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FREIE UNIVERSITÄT BERLIN, ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY RESEARCH CENTRE [FFU]
and JAPANESE-GERMAN CENTER BERLIN [JDZB]
Symposium Indicators for Evaluating Sustainable Development ―
The Ecological Dimension from Monday, November 1 to Tuesday, November 2, 2004
at the JDZB, Saargemünder Str. 2, 14195 Berlin
Integrated Environmental Assessment & Reporting
Darren SWANSON (International Institute for Sustainable Development - IISD Canada)
Email: dswanson@iisd.ca
Indicators for Evaluating Sustainable Development ― The Ecological Dimension, Syposium at the Japanese-German Centre Berlin (JDZB), 1 - 2 November 2004
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Reporting
Darren SWANSON, Measurement & Assessment Program, International Institute for Sustainable
Development (IISD)
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) under its Global Environment Outlook (GEO) initiative
builds capacity related to national-level state-of-the-environment reporting. Through these efforts, GEO
provides training and development workshops for integrated environmental assessment and reporting
(IEAR). IEAR serves many integrative purposes, among these is linking information on environmental
indicators to the decision making process. It does so by going beyond traditional approaches for state-of-the-
environment reporting to address the following questions:
What is happening to the environment? – traditional reporting of environmental indicators;
Why is it happening? – analysis of key drivers, pressures, states and impacts;
What can and are we doing about it? – analysis of the effects and effectiveness of key policy
responses; and
What is the outlook? – conducting futures scenario analysis.
An important component of IEAR is using the driving forces-pressures-state-impact-response framework to
help structure the state-of-the-environment analysis. This particular analytic framework provides a systems-
like perspective on the state of the environment and helps link indicator information to policy.
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a collaborating centre for GEO in efforts
related to national-level training for IEAR. IISD is currently leading an international working group which is
updating national-level IEAR training methods for the GEO program.
1/1
Integrated Environmental Assessment & Reporting
Darren SwansonMeasurement & Assessment Program –
Presentation for the"Indicators for Evaluating Sustainable Development - The
Ecological Dimension"
November 2004Japanese-German Center - Berlin
What is meant by “integrated”?
• Environmental information and policy
Strategies & Objectives
Planning
Policy Implementation
Monitoring, Learning & Adapting
Coordination
Participation
National level IEA & Reporting
• IEA approach used by Global Environment Outlook (GEO) – UNEP
• Training manual (1997)• Revised training
manual (2005)
Sustainable development brought new requirements for
assessment and reporting
• Recognizing the links between environmental conditions and human activities
• Highlighting the need for long-term perspectives
• Considering equity both within and between generations
• Engaging the participation of all sectors of society in the decision-making process
What is meant by IEA & Reporting?
1. What is happening to the environment?
3. What can and are we doing about it?
4. What is the outlook?
Traditional SEO Reporting
2. Why is it happening?
• Identifying key issues– Process is key– Issue frameworks (the state)
• Developing indicators– SMART indicators
1.What is happening to the environment?
Identifying Key Issues – Process is Key
• Governments• Businesses• NGOs• Media• Religious organizations• Universities• Trade unions• Youth groups• Indigenous people’s groups• Political party representatives• Unaffiliated citizens• The poor or disenfranchised• Others
1.What is happening to the environment?
1.What is happening to the environment?
Engaging stakeholders
Identifying Key Issues – Issue Frameworks
• Free-form brainstorming and synthesizing
• Ecosystem services framework
• others
1.What is happening to the environment?
1.What is happening to the environment?
MA 2003
Developing Indicators
Specific
Measurable
Attributable
Relevant
Time-bound
1.What is happening to the environment?
1.What is happening to the environment?
550
600
650
700
750
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Tota
l GH
G E
mis
sion
s (M
t CO
2eq
uiva
lent
)
Source: Gov. of Canada 2002. Canada’s Third National Report on Climate Change 2001. <http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/english/3nr/index.html> (cited 15 August, 2002).
• Systems diagrams using the DPSIR framework
• Understanding ecosystem – human well-being linkages
2. Why is it happening and what are the consequences?
Systems Diagrams
• Driving Forces, Pressure, State, Impact, Response (DPSIR) framework
ResponsesDriving Forces
Pressures
State
Impacts
1
2
34
urban growth
Automobile use and
efficiency
Atmosphere CO2
Crop production
various policy instruments
2. Why is it happening and what are the consequences?
2. Why is it happening and what are the consequences?
5.00
7.00
9.00
11.00
13.00
15.00
1965 1975 1985 1995 2005
Aut
omob
ile F
uel E
ffici
ency
(k
ilom
etre
s pe
r litr
e)
Source: 1984-1990 data: Calculated from vehicle stock, average kilometres travelled and average fuel efficiency data from Natural Resources Canada, Office of Energy Efficiency.
1950-1982: Environment Canada 2002. National Environmental Indicator Series <http://www.ec.gc.ca/soer-ree/English/Indicators/Issues/Transpo/Tables/pttb07_e.cfm> (cited 15 August, 2002).
