planning to get a job in the sustainability

Relevant field after getting an degree in sustainable
engineering
Timely • 3 month after graduation

14


graduating


engineering

15


graduating


engineering

16


graduating


engineering

17


graduating


engineering

18

SMART Goals
• Reduce the proportion of people

Specific living below the poverty line
Measurable • To less than 10%
Achievable • Framework conditions
Relevant • Refelected in SDGs
Timely • In the next five years

19

Percentage of population by country living below that
country's official poverty line
2008 CIA World Factbook
20

SMART Goals


21

SMART Goals


22

SMART Goals


23

SMART Goals


24

A smart goal – your turn
Define a SMART goal : getting a very good grade in the exam
Your task:
5 min
1. On your own:
• Define a SMART goal
2. With your neighbor(s):

10 min
exchange ideas, notes
3. Gather and discuss ideas in the big

group
5 min
25

Define indicators for monitoring
Define actions plan (e.g. timeline, responsibilities, measures, etc.)
26

Keeping a strategy alive
Reasons why goal is not achievable

Action and has to be changed:
plan
• Not a SMART goal
• Changed conditions, e.g. new
technology or protests
Revise
action
• Goal is not supported by
Carry out
plan
and/or
Goal action
plan
relevant stakeholder ↔
Achievable
goal
Review
Indicator
27

Indicators
29

What Is an Indicator?
• A measurement instrument: can be a sign, a number, a graphic, etc.
30

• Can be a sign, a number, a graphic, etc.
• Help for understanding of

– Where are you? (What´s the status)
– Which way are you going? (e.g. a target)
– How far away are you from where you want to be?
Today: People living

under the poverty line:
30%
Target: 10%
Distance: 20%
Indicator: Percentages
of people in region x
living under the
property line as defined
in this region
31

• Can be a sign, a number, a graphic, etc.
• Help for understanding of

– Where are you? (What´s the status)
– Which way are you going? (e.g. a target)
– How far away are you from where you want to be?
• Information to summarise the characteristics of systems
32

Types of indicators: quantitative → qualitative
Indicator type: nature of data used by indicator (qualitative or quantitative,

absolute or relative)
Quantitative indicators
• Help to answer questions about things answering questions like:
– How many?
– How much?
– How often?
• Answered in numerical form

– X tons CO2 emissions
– No. of children working in the textile sector
– X trainings per year
33

Types of indicators: quantitative → qualitative
Qualitative indicators Semi-quantitative indicators

• Help to describe that something has • Help to answer questions like:
happened, occurs etc., answering – Does it exist?
questions like:
– Are measures taken?
– How?
– Is it good, bad?
– When?
– Who?
…thus questions which can be
answered with yes/no or with
– Where?
defined values (good/bad,
– Which?
little/much etc.), e.g.
– What?
– Does the company respects
– Why? human rights?
• Answered in verbal form, e.g. – Does the company have
– Adequate working conditions environmental standard?
– Social benefits provided by company
34

Terminology: Data, Indicators, & Indices
• What is the difference between:

– Data
– Statistics
– Indicators
– Indices
– Indicator set
35

Example: Environmental Performance Indicator
• Index/Indices
– Aggregation of several indicators
36

Terminology: Index
• Index: a group of indicators aggregated into a single value

– Facilitates interpretation, combines different aspects/dimensions
 Primarily used at the national level, e.g.
• Environmental Performance Index (Yale)
→ aggregates over 19 indicators of environmental performance
• ‘Human Development Index’ (United Nations (UN)):

→ combines life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index
→ used to rank countries into four tiers of human development
37

• Index/Indices
• Indicators
– messages without a need for further interpretation
38

• Indices
• Indicators
• Statistics
– treated amount of data, often from official sources
Wastewater treatment: percentage of wastewater generated

by households and economic activities that is safely treated.
39

• Indices
• Indicators
• Statistics
• Data
– Raw material
Country data for:

Produced municipal wastewater
Collected municipal wastewater
Treated municipal wastewater
Not treated municipal wastewater
40

Terminology: Data, Indicators, & Indices
• Data
– Raw material
– In need of further processing (e.g. aggregation to national level, adjustment for
season, climate, economic cycles)
• Statistics
– describing real phenomena according to an exact definition
• Indicators
• Indices
– may require adjustments
41

Indicator set vs. Index
• Indicator set: a group of indicators • Index: a group of indicators

selected to measure a specific topic aggregated into a single value
– Several results for the different – Single score result
indicators
– Easier to communicate
– Harder to communicate
– Less transparent
– Transparent
42

Sustainability indicators/indicies
43

What Makes It a Sustainability Indicator/index?
• Understandable & Useable

– otherwise not any effect on what people do
• Relevant
– selection of indicators relevant for the decision process
Sustainability
• Inter- and intra-generational equity

Indicator
– not at the expense of others: What goes around comes around!
44

Inter- and intra-generational equity
• Difference between equality and equity

– Equality: everyone gets the same support
(e.g. every country gets equal financial support
to adapt to climate change)
– Equity: individuals are given the support they need

(e.g. countries get individual support based on economic
development & need for adaptation measures)
• Inter-generational equity: the right of future generations to have access to

resources*
• Intra-generational equity: the right of all peoples within the current generation
to have access to resources*
*resources include raw materials as well as economic support, environment, etc.
45

What Makes It a Sustainability Indicator/index?

