1. Dr. Friedrich Hinterberger Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI ) Sixth European Conference on Evaluation of Cohesion Policy 30 November 2009, Warsaw www.seri.at/FH Sustainable development a concept developed enough to guide Cohesion Policy programmes?

2. 2BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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 planets life-support systems. It is NOT (necessarily) … … sustainable growth !

3. 3BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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!

4. 4BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Why is measuring important? You cant manage what you cant 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)

5. 5BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI You cant manage what you cant 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.

6. 6BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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 How should we measure progress (1) www.stiglitz-sen-fitoussi.fr

7. 7BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI How should we measure progress (2) 7 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

8. 8BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI How should we measure progress (2) 8 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

9. 9BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Frontpage indicators: the big 3 ? Economic (GDP) growth Quality of life (... environment...)

10. 10BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Frontpage indicators: the big 3 ! Economic (GDP) growth Quality of life (... environment...)

11. 11BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Frontpage indicators: the big 3 ! Economic (GDP) growth Quality of life (... environment...)

12. 12BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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.

13. 13BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Measurement of Quality of Life

14. 14BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Happy Planet Index (HPI): life expectency * well-being / carbon footprint International surveys of QoL, life- satisfaction UKs well-being indicators (national SDS) Bhutans Gross National Happiness Calvert-Hendersons Quality of Life Indicators World Database of Happiness (Erasmus Universität Rotterdam) Measurement of QoL, happiness, wellbeing Examples:

15. 15BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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 15 ? Why measurement is difficult

16. 16BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI GDP and well-being (1)

17. 17BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI GDP and well-being (2)

18. 18BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI (mental) Health Deceleration Slow food Simple living Decent work Mixed work – more leisure Eco-efficiency Synergies between QoL and SD

19. 19BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Frontpage indicators: the big 3 ! Economic (GDP) growth Quality of life (... environment...)

20. 20BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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 …

21. 21BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Frontpage indicators: the big 3 ! Economic (GDP) growth Quality of life Total resource consumption

22. 22BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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 Our resource base is in danger

23. 23BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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.

24. 24BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Reduce the overall resource use caused by products Overall objective Carbon is not enough!

25. 25BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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

26. 26BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI ecosphere socio- economic system material water air land waste water emissions waste The socio-economic system embedded in the environmental system

27. 27BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Global Resource Extraction: 1980-2005 Source: www.materialflows.netwww.materialflows.net

28. 28BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Global Resource Extraction: 1980-2030 Source: www.materialflows.net and Lutz et al. 2009www.materialflows.net

29. 29BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Report on global resource use (2009) SERI in cooperation with:

30. 30BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 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 Quality of Life Resource use

31. 31BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI 31 More well-being… … less resource use! Many practical examples available increase eco-efficiency !

32. 32BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI A set of environmental indicators main categories of quantitative resource use plus the output-category CO 2 -emissions Indicators applied GHG emissions Water Land use Non-renewable resources Renewable resources Carbon Footprint Water Rucksack Biotic Material Rucksack Abiotic Material Rucksack Actual Land Use GHG emissions Water Land use Non-renewable resources Renewable resources Carbon Footprint Water Footprint Biotic Material Input Abiotic Material Input Actual Land Use

33. 33BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Resource use category Product levelNational level Materials biotic Material Rucksack of products biotic Material flow-based indicators of countries (including materials embodied in imports and exports) biotic abiotic Water Water Rucksack / Water Footprint of products Water Rucksack / Water Footprint of countries (including water embodied in imports and exports) Land area Actual land use of products Actual land use of countries (including land embodied in imports and exports) GHG emissions Carbon Footprint of products National GHG emissions (including GHG emissions embodied in imports and exports) A set of environmental indicators also for projects!also for regions!

34. 34BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI AN AUSTRIAN WORKING GROUP ON PRODUCT SUSTAINABILITY

35. 35BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI www.materialflows.net Data base of global resource extraction - time series1980-2005 - 12 material categories - 188 countries - combined with GDP and population data

36. 36BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Ecol. rucksacks: a sense of justice!

37. 37BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Ecol. rucksacks: concrete guidance!

38. 38BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Visualization example RESULTS FOR LIGHT BULBS 8 YEARS/8.000 OPERATING HOURS LOW-ENERGY LIGHT BULB LIGHT BULB

39. 39BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Dynamic Scale (A-G) product category benchmarking Overall performance B Carbon Footprint C Water Footprint B Actual Land Use B Biotic Material Input A Abiotic Material Input C Additional Information e.g. Fair Trade Communication

40. 40BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI BUT What about … - work/employment - redistribution/cohesion - taxes/government deficit - … ?????

41. 41BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI ENVIRONMEN TAL CHANGE and PUBLIC FINANCE UNEMPLOY MENT and SOCIAL SECURITY Replace income tax (partly) by material input tax, CO2 tax subsidy-shift, regulations Reduction of annual working times and increased flexibility Social security through negative income tax (basic income) Quelle: www.a-und-oe.de Integrated policies

42. 42BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI WORKING TIME UNEMPLOY MENT www.a-und-oe.de 10,5 % 3,1 % 37,5 h 30 h GOVERNME NT-DEFICIT +/- 0 A Scenario

43. 43BECAUSE IT MATTERS!SERI Growth in Transition www.growthintransition.eu 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

44. Dr. Friedrich Hinterberger Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI ) Sixth European Conference on Evaluation of Cohesion Policy 30 November 2009, Warsaw www.seri.at/FH dziekuje ! Many thanks for your attention Presentation will be available for download from http://www.seri.at