Indicators of Sustainable Development |
| | Sustainable Development Home | Indicators Home | Introduction | |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| HEADLINE INDICATORS | ||
| H Headline indicators
Maintaining high and stable levels of economic growth and employment | ||
| Our economy must continue to grow | H1 | Total output of the economy (GDP and GDP per head) |
| Investment (in modern plant machinery, as well as research and development) is vital to our future prosperity | H2 | Total and social investment as a percentage of GDP |
| Maintain high and stable levels of employment so everyone can share greater job opportunities | H3 | Proportion of people of working age who are in work |
| Social progress which recognises the needs of everyone | ||
| Tackling poverty and social exclusion | H4 | Indicators of success in tackling poverty and social exclusion |
| Equip people with the skills to fulfil their potential | H5 | Qualifications at age 19 |
| Improve health of the population overall | H6 | Expected years of healthy life |
| Reduce the proportion of unfit housing stock | H7 | Homes judged unfit to live in |
| Reduce both crime and fear of crime | H8 | Level of crime |
| Effective protection of the environment | ||
| Continue to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases now, and plan for greater reductions in the longer term | H9 | Emissions of greenhouse gases |
| Reduce air pollution and ensure air quality continues to improve through the longer term | H10 | Days when air pollution is moderate or higher |
| Improve choice in transport; improve access to education, jobs, leisure and services; and reduce the need to travel | H11 | Road traffic |
| Improving river quality | H12 | Rivers of good or fair quality |
| Reverse the long-term decline in populations of farmland and woodland birds | H13 | Populations of wild birds |
| Re-using previously developed land, in order to protect the countryside and encourage urban regeneration | H14 | New homes built on previously developed land |
| Prudent use of natural resources | ||
| Move away from disposal of waste towards waste reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery | H15 | Waste arisings and management |
Family: A B C D E F G H J K L M N P Q R S T U top
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY | ||
| A Doing more or less: improving resource efficiency | ||
| Greater resource efficiency | A1 | UK resource use |
| Energy efficiency of the economy | A2 | Energy efficiency of economy |
| A3 | Energy use per household | |
| Move away from disposal of waste towards waste reduction, reuse, recycling and recovery | H15 | Waste arisings and management |
| A4 | Waste by sector | |
| A5 | Household waste and recycling | |
| A6 | Materials recycling | |
| A7 | Hazardous waste | |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| B Economic stability and competitiveness | ||
| Our economy must continue to grow | H1 | Total output of the economy (GDP and GDP per head) |
| Deliver low inflation | B1 | Rate of inflation |
| Government borrowing at stable and prudent level | B2 | Public sector net borrowing and net debt |
| Promote UK competitiveness | B3 | Labour productivity |
| B4 | UK imports, exports, trade balance | |
| Investment (in modern plant and machinery, as well as research and development) is vital to our future prosperity | H2 | Total and social investment as a percentage of GDP |
| Also invest in "social assets | B5 | Social investment as a per cent of GDP |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| C Developing skills and rewarding work | ||
| Equip people with the skills to fulfil their potential | H5 | Qualifications at age 19 |
| Raise educational standards at all levels and close the widening gap between high and low achievers | C1 | 16 year-olds with no qualifications |
| C2 | Adult literacy/numeracy | |
| To become a learning society - in a rapidly changing world people need the skills to adapt, and opportunities to update them throughout their lives | C3 | Learning participation |
| Boost workplace learning | C4 | Businesses recognised as Investors In People |
| Maintain high and stable levels of employment so everyone can share greater job opportunities | H3 | Proportion of people of working age who are in work |
| C5 | Proportion of people of working age in workless households | |
| C6 | Proportion of people of working age out of work for more than two years | |
| C7 | Proportion of lone parents, long-term ill and disabled people who are economically active | |
| Fairness at work | C8 | People in employment working long hours |
| C9 | Low pay | |
| Maintain a safe and healthy environment for workers | C10 | Work fatalities and injury rates; working days lost through illness |
| Raise quality of life of workers in global supply chains of companies importing into the UK | C11 | UK companies implementing ethical trading codes of conduct |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| D Sustainable production and consumption | ||
| Give consumers better information and encourage purchasing initiatives which help to move the market | D1 | Consumer information |
| Contextual indicator | D2 | Consumer expenditure |
| Take-up of best practice in key sectors | D3 | Energy and water consumption by sector/Waste and hazardous emissions by sector |
| Encourage businesses to assess environmental impacts and set targets, and produce environmental reports | D4 | Adoption of environmental management systems (ISO 14001) and the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) |
| D5 | Corporate environmental engagement | |
| D6 | Environmental reporting | |
| Need housing which is more energy-efficient, uses fewer resources and creates less waste | D7 | Household water use and peak demand |
| D8 | Thermal efficiency of housing stock | |
| Greater use of sustainable construction materials | D9 | Primary aggregates per unit of construction value |
| D10 | Construction and demolition waste going to landfill | |