• Relevant
Sustainability

Indicator
• Long term view

– long term goal = long term indicators
• Show linkages
– turn away from narrow focus towards net structure or complex systems &
measure the cause, not just the effect or the result
46

Sustainable indicator development
• Agenda 21 (relevant outcome of the 1992 Earth Summit, Rio)

– Non-binding, voluntarily implemented action plan with regard
to sustainable development
– Calls for harmonisation of efforts to develop a set of indicators
• UN Commission on Sustainable Development

– Defining appropriate sets of indicators & explaining their methodologies
• Millennium development goals (MDG)

– Agreed on in 2000 → 8 goals, 21 targets, 60 indicators
• Sustainable Development goals (SDG)

– New 2030 agenda
47

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): structure
Goal Targets Indicators

17 169 232
content/uploads/2015/05/150612-FINAL-SDSN-
http://unsdsn.org/wp-
Indicator-Report1.pdf
48

SDGs - structure
Goal Targets Indicators

6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe 6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed drinking
and affordable drinking water for all water services
6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable
6.2.1 Proportion of population using safely managed
sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying
sanitation services, including a hand-washing facility with
special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in
soap and water
vulnerable situations
6.3 By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution,
eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous
chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated
Water safety
6.3.1 Proportion of wastewater safely treated
wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe 6.3.2 Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient
reuse globally water quality
6.4 By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across
Water use efficiency
6.4.1 Change in water-use efficiency over time
all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of
freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce 6.4.2 Level of water stress: freshwater withdrawal as a
the number of people suffering from water scarcity Water stress
proportion of available freshwater resources
6.5.1 Degree of integrated water resources management
6.5 By 2030, implement integrated water resources
implementation (0-100)
management at all levels, including through transboundary
cooperation as appropriate
Resource management
6.5.2 Proportion of transboundary basin area with an
operational arrangement for water cooperation
6.6.1 ChangeProtection ofwater-related
water-related
6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems,
in the extent of ecosystems over
including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and
lakes
time ecosystems
6.a By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-
building support to developing countries in water- and 6.a.1 Amount of water- and sanitation-related official
sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water
Development assistance
development assistance that is part of a government-
harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater coordinated spending plan
treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
6.b.1 Proportion of local administrative units with
6.b Support and strengthen the participation of local established and operational policies and procedures for 49
communities in improving water and sanitation management
Related administrative units
participation of local communities in water and sanitation
Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: management
Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy
What Makes It a Sustainability Indicator/Index?

• Relevant
Sustainability

Indicator
• Long term view

– long term goal = long term indicators
• Show linkages
– turn away from narrow focus towards net structure or complex systems &
measure the cause, not just the effect or the result
50

Indicator selection
51

Why so many frameworks and indicator sets?
• Many frameworks/sets/concepts/indicators...
– from different initiatives
– for different situations/contexts
– on different levels...
 Often very similar, but with different focuses
• There is no “one worldwide valid indicator set”, which fits for all
purposes...and there´ll probably never be one
• Also, data availability influences the indicators which are eventually used
• The many frameworks, which are already available allow for monitoring of
agreed indicators, for orientation, for management etc..
52

Methodology for indicator selection
Starting point:
Example: We want to measure
– Many indicators are available sustainable development of TUB
– How to chose which one fits best?
1. Define the Scope (e.g. regional, global scale) organization
2. Choose appropriate indicator framework

Environment
(e.g. addressing the environmental dimension only or all)
3. Define criteria for indicator selection

(e.g. policy relevance, applicability/ measurability, analytical soundness)
Understandable & usable, relevant, inter- and intra generational equity, long
term view, show linkages
4. Select indicators/ indicator set
(e.g. based on the defined criteria, with stakeholder inclusion)
53

Indicator selection: approach
sustainability targets
sustainability criteria
Honolulu Strategy
Goal A: Reduced amount and impact of
land-based sources of marine debris
indicators
introduced into the sea
Possible indicator: Amount of plastic
debris in the ocean
…
54

• Top-Down:
– developed rules for sustainability
Top-Down
sustainability criteria  framework of indicator system

with regard to the content
indicators
55

indicators
• Bottom-Up:
– reduction of complexity (filter
Bottom-Up
assessment tools function)
availability of data – selection of relevant problems

(“hinge” function)
application
6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access 6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely managed
to safe and affordable drinking water for all drinking water services
6.2 By 2030, achieve access to adequate and
6.2.1 Proportion of population using safely managed
equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open
sanitation services, including a hand-washing facility
defecation, paying special attention to the needs of
with soap and water
women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
6.6 By 2020, protect and restore water-related
6.6.1 Change in the extent of water-related
ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands,
ecosystems over time
rivers, aquifers and lakes 56