PressuresAutomobile
use and efficiency
2. Why is it happening and what are the consequences?
2. Why is it happening and what are the consequences?
Ecosystem –HumanWell-beingLinkages
MA 2003
ImpactsCrop
production
2. Why is it happening and what are the consequences?
2. Why is it happening and what are the consequences?
• Societal Responses (DSPIR)• Policy effects analysis• Policy effectiveness analysis
3. What is society doing about it?
What policy instruments are impacting the issue?
• Economic instruments– Taxes, subsidies, tradable permits…
• Legal and regulatory instruments– Laws, acts, enforcement…
• Expenditure instruments– Education & awareness, Research & Development,…
• Institutional instruments– National sustainable development strategies, green procurement, …
3. What is society doing about it?3. What is society doing about it?
Responsesvarious policy instruments
Policy Effects AnalysisEffects of policy
responses• Implies causality
between policy and driving force, pressure, state, or impact.
• Identifying intended and unintended effects based on scientific and social observation and analysis
• Should be judgment free
5.00
7.00
9.00
11.00
13.00
15.00
1965 1975 1985 1995 2005
Aut
omob
ile F
uel E
ffici
ency
(k
ilom
etre
s pe
r litr
e)
3. What is society doing about it?3. What is society doing about it?
Policy Effectiveness Analysis
550
600
650
700
750
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
Tota
l GH
G E
mis
sion
s (M
t CO
2eq
uiva
lent
)
Effectiveness of policy responses• Goes beyond analyzing effects and judges how the actual
effect measures up to the policy objective.• This is a performance assessment of the policy
Kyoto Target
3. What is society doing about it?3. What is society doing about it?
4. What is the outlook?
Forward-looking policy studies:• Define policy options (scenarios):
– Business-as-usual, sustainability first• Estimate changes in state and impact• Draw conclusions about range of possible
outcomes
Common elements in forward-looking policy analysis
Task 1: Define major environmental issue and policy question
Task 2: Define current situation (data conditions, trends, existing policies)
Task 3: Estimate the consequences of the current situation on the issue
Task 4: Define policy optionsTask 5: Estimate changes in impact (for each
option)Task 6: Draw conclusions about the range of
possible outcomes4. What is the outlook?4. What is the outlook?
4. What is the outlook?4. What is the outlook?
GH
G E
mis
sion
s
(M
t CO
2E
quiv
alen
t)
500
600
700
800
900
1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030
Source: Canada’s Emissions Outlook: An Update. Analysis and ModellingGroup, National Climate Change Process, Energy Policy Branch, Natural Resources Canada. December, 1999.
Kyoto Protocol
199 Mt
Business-as-usual
Example Scenario: GHG Emissions in Canada – business as usual
What is meant by IEA & Reporting?
Traditional SEO Reporting
Assessing Future Scenarios
1. What is happening to the environment?
3. What can and are we doing about it?
4. What is the outlook?
Assessing SEO & Priorities
Indicator Development & Analysis
2. Why is it happening?
Assessing Policy
Future Directions in IEA & Reporting?
1. What is happening to the environment? 1. What is happening to the environment?
3. What can and are we doing about it? 3. What can and are we doing about it?
4. What is the outlook? 4. What is the outlook?
2. Why is it happening? 2. Why is it happening?
Assessment domain
Issue domain, t ∆ Issue domain, t+1
GEA Framework Eckley et al. 2001 Effective
Assessments• Saliency, legitimacy, credibility
• Usability
• Influencing strategy
• Types of information
Assessing Strategic and Coordinated Action
• Type of strategy approach
• Demonstrating commitment and focus
• Incorporating the inter-generational SD principle
• Incorporating the interdependency SD principle
• legal basis
• Institutional basis
• Policy assessment
• Accountability
• Financing
• Mix of policy initiatives
• Tracking progress toward strategies
• Understanding SD trends
• Learning & Adaptation
1. Leadership
2. Planning
3. Implementation
4. Monitoring Coordination
Participation
• With budget processes
• With other strategies
• With other levels of government
• Institutionalizing participation
• Building Trust
1. What is happening to the environment? 1. What is happening to the environment?
3. What can and are we doing about it? 3. What can and are we doing about it?
4. What is the outlook? 4. What is the outlook?
2. Why is it happening? 2. Why is it happening?
State-of-Information Reporting
• On-the-ground monitoring capacity
• Data collection capacity• Data analysis capacity• Indicator and indices
development and presentation
• Updating capacity
Information systems
DATA
INDICATORS
INDICES
1. What is happening to the environment? 1. What is happening to the environment?
3. What can and are we doing about it? 3. What can and are we doing about it?
4. What is the outlook? 4. What is the outlook?
2. Why is it happening? 2. Why is it happening?
Our vision Better living for all—sustainably.
Our mission To champion innovation, enabling societies to live sustainably.
Our role We seek to demonstrate how human ingenuity can be applied to improve the well-being of the environment, economy and society.
Our tools are policy research, information exchange, analysis and advocacy.
Our products relate to climate change, business, communities & livelihoods, economic policy, knowledge networks, leadership development, measurement & indicators, natural resources, and trade & investment
Our audiences are government, business and civil society.
www.iisd.org
Darren Swanson, MPA-ID, M.Sc., P.Eng./P.E.Project Manager, Measurement & AssessmentInternational Institute for Sustainable Development - IISDEmail: dswanson@iisd.caTel: 204.958.7746Internet: www.iisd.org