1. Sustainable Development reporting and the SEEA
Michael Kuhn
London Group, September 2011
Session 5: SEEA applications and user needs, Top 21

2. Measuring Sustainable Development – a Challenge
Complex issue
Present / future wellbeing
Requires a holistic view and the integration of all subjects
Economic
Social
Environmental

3. Basic Requirements – User Needs
Relevance: comprehensive data set - sufficient description
Background data for analysis of interrelations
Code of practice – quality criteria
Easy to understand, easy to communicate
Monitoring
Performance control
The world in one figure ?
Complex Data Needs !

4. Indicator System
Sample of various isolated indicators of different dimensions for a special topic
Pros:
Various information into an overall context
Political relevance
Single indicators easy to understand
Flexible – open for new indicators
Cons:
Difficulties in analysing interrelations between indicators
Sometimes not easy to communicate
Mainly combinations of isolated single indicators in a thenatic framework?

5. Future Wellbeing - Capital Approach?
SD = the sum of all kinds of capital economic, natural and social capital must not decline – But
Substitutability between kinds of capital is limited
Measuring of capital in physical / monetary units is not always feasible
That means:
Capital approach could serve as guiding principle for the selection of indicators.
Also flow indicators are necessary to cover SD aspects

6. Expanded Accounting System – SEEA
GDP and beyond - SD / Welfare Measurement
Statistical framework – expanded Accounting System
Economy – SNA / Environment - SEEA
Socio Economic Accounts?
SNA and satellites are fully compatible
Ideal background information for indicators
Analysis of interrelations between different topics
e.g. breakdown by branches, Input – Output - Analyses
Econometric Modelling
International comparability – SNA / SEEA

7. German Sustainable Development Indicators
German strategy for Sustainable Development
Policy driven selection of indicators, assistance by Federal Statistical Office - FSO
Reporting by FSO
4 / 21 themes, 35 indicators
Measurable targets
Important: A third of the indicators from SNA and SEEA

8. SEEA - Important background data
Breakdown by branches
I–O–Analyses / LCA
CO2 / Energy / Raw materials embedded in Imports
Consumption approach
CO2 / Energy / Raw materials in Exports
CO2 / Energy consumption by private household

9. Indicator systems and accounting
Basic data
SNA, SEEA
SDI
Communication, monitoring
Analyses of linkages and causes
Specific analyses
Measures
Pyramid of many basic indicators for specific problems at the bottom, few key indicators for communication an control of success at the top
Indicator approach: no central block, single key indicators derived from basic data, no systematic connection and analysis
Accounting approach: accounting forms central block with aggregated data (primarily no indicators)
enables integrated analysis of an indicator, connected with data on other economic and environmental developments
Since 2006 EEA in charge of producing the indicator report for the national SD strategy (includes indicators delivered by EEA and all others)

10. Conclusions International activities Stiglitz-Sen-Fitoussi Commission
Green Growth / Green Economy / OECD / UN
EU Sponsorship on Measuring Progress, Wellbeing, Sustainable Development
Measuring SD, Progress, Welfare, …
=> GDP and Beyond
= SNA / SEEA / …

11. Thank you for your attention!
Any questions?