The multiple roles of sustainability indicators in informational governance: between intended use and unanticipated influence

Lehtonen, Markku; Sébastien, Léa; Bauler, Thomas

doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2015.05.009

Cited by 99 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…While such obstacles have to date limited the direct influence of sustainability and wellbeing indicators as inputs into specific policy and decision outcomes-i.e., "instrumental use"-some researchers highlight the possibility of indirect pathways of influence over a longer term through "conceptual use," in other words, by introducing new ideas and reshaping frameworks of thought and mental models [37,39,[41][42][43]. Another key category is "political use," in which indicators serve as "ammunition" to support users' positions-including legitimizing predetermined positions-and persuade others to see problems in a particular way.…”

Section: Beyond-gdp and Sustainability Indicators: Literature On Impamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although difficult to show precisely, indirect impacts may occur over time through "conceptual use" [37,39,[41][42][43], as the GPI initiative introduced new ideas and thought models. One interviewee suggested that the GPI is perhaps "less of a tool to drive precise changes in policy and more of a lens for elected leaders .…”

Section: Conceptual Usementioning

confidence: 99%

“…One issue has been the need for more emphasis on linking indicators to policy action and effectively embedding them in decision-making processes [35,38]. Another is that policy-making in practice rarely lives up to the rationalist-positivist vision of indicators serving as tools that lead directly to "evidence-based policymaking" and better decisions [37,40,41]. Influences on policymakers include ideology, interests, information and institutional constraints-information being only one of four "I's" [36].…”

Section: Beyond-gdp and Sustainability Indicators: Literature On Impamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Taking the First Steps beyond GDP: Maryland’s Experience in Measuring “Genuine Progress”

Hayden¹,

Wilson²

2018

Sustainability

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Gross Domestic Product's (GDP) limitations as a prosperity indicator are now widely recognized, leading to a search for "beyond-GDP" alternatives. The US state of Maryland has calculated one such alternative, the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), since 2010. What effect is Maryland's GPI having in practice? Is there any evidence to date that the GPI has shaped policy and public priorities in ways that live up to its supporters' hopes-whether for a transformative shift beyond the economic-growth paradigm or simply better policymaking? What key obstacles exist to fulfilling those goals? This article draws on semi-structured interviews with elite respondents-including Maryland's former governor, senior public servants, academics, non-governmental organization employees and foundation leaders-involved in producing, advocating and using the GPI, along with analysis of relevant documents. Although significant impacts on policy are not yet evident and a change of governor has removed high-level support, the GPI initiative has revealed innovative possibilities for more environmentally and socially minded policymaking and introduced new ideas with potential long-term impacts. However, various challenges remain, including strengthening the political constituency behind the GPI, more deeply embedding it into the policymaking process and addressing the GPI's own limitations in supporting a beyond-GDP economic narrative.

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Section: Beyond-gdp and Sustainability Indicators: Literature On Impamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Conceptual Usementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Beyond-gdp and Sustainability Indicators: Literature On Impamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Taking the First Steps beyond GDP: Maryland’s Experience in Measuring “Genuine Progress”

Hayden¹,

Wilson²

2018

Sustainability

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In their prefaces to sustainability reports, for example, mayors commonly express the wish to promote accountability, yet beyond such socially valued aims, any publication can also be used as 'ammunition' in political debates (Lyytimäki et al 2013). Since 'use' connotes intentionality, some researchers suggest also probing for information 'influence,' noting that use does not imply influence, and influence does not require conscious use (Lehtonen, Sébastien, and Bauler 2016). Table 2 juxtaposes three main uses, influences and outcomes of sustainability reporting with associated stakeholders, acknowledging that this is a simplification of complex matters.…”

Section: A Framework To Study Reporting Practices and Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainability reporting by local governments: a magic tool? Lessons on use and usefulness from European pioneers

Niemann

Hoppe

2017

Public Management Review

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A growing number of city governments worldwide engage in sustainability reporting, voluntarily and responding to legal pressures. Diverse practices emerged based on unique choices concerning formats, periodicity, authorship and dissemination efforts. Such design questions and associated outcomes are highly relevant for practitioners yet unaddressed in standard guidelines and most prior research that primarily concern content and conjectured reporting benefits. This article presents a framework suited to assessing real-life practices and outcomes. An exploratory evaluation in Amsterdam, Basel, Dublin, Freiburg, Nuremberg and Zurich suggests that sustainability reporting can benefit organizational change, management and communication yet also lead to 'fatigue' and discontinuation.

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“…Indicators must be policy-relevant, reliable, measurable, wide in scope and simple. In practice, however, indicators for sustainable urban development have been selected on the basis of political prioritisation, perceived importance and/or data availability [69][70][71]. Research stresses the importance of involving stakeholders in the process of selecting the evaluation indicators, especially when monitoring progress towards sustainable development [18,59,62,72].…”

Section: Conceptual Background On Sustainability Indicators In the Comentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying the SDGs to cities: business as usual or new dawn?

Zinkernagel¹,

Evans²,

Neij³

2018

Preprint

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With growing urbanisation the sustainability of cities has become increasingly important. Although cities have been using indicators for a long time it is only in the last decades that attempts have been made to collate indicators into indicator sets with the aim of reflecting the many different aspects that need to be covered to assess the sustainability of a city. The aim of this paper is to review how indicators for monitoring sustainable urban development have evolved over time and compare them to the indicators suggested by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The review reveals that previous indicator sets emphasised environmental sustainability, health and economic growth. It is also shown that indicator sets that pre-date the SDGs lacked dimensions such as gender equality and reduced inequalities. In all, the SDG indicators provide the possibility of a more balanced and integrated approach to urban sustainability monitoring. At the same time, a methodology is needed to facilitate the adaptation process of localising the SDGS, targets and indicators. Challenges of local application include their large number, their generic characteristics and the need to complement them with specific indicators that are more relevant at the city level.

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The multiple roles of sustainability indicators in informational governance: between intended use and unanticipated influence

Abstract: To cite this version:Markku Lehtonen, Léa Sébastien, Tom Bauler. The multiple roles of sustainability indicators in informational governance: between intended use and unanticipated influence. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, Elsevier, 2016, 18, pp

Cited by 99 publications

References 46 publications

Taking the First Steps beyond GDP: Maryland’s Experience in Measuring “Genuine Progress”

Taking the First Steps beyond GDP: Maryland’s Experience in Measuring “Genuine Progress”

Sustainability reporting by local governments: a magic tool? Lessons on use and usefulness from European pioneers

Applying the SDGs to cities: business as usual or new dawn?

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