| Need more efficient appliances | D11 | Energy efficiency of new appliances |
| Minimise the impact of pesticides on human health | D12 | Pesticide residues in food |
| Encourage environmentally sensitive land management by farmers | D13 | Area under agreement under the Environmentally Sensitive Area and Countryside Stewardship agri-environment schemes |
| Organic production methods | D14 | Area converted to organic production |
| Encourage production, marketing, purchase and use of vehicles that are more fuel efficient | D15 | Energy efficiency of road passenger travel/Average fuel consumption of new cars |
| UK tourism industry to grow significantly in ways which are economically, socially and environmentally beneficial | D16 | Sustainable tourism |
| Address transport issues; integrate tourism with public transport | D17 | Leisure trips by mode of transport |
| D18 | Overseas travel | |
| Reduce environmental impact of chemicals | D19 | Chemical releases to the environment |
| Develop distribution systems which support economic growth, protect the environment and benefit society | D20 | Freight transport by mode |
| D21 | Heavy goods vehicle mileage intensity | |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| BUILDING SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES | ||
| E Promoting economic vitality and employment | ||
| Improve economic performance and enhance regional competitiveness | E1 | Regional variations in GDP |
| Closing the gap between the poorest communities and the rest | E2 | Index of local deprivation |
| Tackling poverty and social exclusion | H4 | Indicators of success in tackling poverty and social exclusion |
| E3 | Truancies and exclusions from school/teenage pregnancies | |
| Promoting local business diversity | E4 | New business start-ups net of closures |
| Reducing disproportionate unemployment among ethnic minorities | E5 | Ethnic minority employment and unemployment |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| F Better health for all | ||
| Improve health of the population overall | H6 | Expected years of healthy life |
| Deliver key health targets | F1 | Death rates from cancer, circulatory disease, accidents and suicides |
| Environmental factors affecting health | F2 | Respiratory illness |
| Address major factors leading to health inequalities | F3 | Health inequalities |
| Provide people with access to effective healthcare, based on patients' needs, and not on where they live or their ability to pay | F4 | NHS hospital waiting lists |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| G Travel | ||
| Improve choice in transport; improve access to education, jobs, leisure and services; and reduce the need to travel | ||
| H11 | Road traffic | |
| G1 | Passenger travel by mode | |
| G2 | How children get to school | |
| G3 | Average journey length by purpose | |
| The cost of traffic congestion | G4 | Traffic congestion |
| The link between rising prosperity and increased travel must be broken | G5 | Distance travelled relative to income |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| J Access | ||
| Need better access to services | J1 | People finding access difficult |
| J2 | Access to services in rural areas | |
| Ensure that disabled people have access to a wider range of goods, services and facilities | J3 | Access for disabled people |
| Arts and sport should be accessible to everyone | J4 | Participation in sport and cultural activities |
| Reduce the proportion of unfit (housing) stock | H7 | Homes judged unfit to live in |
| Ensure that everyone has the opportunity of a decent home | J5 | Temporary accommodation/rough sleepers |
| Improving significantly the energy efficiency of all residential accommodation | J6 | Fuel poverty |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| K Shaping our surroundings | ||
| Re-using previously developed land, in order to protect the countryside and encourage urban regeneration | H14 | New homes built on previously developed land |
| Bring empty homes back into use and convert buildings to new uses | K1 | Vacant land and properties and derelict land |
| Shopping, leisure and entertainment, offices and other key town centre uses should, wherever possible, be located within existing centres | K2 | New retail floor space in town centres and out of town |
| Contextual indicators | K3 | Population growth |
| K4 | Household growth | |
| Ensure that development takes account of history and look for opportunities to conserve local heritage | K5 | Buildings of Grade I and II* at risk of decay |
| Attractive streets and buildings, low levels of traffic, noise and pollution, green spaces, and community safety | K6 | Quality of surroundings |
| K7 | Access to local green space | |
| K8 | Noise levels | |
| Reduce both crime and fear of crime | H8 | Level of crime |
| K9 | Fear of crime | |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| L Involvement and stronger institutions | ||
| All local communities to have sustainable development strategies in place by 2000 | L1 | Number of local authorities with LA21 strategies |
| Voluntary and community activity can promote social inclusion and cohesion | L2 | Voluntary activity |
| Help build a sense of community by encouraging and supporting all forms of community involvement | L3 | Community spirit |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| MANAGING THE ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES | ||
| M An integrated approach | ||
| Must not store up pollutant problems for the future | M1 | Concentrations of persistent organic pollutants |
| M2 | Dangerous substances in water | |
| M3 | Radioactive waste stocks | |
| M4 | Discharges from the nuclear industry | |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| N Climate change and energy supply | ||
| Climate change must be kept within limits which global society can accommodate | N1 | Rise in global temperature |
