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A review of UNEP’s work on Green Economy indicators Nairobi, 2 July 2013 Andrea M. Bassi, Ph.D. UNEP Consultant, Founder and CEO, KnowlEdge Srl
A review of UNEP’s work on
Green Economy indicators
Nairobi, 2 July 2013
Andrea M. Bassi, Ph.D.UNEP Consultant,
Founder and CEO, KnowlEdge Srl
1. IntroductionUNEP’s definition of the green economy includes: • Increased human well-being and social
equity, • Reduced environmental risks and
ecological scarcities. GE to be measured in a comprehensive manner:• The state of a green economy and how it
is reached; • The way a green economy is applied in
policymaking processes to deliver on this global agenda.
Guidance manual for
Green Economy
policy assessmen
ts
Using Indicators
for Green
Economy Policy
Making
Using Models
for Green
Economy Policy
Making
Indicators work
in context
Green Growth Knowledge Platform (GGKP)
1. Introduction (2)• A booklet and manual (forthcoming)
present the framework and a step-by-step approach on how to delimit, classify and measure a green economy transformation.
• It is a practical approach for the identification, definition of use of indicators within the context of the green economy policy process.
Ib. Expected use• Support interested countries to: – Use indicators as a tool for
identifying priority issues; – Formulating and assessing green
economy policy options; – Evaluating the performance of policy
implementation. • Focus is being given on those
policy options with “multiple dividends”.
Ib. Expected use (2)• The manual includes:– Illustrative examples (more than 50)– Specific country examples (20)– Mock countries, with specific (customized)
examples and sample tables of indicators (5)• Land-locked dry and sub-humid country, with dominant agriculture
and in early phases of demographic transition and urbanization.• Tropical or sub-tropical small island developing state with dominant
tourism and fisheries.• Low-lying coastal middle income country with rapid
industrialization and urbanization, and relatively advanced demographic transition.
• Mountainous coastal country with mining, agriculture, and fisheries
• Developed country with little natural resources but high potential (and financial resources) for efficiency improvement.
2. Policy and IndicatorsIndicators are needed in all phases of the policy cycle, in particular:a. Issue Identification and Agenda
Setting– Environmental issues and targets
b. Policy Formulation– Policy interventions
c. Policy Assessment– Policy costs and effectiveness, impact on well-
beingd. Policy Monitoring and Evaluation– Effectiveness, impacts on well-being and equity
2. Policy and Indicators (2)
2. Policy and Indicators (3)
4a. Indicators for Issue Identification
Indicators for issue identification are instruments that help decision makers identify and prioritize problems and set the agenda for policy interventions.
Four main steps:• Identify potentially worrying trends;• Assess the issue and how it relates to
the natural environment;• Analyze more fully the underlying
causes of the issue;• Analyze more fully how the issue
impacts society, the economy and the environment.
4a. Indicators for Issue Identification (2)
4b. Indicators for Policy FormulationIndicators that allow to evaluate the adequacy of the interventions analyzed, taking into account their repercussions on the key actors in the economy and impacts across sectors.
Two main steps:• Identify policy objectives;• Identify intervention options.
This chapter as well as the following ones will differentiate the effects of interventions into (i) outputs; (ii) outcomes; and (iii) impacts.
4b. Indicators for Policy Formulation (3)
4c. Indicators for Policy AssessmentIndicators that support the estimation and evaluation of policy impacts across sectors, with a more marked focus on indicators for socio-economic impacts and well-being.
Three main steps:• Estimate policy impacts in relation to
the environmental issue;• Analyze policy impacts across sectors;• Analyze impacts on the overall well-
being of the population.
4c. Indicators for Policy Assessment (2)
4d. Indicators for Policy Monitoring and EvaluationIndicators for policy monitoring and evaluation support the assessment of the performance of the intervention implemented.
The integrated policymaking cycle is continuous, if impact of policies ≠ expectations, unsolved issues remain
high in the agenda.
Three main steps to measure:• Policy impacts in relation to the
environmental issue (indicators for issue identification);
• Policy performance (indicators for policy formulation);
• Impacts across sectors and on the overall well-being of the population (indicators for policy assessment).
5. Conclusions• Work done to highlight the role
of indicators in all phases of the policy cycle, adopting and proposing an integrated approach.
• Aimed at providing assistance for the development and implementation of policies that would effectively contribute to the green economy transition.
