Introduction
Theoretically, it is possible to have a development that does not destroy the planet and thus ensuring sustainable development. In reality, however, several challenges exist for the concept of sustainable development. In addition, it is reported that sustainable development achievements are extremely poor. It is imperative to note that the concept of sustainable development bears different meanings to different people.
According to Shah (2014), sustainable development is an overused word that focuses on tackling several “inter-related global issues such as poverty, inequality, hunger and environmental degradation” (Shah, 2014). The aim of this term paper is to assess the measurement challenge of sustainable development and provide possible solutions to the problem.
Measurement Challenge for Sustainable Development
As previously mentioned, the concept of sustainable development has different meanings to different people. Hence, to ensure that the concept is operational for effective implementation of public policies has become a critical challenge because of difficulties in measurement. Sustainable development requires frameworks or indicators as a basis for improvement.
Currently, the concept of sustainable development entails three different dimensions, including “economic, environmental and social, in addition to complex synergies and trade-offs among them” (Stevens, 2005). Although there is notable progress in sustainable development indicators, there are still some critical challenges ahead.
Any changes to enhance sustainable development through economic and material wealth progress should also account for social and environmental impacts. On this note, researchers have observed the challenge of “integrating economic, environmental, and social values and the opportunity to define new measurements of progress is a major issue for the concept of sustainable development” (Hardi & Zdan, 1997).
Within the push for sustainable development is the inter-generational equity. In other words, future generations should also find the same opportunities available to others today. Countries, therefore, should ensure equity to realize sustainable development. To determine any changes in sustainable development, policymakers and the public require indicators to illustrate and show the relations and trade-offs among various elements of the concept.
In addition, indicators are also vital for evaluating long-term implications of currently undertaken sustainable development initiatives. Finally, indicators are also important for monitoring the progress attained under sustainable development initiatives by showing baseline statuses and trends. Indicators for sustainable development should be simple, easy to understand and do not compromise the main issues of the concept. Formulation of such measures, however, has been difficult to achieve.
Generally, the concept of sustainable development is extremely complex, covering nearly all elements of life at both local and global levels based on government policies. The fact that different countries have diverse views on sustainable development makes it more difficult to measure with any indicator or develop the same standards.
Public and private policymakers, however, require information to implement their initiatives of sustainable development. Information required should provide both short-term and long-term needs and therefore ensuring that measures of sustainable development are effective should be a key priority.
Indicators
It is imperative to have indicators to structure and derive data for sustainable development. The concept of sustainable development accounts for three broad, diverse areas and their relations. Consequently, there is a wide range of supporting indicators that require effective definition. The framework for defining new sustainable development indicators should be easy to understand, account for various policy issues and ensure that they are useful to various stakeholders.
One major challenge to indicators is that different countries have adopted various types of measurement tools (Elliott, 2012). Sweden, for instance, has based its framework and indicators on “the Brundtland Report’s definition of sustainable development, involving four integrated themes: efficiency, contribution and equality, adaptability, and values and resources for coming generations” (Stevens, 2005).
In addition, other states have developed distinct national strategies to evaluate sustainable development to guide their frameworks and indicators. Austria, for example, relies on 48 indicators to evaluate its 20 main objectives under sustainable development. Likewise, the European Union has also developed its own framework and indicators for its sustainable development agenda.
Further, other countries, such as Canada and Norway, have concentrated on their natural capital to assess sustainable development (Stevens, 2005). These countries review national capital elements such as human capital, natural resources, financial and produced capitals, among others.
Specifically, they also account for natural resources, the environment and renewable resources (Blewitt, 2008). In this case, the issue of sustainable development strives to account for effective management of a country’s vital resources, particularly national wealth for a long period.
Measurements for sustainable development should be simple and readily inform decision-making about prevailing issues. At the same time, indicators and frameworks should be more detailed enough to ensure a thorough analysis of all vital variables.
