Transcript a concept developed enough to guide Cohesion policy programmes?

Sixth European Conference on Evaluation of Cohesion Policy
30 November 2009, Warsaw
Sustainable development
a concept developed enough to guide
Cohesion Policy programmes?
Dr. Friedrich Hinterberger
Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI)
www.seri.at/FH
What is Sustainable Development?
Brundtland definition
“sustainable development is a development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs”
Alternative by the Forum of the Future
“a dynamic process that enables all people to realize their potential
and to improve their quality of life in ways which protect and
enhance the planet’s life-support systems.”
It is NOT (necessarily) …
… “sustainable growth” !
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
2
Regional policy and SD
Regions may influence developments more directly and rapidly
than (inter)national levels
Example of SD on a regional level : Steinbach an der Steyr
• 1986: Low point in the township history
• Today:
 Thriving place of immigration;
 Growing numbers of workplaces;
 Innovative businesses
 Achieved also through environmental innovation.
Regional policy could boost sustainable development in the EU!
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
3
Why is measuring important?
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure”
Clear communication in an understandable way is key to
reach target audiences.
Targets can only be defined based on clear measurement
systems and robust indicators.
Policy makers demand solid information to design
appropriate policy responses.
(Self-) evaluation and (cyclical) re-design of policies
-> scoping, visioning and learing! (www.matisse-project.net)
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
4
“You can’t manage what you can’t
measure”
Robust data and indicators are
requirements for target setting
and monitoring of sustainability
strategies.
Quantitative targets for
reducing resource use on
company and product level.
Better information for ALL
decision makers is required.
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
5
How should we measure progress (1)
Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance
and Social Progress (“Stiglitz-Commission”)
Aims:
•
•
•
•
to identify the limits of GDP as an indicator of economic performance and social progress
to consider additional information for the production of a more relevant picture
to discuss how to present this information in the most appropriate way
to check the feasibility of measurement tools
Outcome: Final report of the Commission (October 2009) that
gains a lot of political interest and discussion
www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
6
How should we measure progress (2)
Communication from the Commission 20 August 2009:
GDP and beyond - Measuring progress in a changing world
GDP should be complemented by a comprehensive
environmental index (beyond CO2) and the measurement
of quality of life and wellbeing!
http://www.beyond-gdp.eu
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
7
7
How should we measure progress (2)
Communication from the Commission 20 August 2009:
GDP and beyond - Measuring progress in a changing world
GDP should be complemented by a comprehensive
environmental index (beyond CO2) and the measurement
of quality of life and wellbeing!
http://www.beyond-gdp.eu
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
8
8
„Frontpage indicators“: the big 3 ?
Economic (GDP) growth
Quality of life
(... environment ...)
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
9
„Frontpage indicators“: the big 3 !
Economic (GDP) growth

Quality of life
(... environment ...)
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
10
„Frontpage indicators“: the big 3 !
Economic (GDP) growth

Quality of life
(... environment ...)
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
11
EU Sustainable Development Strategy
Sustainable development „… aims at a continous improvement of
the quality of life and well-being on Earth for present and future
generations.“
EU Commission:
“Europeans value quality of life.“
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
12
Measurement of Quality of Life
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
13
Measurement of QoL, happiness, wellbeing
Examples:
Happy Planet Index (HPI): life expectency *
well-being / carbon footprint
International surveys of QoL, lifesatisfaction
UK‘s well-being indicators (national SDS)
Bhutan‘s Gross National Happiness
Calvert-Hendersons Quality of Life
Indicators
World Database of Happiness (Erasmus
Universität Rotterdam)
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
14
Why measurement is difficult
QoL is a multidimensional construct, viz. many factors
determine human well-being
QoL is not directly measurable, but only subareas
Objective indicators relatively easy to measure,
subjective dimension more difficult
Different people interpret scales
differently
BUT: operational appoaches do
exist and can be applied
SERI
?
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
15
15
15
GDP and well-being (1)
GDP and Life Satisfaction 1973 - 2002
200%
180%
160%
Life Satisfaction
GDP
140%
120%
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%
1973 1975 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
16
GDP and well-being (2)
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
17
Synergies between QoL and SD
Erwerbsarbeit
(mental) Health
Deceleration
Slow food
Simple living
Decent work
Mixed work – more leisure
Eco-efficiency
Gemeinschaftsarbeit
SERI
Versorgungsarbeit
Eigenarbeit
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
18
„Frontpage indicators“: the big 3 !
Economic (GDP) growth
Quality of life


(... environment ...)
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
19
„Frontpage indicators“: the big 3 !
Economic (GDP) growth
Quality of life


Total resource consumption
Used by EU, OECD, UNIDO ,
member states but also NGOs, businesses …
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
20
„Frontpage indicators“: the big 3 !
Economic (GDP) growth
Quality of life


