ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AND BIODIVERSITY
Indicator
Excerpt from "
2001 State of the Future"
Sustainable Development
How can sustainable
development be achieved for all? [Challenge 1]
Water
How can everyone have
sufficient clean water without conflict? [Challenge 2]
Water
How
can sustainable development be achieved for all? [Challenge 1]
-- Indicator --
The suggested indicators for this challenge were:
1. Composite indicator of levels of economic growth, infant mortality,
life expectancy, and living standards
2. Assessment of total penalties imposed by courts for crimes
against the environment
3. Levels of contributions by corporations to funds such as the
Global Sustainable Development Facility (GSDF)
4. Government and industry R&D expenditures for zero or low
emission technology and for other projects related to
sustainable development
5. Level of trading in pollution permits
6. Percentage of ecologically based agriculture in total agriculture
7. Number of countries and companies that use ISO I4000 and I4001
8. Development and use of a “green” GDP; a system of national
accounts that includes the economic impacts of the depletion
of natural resources
9. Total and per capita energy consumption by type of user
10. Composite indicator of the per capita consumption of materials
and generation of waste
11. Acres of land in uses associated with sustainability (e.g. reforestation,
amount of land set aside as pristine reserves, and in
low intensity agriculture)
12. Reserves of petroleum and key minerals
13. Measurements of the economic gap between rich and poor
14. Per capita expenditure on material goods versus expenditure on
services
15. Calvert-Henderson quality of life indicators
16. Measures of biodiversity
17. CO2 emissions and other energy related air pollutants, by source
18. Average annual global temperature
The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability
were:
[The number in parenthesis at the end of the indicator represents the
order number of the indicator in the original (above) list.]
1. Composite indicator of levels of economic growth, infant mortality,
life expectancy, and living standards (1)
2. Average annual global temperature (18)
3. CO2 emissions and other energy related air pollutants, by source
(17)
4. Reserves of petroleum and key minerals (12)
5. Number of countries and companies that use ISO I4000 and I4001 (7)
6. Total and per capita energy consumption by type of user (9)
Water
How can
everyone have sufficient clean water without conflict? [Challenge 2]
-- Indicators --
The suggested indicators for this challenge were:
1. Percent of population in the world by country and by region
sufficiently supplied with clean drinking water
2. Water consumption broken down into personal, industrial, and
agricultural use
3. Cost of pure water
4. Numbers of international or bilateral treaties that document
cooperative agreements on water rights
5. Number of governments that use water prices to improve efficiency
of water usage
6. Funds allocated for water desalination research and development
7. Level of financial support for cleaning and creating new water
sources
8. Prevalence of water borne diseases
9. Irrigation efficiencies
10. Measures of salinization, desertification and erosion
11. Rainfall and recharge rates
12. Percentage of water catchment from total rainfall
13. Changes in water tables
14. The level of pollutants (salt, agricultural runoffs, industrial
and household wastes) in the waterways
15. Percentage of drip agriculture versus other forms
16. National and regional rates of investment in water infrastructure
17. Investment in Eco-awareness, education programs
18. Percentage of waste water that is treated before discharge
The indicators most highly rated as per their usefulness and availability
were:
[The numbers in brackets represent the order number of the indicator
in the original (above) list.]
1. Percent of population in the world by country and by region sufficiently
supplied with clean drinking water (1)
2. Percentage of drip agriculture versus other forms (15.)
3. Cost of pure water (3)
4. Irrigation efficiencies (9)
5. Funds allocated for water desalination research and development
(6)
6. Percentage of waste water that is treated before discharge (18
Last Updated: October25, 2001