A framework for indicator-based reporting on sustainable consumption and production

The policy area of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) takes a holistic perspective on how society and the economy can be changed and better aligned with the goals of sustainability. This paper presents a framework developed for the selection of Indicators for use by the European Environment Agency (EEA) for assessing and reporting on progress towards SCP at European and national level. The approach taken by the EEA and its European Topic Centre on SCP includes a number of aspects which are new to the field of SCP indicator development. The first is the development of the framework itself including a vision of SCP which is used to guide both the initial selection of indicators but also provides impetus to the future development of improved indicators for measuring progress. A second novel aspect is the interim step of formulating a set of policy questions to which an indicator set can provide answers. In practice, this entails that the indicator set becomes forward looking and not limited by current data availability. A final novel element is the integration of indicator communication and evaluation directly into the framework. The EEA indicator framework links policy questions and answers to form narratives to better communicate progress in SCP and allow easier and more interesting interpretation of the indicator set as a whole for the end user.