| Assess vulnerability to changed weather patterns and higher sea levels and develop adaptation strategies | N2 | Sea level rise |
| Continue to reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases now, and plan for greater reductions in the longer term | H9 | Emissions of greenhouse gases |
| N3 | Carbon dioxide emissions by end user | |
| In the longer term more energy will have to come from new and renewable sources | N4 | Electricity from renewable sources |
| Fossil fuel resources managed in an environmentally-acceptable way | N5 | Depletion of fossil fuels |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| P Air and atmosphere | ||
| Reduce air pollution and ensure air quality continues to improve through the longer term | H10 | Days when air pollution is moderate or higher |
| P1 | Concentrations of selected air pollutants | |
| P2 | Emissions of selected air pollutants | |
| Ensure that polluting emissions do not cause harm to human health or the environment | P3 | Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides emissions |
| P4 | Acidification in the UK | |
| Controls on ozone depleting substances | P5 | Ozone depletion |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Q Freshwater | ||
| Improving river quality | H12 | Rivers of good or fair quality |
| Q1 | Nutrients in water | |
| Safeguarding resources and ensuring affordable supplies | Q2 | Water demand and availability |
| Q3 | Water affordability | |
| Avoiding waste of water | Q4 | Water leakage |
| Q5 | Abstractions by purpose | |
| Ensure that abstraction controls play a full part in protecting the best wildlife and amenity sites | Q6 | Sites affected by water abstraction |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| R Seas oceans and coasts | ||
| Reduce or eliminate inputs of hazardous and radioactive substances of most concern | R1 | Estuarine water quality, marine inputs |
| Aim to raise consistent compliance with the European Bathing Water Directive | R2 | Compliance with Bathing Water Directive |
| Protection of marine habitats and species | R3 | Biodiversity in coastal/marine areas |
| Improve the management and conservation of fish stocks | R4 | Fish stocks around the UK fished within safe limits |
| Work with other countries to achieve effective management and conservation of fish stocks | R5 | State of the world's fisheries |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| S Landscape and wildlife | ||
| Minimise the loss of soils to new development | S1 | Net loss of soils to development |
| Soil protection | S2 | Concentrations of organic matter in agricultural topsoils |
| Reverse the long-term decline in populations of farmland and woodland birds | H13 | Populations of wild birds |
| S3 | Trends in plant diversity | |
| Reverse the decline in UK wildlife and habitats | S4 | Biodiversity action plans |
| Protection for individual landscape features such as hedges, dry stone walls and ponds | S5 | Landscape features - hedges, stone walls and ponds |
| Strengthen protection for special sites | S6 | Extent and management of SSSIs |
| Protecting the wider landscape | S7 | Countryside quality |
| Promoting public access and enjoyment of the landscape | S8 | Access to the countryside |
| Contextual indicator | S9 | Native species at risk |
| Continuing expansion of UK woodland area | S10 | Area of woodland in the UK |
| Protecting and expanding ancient and semi-natural woodlands | S11 | Area of ancient semi-natural woodland in GB |
| Better management of existing woodlands | S12 | Sustainable management of woodland |
| Sustainable forestry management overseas | S13 | Number of countries with national forest programmes |
| Aim to maximise efficient use of materials and greater use of recycled and waste materials | S14 | Amount of secondary/ recycled aggregates used compared with virgin aggregates |
| All mineral working sites are restored to a standard suitable for a specific beneficial afteruse | S15 | Land covered by restoration and aftercare conditions |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SENDING THE RIGHT SIGNALS | ||
| T Sending the right signals | ||
| Integrating the environment into each department's policies and operations | T1 | Greening government operations |
| Help promote women's interests and fairness at work | T2 | Women in public appointments and senior positions |
| Contextual indicator | T3 | Prices of key resources - fuel |
| Explore the scope for using economic instruments to deliver more sustainable development, and avoid "perverse subsidieswhich work against sustainable development | T4 | Real changes in the cost of transport |
| Cost-effective ways to comply with pollution abatement and aim to move to cleaner processes in the long term | T5 | Expenditure on pollution abatement |
| Where new regulation is used it will conform to the government's principles of better regulation and be enforced effectively | T6 | Enforcement of regulations |
| Improve awareness of sustainable development | T7 | Public understanding and awareness |
| T8 | Awareness in schools | |
| Encourage individuals to do their bit | T9 | Individual action for sustainable development |
| Objective and SDS paragraph reference | Ref
no |
Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT | ||
| U International co-operation and development | ||
| Work with others to eliminate global poverty and raise living standards in developing countries | U1 | Global poverty |
| U2 | Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) | |
| Contextual indicator | U3 | Global population |
| Work with others to tackle global pressures on the environment and resources | U4 | UK public expenditure on global environment protection |
| International conventions aimed at protecting the environment: UK commitment to Multilateral Environmental Agreements | U5 | Implementation of multilateral environmental agreements |
| Contextual indicators | U6 | International emissions of carbon dioxide per head |
| U7 | World and UK materials consumption levels per head | |