Total resource
consumption
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
21
Our resource base is in danger
•
Resource demand is increasing
•
Soaring commodity prices
•
Climate change as the tip of the iceberg
•
“Peak everything”
•
•
•
•
Renewable resources overexploited
Non-renewable resources: peak (soon)
reached and increasing competition
Water scarcity, etc.
Western life-style cannot be generalised
on global level
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
22
Global environmental issues
…caused by extensive resource use related to
production and use of products!
Mitigate environmental problems by reducing resource
use in absolute terms.
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
23
Overall objective
Reduce the overall
resource use
caused by products
Carbon is not enough!
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
24
Problems are related to overall scale
•
•
Early environmental policy: focused on
regional pollutants
Significant improvements through
traditional environmental policy
instruments
•
Sustainability policy focuses on overall
scale of production and consumption
system
•
BUT: No real progress
 new environmental policy
instruments required
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
25
The socio-economic system embedded in
the environmental system
ecosphere
Inputs
material
water
air
Outputs
socioeconomic
system
land
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
waste
emissions
waste
water
26
Global Resource Extraction: 1980-2005
Source: www.materialflows.net
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
27
billion tones
Global Resource Extraction: 1980-2030
100
80
Industrial- & Construction
Minerals
60
Metals
40
Fossil Energy
20
Biomass
0
1980
1985
1990
1995
2000
2005
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
Source: www.materialflows.net and Lutz et al. 2009
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
28
Report on global resource use (2009)
SERI in cooperation with:
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
29
Economic growth and resource use
• Economic growth is closely linked to the use of scarce natural
resources
 Higher input of resources causes more waste and emissions.
 Risks for economy and humanity (climate change, loss of
biodiversity, desertification, increase of food prices, poverty etc.).
Consumption
SERI
Resource use
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
Quality of Life
30
increase eco-efficiency !
More well-being…
… less resource use!
Many practical
examples available
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
31
31
A set of environmental indicators
main categories of quantitative resource use
plus the output-category CO2-emissions
GHG emissions
Water
GHG emissions
Land use
Water
Non-renewable resources
Land use
Renewable resources
Non-renewable resources
Indicators applied
Carbon
Footprint
Water Rucksack
Carbon Footprint
Actual Land Use
Water Footprint
Abiotic Material
Actual Rucksack
Land Use
Biotic Material
Rucksack
Abiotic Material
Input
Renewable resources
SERI
Biotic Material Input
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
32
A set of environmental indicators
also for projects!
Resource use category
biotic
Materials
abiotic
Product level
Material Rucksack
of products
also for regions!
National level
biotic
abiotic
Material flow-based
indicators of countries
(including materials embodied in imports
and exports)
biotic
abiotic
Water Rucksack / Water
Footprint of products
Water Rucksack / Water Footprint
of countries
Land area
Actual land use of products
Actual land use of countries
GHG emissions
Carbon Footprint of products
National GHG emissions
Water
SERI
(including water embodied in imports and exports)
(including land embodied in imports and exports)
(including GHG emissions embodied in imports and exports)
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
33
AN AUSTRIAN WORKING GROUP
ON PRODUCT SUSTAINABILITY
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
34
www.materialflows.net
Data base of global resource extraction
- time series1980-2005
- 12 material categories
- 188 countries
- combined with GDP
and population data
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
35
Ecol. rucksacks: a sense of justice!
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
36
Ecol. rucksacks: concrete guidance!
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
37
Visualization example
RESULTS FOR LIGHT BULBS
8 YEARS/8.000 OPERATING
HOURS
LIGHT
BULB
LOW-ENERGY LIGHT
BULB
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
38
Communication
Carbon
Footprint
C
Water
Footprint
B
Actual Land
Use
B
Abiotic
Material
Input
Biotic
Material
Input
Additional
Information
SERI
Overall performance
B
C
A
e.g. Fair
Trade
Dynamic Scale (A-G)
product category
benchmarking
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
39
BUT
What about …
- work/employment
- redistribution/cohesion
- taxes/government deficit
-…
?????
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
40
ENVIRONMEN
TAL CHANGE
and PUBLIC
FINANCE
UNEMPLOY
MENT and
SOCIAL
SECURITY
Integrated policies
Reduction of annual working times and increased
flexibility
Social security through “negative income tax” (basic
income)
Replace income tax (partly) by material input tax,
CO2 tax
subsidy-shift, regulations
Quelle: www.a-und-oe.de
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
41
10,5 %
3,1 %
WORKING
TIME
GOVERNME
NT-DEFICIT
UNEMPLOY
MENT
A Scenario
SERI
+/- 0
37,5
h
30
h
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
www.a-und-oe.de
42
Growth in Transition
•
•
•
Project from 2008-2010
An Initiative of the Austrian Ministry of the Environment
Book „What kind of growth is sustainable?“
• 28 and 29 January 2010: International Conference in Vienna
http://www.growthintransition.eu
SERI
BECAUSE IT MATTERS!
43
Sixth European Conference on Evaluation of Cohesion Policy
30 November 2009, Warsaw
dziekuje !
Many thanks for your attention
Presentation will be available for download from
http://www.seri.at
Dr. Friedrich Hinterberger
Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI)
www.seri.at/FH