The Collaboration on Indicators on the Nation’s Environment

The The Collaboration on Indicators Collaboration on Indicators

on the Nation’s on the Nation’s Environment Environment

(CINE)(CINE)

Theodore HeintzTheodore HeintzCouncil on Environmental QualityCouncil on Environmental Quality

About the CINEAbout the CINE The CINE will recommend the institutions The CINE will recommend the institutions

and institutional arrangements the U.S. and institutional arrangements the U.S. needs for statistical reporting on the needs for statistical reporting on the environment.environment.

The CINE will use a collaborative process The CINE will use a collaborative process involving institutional partners and high involving institutional partners and high level leaders from both the Federal and level leaders from both the Federal and non Federal sectors.non Federal sectors.

The CINE Planning GroupThe CINE Planning Group CEQCEQ Heinz CenterHeinz Center National Council for Science & the EnvironmentNational Council for Science & the Environment Meridian InstituteMeridian Institute Key National Indicators InitiativeKey National Indicators Initiative Federal agencies: Interior, Ag, EPA, NOAAFederal agencies: Interior, Ag, EPA, NOAA NGOsNGOs State and local governmentsState and local governments CongressCongress Deans of Environmental SchoolsDeans of Environmental Schools

What do we want to achieve?What do we want to achieve?

An enduring institutional capacity to An enduring institutional capacity to regularly publish a comprehensive set of regularly publish a comprehensive set of indicators and statistics on natural and indicators and statistics on natural and environmental resourcesenvironmental resources

A few highly respected and trusted A few highly respected and trusted

institutions responsible for publishing institutions responsible for publishing “Gold Standard” indicators and statistics“Gold Standard” indicators and statistics

What is Statistical Reporting What is Statistical Reporting on the Environment?on the Environment?

Indicators and other statisticsIndicators and other statistics National coverage with geographical zoomNational coverage with geographical zoom Long term coverageLong term coverage Consistent measurements and methodsConsistent measurements and methods Increasingly accurateIncreasingly accurate Increasingly comprehensive Increasingly comprehensive Increasingly integrated using ecological Increasingly integrated using ecological

and economic concepts and theoriesand economic concepts and theories

The Information PyramidThe Information Pyramid

Policy, Planning, and

Mgmt Indicators

Other Statistics And Monitoring Data

Key Indicators

Types of Information that could be included in a Comprehensive

Statistical System

Increasing Detail and Specificity

Fact Based Stories

Number of Pieces of Information

Types of Information and FunctionsTypes of Information and Functions

Policy, Planning, and

Mgmt Indicators

Other Statistics And Monitoring Data

Development of Well-Accepted Policies and

Practices

Feedbacks on Specific Policies and

Practices

Number of People Using Each Piece of Information

Key Indicators

Number of Pieces of Information

Development of Common Knowledge

And Widely Held Beliefs

Development ofEmpirically ValidatedKnowledge

Increasing Detail and Specificity

Fact Based Stories

Types of Information fromA Comprehensive System

Functions Performed Using Information

What do we have in place?What do we have in place?

We have technical resources and We have technical resources and significant environmental monitoring significant environmental monitoring capabilities that produce large amounts of capabilities that produce large amounts of data.data.

They are located within existing research, They are located within existing research, regulatory and management organizations.regulatory and management organizations.

What do we lack?What do we lack?

Monitoring programs adequate to produce Monitoring programs adequate to produce the data for over half of the indicators that the data for over half of the indicators that have been selected by recent efforts.have been selected by recent efforts.

Institutional arrangements that can bring Institutional arrangements that can bring forth additional monitoring, improve its forth additional monitoring, improve its consistency and provide for its consistency and provide for its continuation.continuation.

We lack institutions with the We lack institutions with the primary mission of statistical primary mission of statistical

reporting on the environment. reporting on the environment.

That can become forceful customers of That can become forceful customers of environmental monitoring programsenvironmental monitoring programs

That can become trusted sources of high That can become trusted sources of high quality indicators and statistics. quality indicators and statistics.

Why should we move ahead now?Why should we move ahead now?

Because the challenges of responding to Because the challenges of responding to environmental changes are increasing;environmental changes are increasing;

Because it takes many years to design Because it takes many years to design and establish new institutions;and establish new institutions;

Because of the opportunities created by Because of the opportunities created by emerging information technology;emerging information technology;

Why should we move ahead now?Why should we move ahead now?

Because indicator projects have made Because indicator projects have made good progress over the last decade in good progress over the last decade in identifying relevant indicators; andidentifying relevant indicators; and

Because they have shown that Because they have shown that collaborative processes can promote collaborative processes can promote consensus about indicators. consensus about indicators.

What strategic approach is What strategic approach is most likely to be successful?most likely to be successful?

Use a collaborative process involving high Use a collaborative process involving high level leaders from non Federal and Federal level leaders from non Federal and Federal institutions.institutions.

Recommend designs for the statistical Recommend designs for the statistical reporting institutions and institutional reporting institutions and institutional arrangements that are needed.arrangements that are needed.

Present recommendations in a manner Present recommendations in a manner likely to bring about implementation. likely to bring about implementation.

Key tasks to be performedKey tasks to be performed

1. Determine the Scope for a National System 1. Determine the Scope for a National System of Indicators of Indicators

2. Identify Desirable Institutional Features 2. Identify Desirable Institutional Features 3. Survey Existing Institutional Capacities 3. Survey Existing Institutional Capacities 4. Develop Insitutional Options4. Develop Insitutional Options5. Develop Recommendations Collaboratively 5. Develop Recommendations Collaboratively