Measuring Sustainability and Decoupling
Measuring Sustainability and Decoupling

Author: Nordic Council of Ministers

Publisher: Nordic Council of Ministers

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 72

ISBN-13: 9289314109

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

There is growing interest among policymakers for the prospects of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, in order to achieve improved environmental quality without compromising economic growth. However, whilst decoupling indicators give a reasonably good measure for potential or progress towards sustainability, decoupling is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for sustainability. Decoupling indicators, unlike many other statistical efforts related to the environment, are not meant to summarise the general state of the environment, but rather to measure countries' progress towards mitigating or alleviating particular environmental pressures from relevant driving forces.

Measuring Sustainability and Decoupling
Measuring Sustainability and Decoupling

Author: Nordic Council of Ministers

Publisher:

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 69

ISBN-13: 9789289335201

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

There is growing interest, among policymakers, for the prospects of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, as they have a hard time disentangling environmental policies from their economic and social impacts. Opportunities for improved environmental quality without compromising economic growth are, and always will be, welcomed. Decoupling should not be thought of as an approximation of sustainability. While decoupling indicators often give a reasonably good measure for potential or progress towards sustainability, decoupling is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for sustainability. Decoupling indicators, unlike many other statistical efforts related to the environment, are not meant to be all-inclusive or to summarize the general state of the environment. Their purpose is rather to measure countries' progress towards mitigating or alleviating particular environmental pressures from the relevant driving forces. Decoupling indicators are primarily attractive for their simplicity. For detailed policy analysis in which sustainability is the objective, other methods are needed.

Sustainability Indicators
Sustainability Indicators

Author: Tomás Hák

Publisher: Island Press

Published: 2012-09-26

Total Pages: 443

ISBN-13: 1597266280

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

While the concept of sustainability has been widely embraced, it has been only vaguely defined and is exceedingly difficult to measure. Sustainability indicators are critical to making the broad concept of sustainability operational by providing specific measures by which decision makers and the public can judge progress. Sustainability Indicators defines the present state of the art in indicator development. It presents a comprehensive assessment of the science behind various indicators, while placing special emphasis on their use as communications tools. The contributors draw on their experience as academics and practitioners to describe the conceptual challenges to measuring something as complex as sustainability at local, regional, national, and global scales. The book also reviews existing indicators to assess how they could be better employed, considering which indicators are overused and which have been underutilized. Sustainability Indicators will help planners and policy makers find indicators that are ready for application and relevant to their needs, and will help researchers identify the unresolved issues where progress is most urgently needed. All readers will find advice as to the most effective ways to use indicators to support decision making.

Measuring Progress Towards Sustainability
Measuring Progress Towards Sustainability

Author: Subhas K. Sikdar

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-11-21

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 3319427199

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book is a state of the art treatise on what has been done so far on measuring sustainability for decision making. Contributions will appeal to engineers and scientists engaged in technology development, assessment, and verification. Researchers working on engineering sustainability are likely to get ideas for further research in quantifying sustainability for industrial systems. Concepts described can be applied across all scales, from process technology to global sustainability; and challenges and limitations are also addressed. Readers will discover important insights about simulation-based approaches to process design and quantitative measurement techniques of sustainability for business and technology systems. Most of the examples and case studies are from chemical enterprises but the methodologies presented could be applicable to any system for which quantitative data for indicators are available, and the choice of the set of indicators of sustainability are comprehensive.

Frameworks to Measure Sustainable Development An OECD Expert Workshop
Frameworks to Measure Sustainable Development An OECD Expert Workshop

Author: OECD

Publisher: OECD Publishing

Published: 2000-02-11

Total Pages: 167

ISBN-13: 926418063X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This volume brings together a number of approaches to measuring sustainable development pursued in academia, national administrations and international organisations, as presented at an expert workshop held at the OECD headquarters in September 1999.

Measuring Sustainability
Measuring Sustainability

Author: Simon Bell

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-06-17

Total Pages: 209

ISBN-13: 1136561331

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

' Measuring the sustainability of development is crucial to achieving it, and is one of the most actively studied issues in the area. To date, most studies of measurements or indicators have been largely theoretical. However, this book, a follow-on to Bell and Morse's highly influential Sustainability Indicators (1999), presents valuable practical advice on how to develop measurements that will work in real-life development contexts. It describes and analyses how to derive, validate and apply indicators in the course of an actual development project - in this case the Mediterranean Action Plan in Malta. The authors explain the trade-offs and constraints involved and how it is possible to combine the open-ended and flexible perspectives of sustainability with the more linear processes and fixed targets of specific projects through the use of pragmatic and reflective methodologies.

Decoupling 2
Decoupling 2

Author: Ernst Ulrich Weizsäcker

Publisher: UN

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This report explores technological possibilities and opportunities for developing and developed countries to accelerate decoupling and reap environmental and economic benefits of increased resource productivity. It examines policy options successful in helping different countries improve resource productivity in various sectors of their economy, avoiding negative impacts on the environment. It does not seem possible for a global economy based on the current unsustainable patterns of resource use to continue into the future. Economic consequences of these patterns are already apparent in increases in resource prices, increased price volatility and disruption of environmental systems. The environment impacts are also leading to potentially irreversible changes to the world's ecosystems, often with direct effects on people and the economy - for example: damage to health, water shortages, loss of fish stocks or increased storm damage. This report shows that much of the policy design 'know-how' needed to achieve decoupling is present in terms of legislation, incentive systems, and institutional reform. Many countries have tried these out with tangible results, encouraging others to study and where appropriate replicate and scale up such practices and successes