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most suitable for making objec-
tive predictions about the status
of a system but also because
there is a consensus that they
are able to do so. indicators are
thus dependent on the agree-
ment of those who set up and
usethem (ICLEI 1999).
Communication is very impor-
tant for the users of indicators.
The understandability of indica-
tors is very important if an indica-
tor-system is to be accepted by
target groups, mainly in the pub-
lic and political arenas. They are
unable to understand the relevant
information if it is not aggregated
or reduced in complexity.
One important goal for the
construction and use of indica-
tors is their international compa-
rability. Forthis purpose it is
essential to ratify and observe
internationaily accepted stan-
dards. It is still difficult to com-
pare even simple indicators like
"forest area" because the defini-
tions and thus the methods for
measuring are different.
Relevance for policy, commu-
nication and international com-
parability appear to contradict
analytical foundation, because
there is a danger that the scien-
tific validity of the indicators is
decreased when using indicators
for political purposes. Precise,
scientifically based indicators are
frequently less understandable
for political decision makers and
the broader public and they are
therefore seldom attended to
outside scientific circles
(MacGillivray and Zadek 1995:
11). On the other hand, indica-
tors that are attractive to the
public very often are not well
based scientifically. Therefore
precision and understandability
must be balanced in an optimal
way to obtain a "warm indicator"
that is as correct as possible and
comprehensible to the non-sci-
entific community.
SKÓGRÆKTARRITIÐ 2001 1. tbl.
Requirements for indicators of sustainable development
N ormativity The use of indicators of sustainable development assumes that the target of a worldwide sustainable development cannot be reached, i.e. development will be non-sustainable (Meadows et al. 1993). This not only requires the scientific survey of the status quo but requires additionally that desirable ecological, economic and social targets are formulated. For this reason, Opschoor and Reijnders (1991: 7) characterize indicators of sustainable development as normative values because they relate actual, "objective” developments to a desirable condition or goal.
Long-Range Indicators of sustainable development do not aim at dealing with acute problems. Their range is based on the need for long-term stability and the action needed to achieve it (Opschoor and Reijnders 1991: 7).
Scope Sustainable development must to be put into practice on all action levels, from the local u the global level, to be able to ensure intra- and intergenerational justice.
Basics and requirements
The international debate about
sustainability is based on the fol-
lowing definition by Brundtland
(World Commission on Environ-
ment and Development 1987):
"Sustainable development is devel-
opment tfiat meets tfie needs ofthe
present without compromising the
ability offuture generations to
meet theirown needs."
The Brundtland-definition points
out that intra- and intergenera-
tional justice of distribution are
the main components of sustain-
able development. However, no
definite model for the general
context between natural and
human systems can be based on
it. Agenda 21, the product of the
United Nations Conference on
Environment and Development
in Rio 1992 and the results of the
follow-up conferences make it
clear that sustainability can be
described by three dimensions.
They are 1) ecological, 2) eco-
nomic and 3) social aspects,
which have to be observed over
time and on different spatial lev-
els.
Indicators of sustainable
development are according to
chapter40.4 of Agenda 21 "indi-
cators which provide a solid basis for
decision-making at all levels and con-
tribute to a self-regulating sustain-
ability of integrated environment and
development systems". Meadows
(s.t) points out that "an environ-
mental indicator becomes a sustain-
ability indicator with the addition of
time, limit ortarget".
The following requirements
of indicators of sustainable
development are the results of
the definition of sustainable
development and its 3 dimen-
sions.
Problems and limits of
indicators
It is important to note that with
the selection of indicators, value
judgements have to be made
both with regard to what is
important and what targets to set
(BUND and Misereor 1996: 38).
Ideally, índicators should allow
conclusions about the cause of
change. Strictly suitable indica-
tors are therefore only driving
force- or pressure indicators -
e.g. greenhouse gas emissions.
Indicators describing the status
of an environmental medium do
not usually allow cause-specific,
quantitative prognoses, therefore
they can only be used as refer-
ence values.
A literature search resulted in
the following examples of the
suitability of indicators:
• Indicators can help to focus
public attention, to shape con-
sciousness, and support com-
munication about key issues,
priorities and action strategies
(Department of the Environ-
ment 1996: 2).
• Indicators help to quantify
selected criteria (the problem),
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