• Top-Down:
– developed rules for sustainability
sustainability criteria  framework of indicator system
with regard to the content
Bottom-Up
Top-Down
indicators • Bottom-Up:
– reduction of complexity (filter

function)
assessment tools
– selection of relevant problems
availability of data (“hinge” function)
application
• Combined Approach
57

Methodology for indicator selection and analysis
Starting point:
Example: We want to measure
– Many indicators are available sustainable development of TUB
– How to chose which one fits best?
1. Define the Scope (e.g. regional, global scale) organization
2. Choose appropriate indicator framework

Environment
(e.g. addressing the environmental dimension only or all)
3. Define criteria for indicator selection

(e.g. policy relevance, applicability/ measurability, analytical soundness)
Understandable & usable, relevant, inter- and intra generational equity, long
term view, show linkages
4. Select indicators/ indicator set
(e.g. based on the defined criteria, with stakeholder inclusion)
5. Data collection (e.g. via statistics, sustainability/environmental reports,

reports from organisations) 58

Sustainability council of TUB
https://www.nachhaltigkeitsrat.tu-berlin.de/menue/nachhaltigkeitsrat/
• Environmental report of TUB

– Number of projects considering sustainability
– Number of courses about sustainability
https://www.arbeits-
umweltschutz.tu-
berlin.de/fileadmin/a
bt2/Umweltberichte/
UB17__final.pdf
59


– Awards for sustainable projects (qualitative)
– Number of visits to SDU homepage (Occupational safety and environmental

management)
– Electricity consumption
60


– Awards for sustainable projects (qualitative)
– Number of visits to SDU homepage (Occupational safety and environmental

management)
– Electricity consumption
– Etc.
61

Limits of indicators
“Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count;…and

everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted” (Einstein)
• General limits:
– The role of an indicator is...to indicate…not to dictate!
– Actual scores of an indicator are not the goal but only the means to it
6.1 By 2030, achieve universal and equitable

6.1.1 Proportion of population using safely
access to safe and affordable drinking water
managed drinking water services
for all
63


• General limits:
– Development, selection, assessment is usually time demanding
– Indicators are useless, if there is lack of appropriate data
• Limits of sustainability indicators:

– Multi-dimensionality and complexity of the observed phenomena is difficult to
measure
64


• General limits:
– Development, selection, assessment is usually time demanding
– Indicators are useless, if there is lack of appropriate data
• Limits of sustainability indicators:

– Multi-dimensionality and complexity of the observed phenomena is difficult to
measure
– Technical indicators are often difficult to understand for outsiders
– Not necessarily a straightforward support for policymaking ...
– BUT main purpose = guidance in decisions
65

„For every complex problem there is an
answer that is clear, simple, and wrong.”
(Henry Louis Mencken, 1880-1956)
What you cannot measure, you cannot

manage!
66

Thank you for your attention!
Technische Universität Berlin

Department of Environmental Technology
Chair of Sustainable Engineering

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Strategies for Sustainable Development

in Politics and Economy

- Strategies and indicators -

Prof. Dr. Matthias Finkbeiner

Technische Universität Berlin

• Development = process od developing

• Needs = they include environmental, social and economic

• Present generation = knowing the current state of the art

• Future Generation = long term targets

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

• Environment as basis of the social and economic dimension

• Sustainability, like development, is all about people

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

“A method or plan chosen to bring about a desired future, such as achievement

• Different definitions exist in different fields

• Important aspects are:

– Plan: systematic idea how to achieve this goal

Method or plan chosen to achieve/foster sustainable development (i.e. focused

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Analysis (e.g. observing, collecting information)

Find deficiencies (e.g. areas where you want to improve)

Definition of goal (e.g. SMART goal) or vision

Screening of Reduce GHG

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Find deficiencies (e.g. areas where you want to improve)

Analysis (e.g. observing, collecting information)

Definition of goal (e.g. SMART goal) or vision

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Definition of goal (e.g. SMART goal) or vision

Analysis (e.g. observing, collecting information, assessing resources)

Find deficiencies (e.g. areas where you want to improve)

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Specific • State what you want to do

Measurable • Provide a way to evaluate

Achievable • Possible tp accomplish?

Relevant • Does it make sense?

• State when do you want to achieve

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Specific • State what you want to do

Measurable • Provide a way to evaluate

Achievable • Possible tp accomplish?

Relevant • Does it make sense?

• State when do you want to achieve

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Specific • State what you want to do

Measurable • Provide a way to evaluate

Achievable • Possible to accomplish?

Relevant • Does it make sense?

• State when do you want to achieve

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Specific • State what you want to do

Measurable • Provide a way to evaluate

Achievable • Possible to accomplish?

Relevant • Does it make sense?

• State when do you want to achieve

Finkbeiner/Bach Introduction: Strategies of Sustainable Development in Politics & Economy

Specific • State what you want to do

Measurable • Provide a way to evaluate