The OECD set of green growth indicators

The list of indicators has been kept flexible so that countries can adapt it to their particular contexts. It also balances the desire to be exhaustive and the need for simplicity. Not all issues of importance to green growth can be measured in quantitative terms. Not all indicators proposed here are equally relevant to all countries.

The set, which has been reviewed by member countries, is neither exhaustive nor final. Indeed, it requires the context of other OECD indicators to acquire its full meaning. In that sense, the indicators specified are a starting point. The list may be modified as the discussion evolves and as new data become available.

The list of indicators includes main and proxy indicators. Each indicator is also accompanied by an evaluation of the measurability of the underlying data:

Type:

M = Main indicators (numbered and in bold), and their components or supplements (numbered)

P =    Proxy indicators (bulleted) when the main indicators are not available

Measurability:

S =    Short term, basic data currently available for a majority of OECD countries;

M = Medium term, basic data partially available, but calling for further efforts to improve their quality (consistency, comparability, timeliness) and their geographical coverage (number of countries covered);

L =     Long term, basic data not available for a majority of OECD countries, calling for a sustained data collection     and conceptual efforts.

Group/Theme

Proposed indicators

Type

Measurability

Presented here

The socio-economic context and characteristics of growth

Economic growth, productivity and competitiveness

Economic growth and structure

  • GDP growth and structure

  • Net disposable income (or net national income)

Productivity and trade

  • Labour productivity

  • Multi-factor productivity

  • Trade weighted unit labour costs

  • Relative importance of trade: (exports + imports)/GDP

Inflation and commodity prices

  • Consumer Price Index

  • Prices of food; crude oil; minerals, ores and metals

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

M

S

S/M

S

M

M

S

S

S

x

x

x examples

x

x fuel prices

Labour market, education and income

Labour markets

  • Labour force participation

  • Unemployment rate

Socio-demographic patterns

  • Population growth, structure and density

  • Life expectancy: years of healthy life at birth

  • Income inequality: GINI coefficient

  • Educational attainment: level of and access to education

M

M

M

M

M

M

S

S

S

S/M

S/M

S

x

x DALYs

The environmental and resource productivity of the economy

Carbon & energy productivity

1. CO2 productivity

1.1. Production-based CO2 productivity

GDP per unit of energy-related CO2 emitted

1.2. Demand-based CO2 productivity

Real income per unit of energy-related CO2 embodied in final demand

2. Energy productivity

2.1. Energy productivity

GDP per unit of TPES

2.2. Energy intensity by sector

(manufacturing, transport, households, services)

2.3. Share of renewable energy sources

in TPES, in electricity production

M

M

M

M

M

S

S/M

S

S/M

S

x

x

x

–

x

Resource productivity

3. Material productivity (non-energy)

3.1. Demand-based material productivity

(comprehensive measure; original units in physical terms) Real income per unit of materials embodied in final demand, materials mix

3.2. Production-based (domestic) material productivity

GDP per unit of materials consumed, materials mix

  • Biotic materials (food, other biomass)

  • Abiotic materials (metallic minerals, industrial minerals)

3.3. Waste generation intensity and recovery ratios

by sector, per unit of GDP or value added, per capita

3.4. Nutrient flows and balances (N, P)

  • Nutrient balances in agriculture (N, P) per agricultural land area and change in agricultural output

4. Water productivity

Value added per unit of water consumed, by sector

(for agriculture: irrigation water per hectare irrigated)

M

P

M

M

P

M

M/L

S/M

M/L

L

S/M

M

–

x

x municipal waste

–

x

–

Multifactor productivity

5. Environmentally adjusted multifactor productivity

(comprehensive measure; original units in monetary terms)

M

S/M

x

The natural asset base

Natural resource stocks

6. Index of natural resources

Comprehensive measure expressed in monetary terms

M

M

–

Renewable stocks

7. Freshwater resources

Available renewable natural resources (groundwater, surface water) and related abstraction rates (national, territorial)

8. Forest resources

Area and volume of forests; stock changes over time

9. Fish resources

Proportion of fish stocks within safe biological limits (global)

M

M

M

S/M

S/M

S

x

x

x

Non-renewable stocks

10. Mineral resources

Available (global) stocks or reserves of selected minerals: metallic minerals, industrial minerals, fossil fuels, critical raw materials; and related extraction rates

M

M

–

Biodiversity and ecosystems

11. Land resources

Land cover conversions and cover changes from natural state to artificial state

  • Land use: state and changes

12. Soil resources:

Degree of topsoil losses on agricultural land, on other land

  • Agricultural land area affected by water erosion, by class of erosion

13. Wildlife resources (to be further refined)

  • Trends in farmland or forest bird populations or in breeding bird populations

  • Species threat status, in percentage of species assessed or known

  • Trends in species abundance

M

P

M

P

P

P

P

M

S

M

S/M

S/M

S

S/M

x example

–

–

–

x example

x

x

The environmental dimension of quality of life

Environmental health and risks

14. Environmentally induced health problems and related costs

(e.g. years of healthy life lost from degraded environmental conditions)

  • Population exposure to air pollution, and the related health risks and costs

15. Exposure to natural or industrial risks and related economic losses

M

P

M

L

S/M

L

–

x

–

Environmental services and amenities

16. Access to sewage treatment and drinking water

16.1. Population connected to sewage treatment

(at least secondary, in relation to optimal connection rate)

16.2. Population with sustainable access to safe drinking water

M

S

x

x

Economic opportunities and policy responses

Technology and innovation

17. Research and development expenditure of importance to green growth

  • Renewable energy sources (% of energy-related R&D)

  • Environmental technology (% of total R&D, by type)

  • All-purpose business R&D (% of total R&D)

18. Patents of importance to green growth

(% of a country’s patent families worldwide)

  • Environment-related and total patents

  • Structure of environment-related patents

19. Environment-related innovation in all sectors

M

M

M

S/M

S

S

S

S

S

S

M

x

x

–

Environmental goods and services

20. Production of environmental goods and services (EGS)

  • Gross value added in the EGS sector (% of GDP)

  • Employment in the EGS sector (% of total employment)

  • To be complemented with: Environmentally related expenditure (level and structure)

P

P

M

M/L

x example

–

International financial flows

21. International financial flows of importance to green growth

% of total flows and % of GNI

21.1 Official development assistance

21.2 Carbon market financing

21.3 Foreign direct investment

M

L

S

S

M/L

x

x

–

Prices and transfers

22. Environmentally related taxation and subsidies

  • Level of environmentally related tax revenue (% of GDP, % of total tax revenues; in relation to labour-related taxes)

  • Structure of environmentally related taxes (by type of tax base)

  • Level of environmentally related subsidies

23. Energy pricing

(share of taxes in end-use prices)

24. Water pricing and cost recovery (tbd)

M

M

M

S

S

S/M

S

S/M

x

x

x

x

–

Regulations and management approaches

25. Indicators to be developed

..

..

Training and skill development

26. Indicators to be developed

..

..