SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS: ADAPTING UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT BASELINE INDICATORS FOR COUNTRIES TO MEASURE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF PHOENIX Graham Twaddell Environmental Technology Management Arizona State University East Chair: Dr Nicholas Hild
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SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS: ADAPTING UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT BASELINE INDICATORS FOR COUNTRIES TO MEASURE SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT FOR THE CITY OF PHOENIX
Graham TwaddellEnvironmental Technology Management
Arizona State University East
Chair: Dr Nicholas Hild
PRESENTATION OVERVIEW
Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Chapter 3: Methods
Chapter 4: Results
Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations
INTRODUCTION
Statement of Problem
Scope of Work
Objectives
Limitations & Assumptions
LITERATURE REVIEW
United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (2001) Indicators of Sustainable Development Framework and Methodologies
European Commission (1997) Indicators of Sustainable Development: A Pilot Study Following the Methodology of the United Nation’s Commission on Sustainable Development
Sustainable San Mateo County (2003) Indicators for a Sustainable San Mateo County: A Yearly Report Card on Our County’s Quality of Life
Sustainable Seattle (2004) Indicators of Sustainable Community 1998: A status Report on Long-Term Cultural, Economic, and Environmental Health for Seattle/King County
METHODS
25 stakeholders were identified from the categories:
Decision Maker Expert Parties Affected
Questionnaires were designed and administered via e-mail after satisfying ASU Institutional Review Board
Stakeholders were requested to rank each potential indicator with relation to its relevance to the city of Phoenix
RESULTS
Rank Scale
0 = indicator not understood1 = relevance to the city of Phoenix not known2 = no relevance to the city of Phoenix3 = low relevance to the city of Phoenix4 = medium relevance to the city of Phoenix5 = high relevance to the city of Phoenix
An average rank score determined for each indicator
12 indicators as having a high relevance to the city of Phoenix 57 as having a medium relevance 16 as having a low relevance 3 indicators as having no relevance to the city of Phoenix.
The participants, on average, did not identify any indicators as:
having unknown relevance to the city of Phoenix being not being understood
RESULTS
Four Dimensions of Sustainable Development
Participants selected:
90% of the social indicators
89% of the institutional indicators
73% of the economic indicators
60% of the environmental indicators
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Final Sustainability Indicators
Reduce the number of sustainability indicators (SI) for the city of Phoenix and identify a set of suitable SIs determined by the stakeholders
19 SIs ranked as having low and no relevance to the city
of Phoenix were eliminated
Remaining 69 SIs were identified by stakeholders as having medium and high relevance to the city of Phoenix
22 SIs with an average rank score of less than 4.00 were eliminated
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Final Sustainability Indicators
By solely considering SIs with an average rank score of 4.00 – 5.00 (standard medium relevance – maximum
high relevance), the final quantity of SIs identified by the stakeholders to measure sustainability for the city of Phoenix was 46
Final Set of Sustainability Indicators for the City of Phoenix
Social (CSD) Percent of Population Living below Poverty Line Unemployment Rate Nutritional Status of Children Population with Access to Safe Drinking Water Percent of Population with Access to Primary Health Care Facilities Immunization Against Infectious Childhood Diseases Children Reaching Grade 5 of Primary Education Adult Secondary Education Achievement Level Adult Literacy Rate Number of Recorded Crimes per 100,000 Population Population Growth Rate
Social (Additional) Number of Places at Affordable Day Care Facilities Housing Affordability (Percentage of Annual Income) Number of New Homes Built on Previously Developed Land Number of Women in Public Appointments and Senior Positions Hours of Work Required for Basic Needs Per Pupil Funding (Percent Per Pupil) Number Businesses Offering Education Opportunities Number of Recorded Substance Abuse and DUI Cases Reported Child Abuse Cases Percentage of Juveniles Related to Recorded Crimes Substance Abuse Treatment Provided Percent of Population with Health Insurance Percent Expended on Health Care
Environmental (CSD) Emissions of Greenhouse Gases Consumption of Ozone Depleting Substances Ambient Concentration of Air Pollutants Urban Areas Annual Withdrawal of Ground and Surface Water as a Percent of Total Available Water Protected Area as a Percentage of Total Area
Environmental (Additional) Area of City Parks and Open Spaces Area of Pedestrian-Bicycle-Friendly Streets Employment Concentration Implementation of Environmental Management Systems or Similar Type of Standards
Economic (CSD) Annual Energy Consumption per Capita Share of Consumption of Renewable Energy Resources Intensity of Energy Use Generation of Industrial and Municipal Solid Waste Generation of Hazardous Waste Management of Radioactive Waste Waste Recycling and Reuse Distance Traveled per Capita by Mode of Transport
Economic (Additional) Number of Sustainable Tourism Projects
Institutional (CSD) Expenditure on Research and Development as a Percent of GDP
Institutional (Additional) Development and Implementation of Green Building Policies Percent Using Public Library Percent of Registered To Vote Population Voting
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
New stakeholder indicators
32% percent of the stakeholders suggested new SIs
Suggested SIs:
race, ethnicity, culture and socio-economic issues
water consumption issues
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Summary of Findings
Stakeholders selected:
25 SIs from a possible 58 CSD indicators (43%)
21 SIs from a possible 30 additional indicators (70%)
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendations for Future Study
Future research could: Consider aspects such as race, ethnicity, culture, age,
gender, religious beliefs, socio-economic status and sexual orientation
Utilize the workgroup practice
Identify and add additional sustainability indicators derived from those most frequently suggested by the stakeholders
QUESTIONS
Thank you for your attention
Questions and Comments
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y
“IT’S EASY BEING GREEN”
Graham L. Twaddell
WORKSHOP OUTLINE
Define sustainable development
Benefits of sustainability
How to achieve sustainability
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
Sustainable development, or sustainability, is the simple idea that, as human beings, we place a high value on our own quality of life and that of future generations.
WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT?
Sustainability can be visualized as a web of interconnected systems that work together to produce and enhance a sustainable world.
Key aspects of this web include:
S O C I A L
Employee Benefits, Health Care,
Community Involvement, Education…
Key aspects of this web include:
E C O N O M I C
Production Costs, Profits vs Loss,
Compliance Costs,Sales…
Key aspects of this web include:
E N V I R O N M E N T A L
Waste,
Energy Efficiency,
Environmental Degradation…
Key aspects of this web include:
I N S T I T U T I O N A L
Disaster Preparedness and Response,
Safety Training,
Information Access…
The Pursuit of Sustainability
Economic
Environmental
Institutional Social
SUSTAINABILITY
The next generation matters as much as the next quarter…
In order for companies to maintain a competitive edge and ensure longevity they need to adopt a management system that addresses not only economic issues, but issues that address environmental, social, and institutional matters also.
Reasons to be Sustainable:
1. Limitless Longevity…Company survival: Sustainability is a rapidly growing key business concept. As other companies implement and practice sustainability, those that do not will simply fall behind and lose the ability to aggressively compete.
Reasons to be Sustainable:
2. Smart Savings…Being clean and green will save your company money…e.g., less energy, less water, less waste, less clean up, less liability and exposure.
Plant Earth’s natural resources are finite…and thus costly!
Reasons to be Sustainable:
3. Natural Neighborhood…For your kids and your community, enhancing you and your loved ones’ lives, as well as setting a moral and ethical example.
Reasons to be Sustainable:
4. Recognition Rewards…Enhance market share, client and public relations, and company reputation.
Reasons to be Sustainable:
5. Excel and Exceed…Going beyond compliance, by setting – and exceeding - industry standards, your company has a tangible impact on rival businesses.
Make your own reasons…
To be sustainable, our actions must reflect what is important to us; qualities such as clean air, clean water, health, security and prosperity.
Industry and Sustainability
As the world has become more industrialized, there have been increasing environmental pressures such as harmful emissions and waste, which have had global, regional or local impacts.
Industry and Sustainability
Global, regional or local impacts include: Local level - urban air pollution, contamination
of soils and rivers and land degradation; Regionally - acid rain and water contamination; Globally - climate change, ozone layer
depletion, loss of biodiversity, increased movement of hazardous waste and increased land-based marine pollution.
Industry and Sustainability
There is a mutually reinforcing relationship between social and industrial development.
Industrialization has the potential to promote, directly and indirectly, a variety of social objectives such as employment creation, poverty eradication, gender equality, labor standards, and greater access to education and health care.
Industry and Sustainability
In this regard, the overriding challenge is to promote the positive impacts while limiting or eliminating the negative impacts of industrial activities on social development.
Industry and Sustainability
The overriding task facing the industry today is to maximize the positive influence of industrial activities on economic and social development, while minimizing the negative impact of production and consumption on the environment.
ENVIROSURE Sustainability Audit
SOCIALMax
ValuePoints
Attained
Employee Salary 10
Employee Benefits 10
Healthful and Safe Working Environment 10
Health and Wellness Program 10
Volunteer in Community 10
Education Opportunities 10
Ride Share Program 10
Employee Salary Direct Deposit 10
TOTAL 80
ENVIROSURE Sustainability Audit
ENVIRONMENTALMax
ValuePoints
Attained
Hazardous Material Inventory Service (HMIS) & Tier II 10
Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan 10
Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures Plan 10
Air Permits 10
Water Permits 10
Pollution Prevention (P2) Plan 10
Hazardous Waste Management 10
Landscaping 10
TOTAL 80
ENVIROSURE Sustainability Audit
ECONOMICMax
ValuePoints
Attained
Percentage Profit 10
Energy Consumption 10
Water Consumption 10
Generation of Waste (municipal and hazardous) 10
Waste Recycling and Reuse 10
Inventory Control (Just In Time Ordering) 10
Electronic banking and mailing 10
Alliance of Sustainable Businesses 10
TOTAL 80
ENVIROSURE Sustainability Audit
INSTITUTIONALMax
ValuePoints
Attained
Sustainable Development Strategy and Steering Committee 10
Disaster Preparedness and Response Plan 10
Employee Safety Training 10
Contractor Identification Pass and Safety Briefing 10
Community and Employee Access to Information 10
% of Employees Registered to Vote to Employees Voting 10