It is therefore important to ensure that related indicators are well developed and their interpretation and application support decision-making. Hence, sustainable development frameworks and indicators are necessary for effective evaluation of “achievements at various levels, including local, national, regional and global” (Stevens, 2005).
Claims about the importance of various indicators have also emerged. The most preferred approach of assessing sustainable development is to focus on key indicators identified under economic, environmental and social dimensions.
Different international bodies and countries have developed their frameworks and indicators to assess sustainable development. These indicators, however, have significant variations and diversity based on elements for measurements in a given category. In some cases, there have been proposals to have core indicators under different dimensions to ensure accessibility and usability than long lists of diverse indicators.
For example, a simple indicator to assess any achievements for sustainable development based on the effective utilization of resources should act as a quick fix to the problem. Such indicators, however, may present both benefits and drawbacks to their users. When indicators from different dimensions are combined and assessed together, a framework becomes simple to use. On the other hand, various simple indicators may fail to provide a complete overview of factors under evaluation.
For instance, the case of social issues in Australia is a major source challenge for policymakers. Specifically, a major challenge has been developing a measurement framework that accounts for all dimensions of social exclusion issues. Consequently, researchers have concluded that there are no right or wrong elements of indicators to assess social exclusion, but it is vital for the measurement tools to cover two key realms of participation and resources (Scutella, Wilkins, & Horn, 2009).
In addition, information used to generate indicators for measurement of poverty and social exclusion has also been a source of contention. In most cases, researchers focus on developing a single measure of social exclusion. However, they must comprehensively understand the depth and persistence of social exclusion among diverse populations, households and individuals for a given period (Scutella, Wilkins, & Horn, 2009).
The most appropriate sources of data for developing a measure of social exclusion should be data gathered by studies over time. As a result, social researchers can be able to assess different dimensions of social issues such as persistence, prevalence and depth as experienced by a specific population, household or populations.
Solution
It is imperative for policymakers to recognize the role of diverse indicators and frameworks that measure dimensions as a basis for exploring and understanding sustainable development at different levels. Stakeholders should adopt frameworks and indicators that promote economic, social and environmental inclusion to address issues of sustainable development. These frameworks and indicators, however, should not be poorly defined or based on inadequate data.
Consequently, there is a need to define appropriate frameworks and gather the right data that account for several indicators. In addition, policymakers must understand that sustainable development is not a static phenomenon and is subject to change from various dimensions.
They must comprehend the context of sustainable development at different levels. For instance, there is a need to account for economic, social and environmental factors at various levels. Integrated frameworks and indicators could help to address these unique, diverse attributes. In addition, effective frameworks and indicators should focus on the diversities of these frameworks. A tool for measurement, however, should not be too simple or complex, but more detailed to capture relevant for assessing sustainable development.
Conclusion
Comprehending the concept of sustainable development and related linkages and getting the necessary trade-offs among various economic, social and environmental dimensions need clear frameworks and indicators informed with relevant data. Clearly, the obstacle to measuring sustainable development can be traced to a lack of effective indicators and frameworks.
Therefore, stakeholders should formulate integrated frameworks and indicators that can effectively measure all dimensions. Such tools should not be too simple or complex but should serve their purpose of assessing sustainable development in an integrated manner.
References
Blewitt, J. (2008). Understanding Sustainable Development. London: Routledge.
Elliott, J. (2012). An Introduction to Sustainable Development (4th ed.). London: Routledge.
Hardi, P., & Zdan, T. (1997). Assessing Sustainable Development: Principles in Practice. Canada: The International Institute for Sustainable Development.
Scutella, R., Wilkins, R., & Horn, M. (2009). Measuring Poverty and Social Exclusion in Australia: A Proposed Multidimensional Framework for Identifying Socio-Economic Disadvantage. Melbourne: Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research.
Shah, A. (2014). Sustainable Development. Web.
Stevens, C. (2005). Measuring Sustainable Development. Web.