Download Canton of Berne Sustainability Compass

Canton of Berne
Sustainability Compass
Guide
Version 2008
Contents
1
What is he purpose of the sustainability compass?..........................................................1
2
Aim and scope of application............................................................................................2
3
Characteristics of the sustainabiltiy compass...................................................................4
4
Carrying out the evaluation...............................................................................................5
5
Evaluation and analysis of the result ................................................................................6
5.1
Technical interpretation of the result.........................................................................6
5.2
Interpretation of the content of the result ..................................................................9
Appendices.............................................................................................................................11
A1 The conception of sustainable development in Switzerland .............................................11
A2 List of indicators ................................................................................................................15
Canton of Berne: Sustainability Compass. Guide, Version 2008
Office for Environmental Coordination and Energy
Centre of Competence for Sustainable Development
Reiterstrasse 11
3011 Bern
Telephone 031 633 36 61
[email protected]
http://www.be.ch/aue
Download: http://www.be.ch/compass/
DOCP-142266-v1-Kompassleitfaden-08_englisch.DOC
Sustainability compass: guide
1 What is he purpose of the sustainability compass?
The expression «sustainable development» is heard with increasing frequency today and is
interpreted in a variety of ways. The sustainability compass of Berne is based on the conception of sustainable development that is formally accepted in Switzerland (see Appendix 1).
According to the Swiss definition a distinction is made between three equally important dimensions of sustainable development, namely the ecologic, the economic and the social dimension. In addition the principle of fairness within one generation and towards future generations (intragenerational and intergenerational) is of importance, as well as the increased
participation of those directly affected in the decision-making process.
Today there is a particularly marked need for feasible and practical implementation of the
principles of sustainable development at a local and regional level. At these levels it is therefore crucial that projects are evaluated and examined from the point of view of all three sustainability dimensions. The decision-makers can only draw up more targeted regional or local
development projects if they are aware of whether, overall, a project will improve or worsen
the sustainable development of a region or a community. Very often precise, quantitative
data on the impacts of a project on the sustainability dimensions cannot be obtained when
they are needed or only with a great deal of effort. So far there exists no simple, balanced
and generally accepted evaluation tool for taking decisions in the context of local and cantonal politics. The sustainability compass of Berne is a pragmatic and qualitative evaluation
tool aimed at filling this gap. It is based on a grid of targets and indicators for the ecologic,
economic and social sustainability dimension. It produces a clear 1-page evaluation of the
potential effects of a project on these dimensions.
The sustainability compass of Berne can easily be accessed at: http://www.be.ch/compass/
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Sustainability compass: guide
2 Aim and scope of application
The aim of the sustainability compass is to provide a simple method of obtaining a qualitative
evaluation of the impacts of important projects on the sustainable development of a given region (e.g. a canton) or community. The scope of application of the sustainability compass
can be characterized as follows:
•
By using the sustainability compass planned projects can be evaluated in a standard,
comparative and comprehensive manner with respect to their ecologic, economic and
social impacts.
•
The compass has been devised in such a way that the changes (for better or worse) concerning sustainable development that are likely to result can be compared with the status
quo. Projects that are aimed at maintaining a desirable status quo (e.g. conservation of
natural habitat, mountain landscape, maintaining an intact social structure among young
people, etc.) also bring about a change in comparison with the situation that would develop if the project were not carried out. It is not the aim of the compass, however, to
evaluate an existing state (e.g. the state of sustainable development in a given canton) or
process (e.g. how a cantonal government takes into account sustainable development in
its budget).
•
Basically, a distinction must be made between three levels of action or decision-making
to which sustainability indicators could be applied. A long-term, strategic level, a mediumterm concept or programme level and finally a project or realisation level1. At the longterm, strategic level the sustainability compass is suitable for comparing the impacts of
various models on development within a given canton, region or community, for example.
At a concept level it can be used to evaluate the effects of programmes, structural plans
or design concepts. At the lowest decision-making level the compass is ideal for evaluating important projects.
•
The sustainability compass can be used to provide an overall balance of the impacts of a
planned project on local or regional sustainable development. By using the profile of
strengths and weaknesses provided by the compass, projects can be judged in a more
precise way. They can be optimised specifically in relation to the many aspects of sustainable development by emphasising the strengths and reducing the weaknesses.
1) Cf: Klooz D and Schneider T: «Kernindikatoren-Set» und «Nachhaltigkeitsbarometer» («Set of key indicators» and «Sustainability barometer»). In: Zürcher Umwelt-Praxis, no. 25, Dec. 2000, pp. 21-25.
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Sustainability compass: guide
•
As a qualitative tool, the sustainability compass does not analyse complex interactions. It
does not require comprehensive basic data. It merely processes the available information
and assessments of the person using it in a clear and transparent way.
•
There are very often many different layers of effects resulting from what is done today.
The compass encourages the consideration of this variety of effects and the systematic
inclusion of a great number of different types of effects that are often overlooked. With
the sustainability compass, the simple presentation of the indicator values on the evaluation sheet helps those directly concerned to make an informed decision. Thanks to the
clarity of the compass users are quickly at ease with it, which helps them to give an efficient and structured presentation, evaluation and discussion of a project within an advisory or decision-making committee. This is particularly valid if the compass is used as a
standard tool in a process where information is provided, opinions are formed and decisions are taken.
•
The compass is especially useful when a strategy, programme, concept or project that
has to be assessed is likely to have diverse and marked effects on the environment, the
economy and society. In concrete terms, a project should have a potential impact on at
least two indicators in all three sustainability dimensions. The use of the sustainability
compass is recommended only for projects that meet this criterion. For example, it does
not make sense to use the compass for a small project such as the installation of a bicycle stand or the renovation of a small heating system because the effects of such a project on the whole system (environment, economy, society) are extremely limited.
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Sustainability compass: guide
3 Characteristics of the sustainabiltiy compass
The sustainability compass was developed from a combination of a top-down (systematic
classification of sustainability indicators) and a bottom-up (synthesis of known indicators) approach. The upper levels – «sustainability dimensions» and «target areas» – provide an analytical framework that allows for a systematic classification based directly on the Swiss conception of sustainable development2) The actual criteria used for the evaluation are the indicators. They have been selected in such a way that they characterise the individual target
areas as precisely as possible. In practice, in individual cases not all indicators for the project
in question have the same importance. In order for different projects to be as directly comparable as possible, the individual indicators should be replaced only with great caution. Nevertheless, each time the compass is used, it is recommended that the suitability of the given
indicators in relation to the project in question and the level of evaluation be considered, as
well as whether certain indicators should be replaced. The total number of indicators must
not be changed, however.
Figure 1: Hierarchical structure of the sustainability compass
The target areas have basically been taken from a national project entitled «Key indicators for
the sustainable development of towns and cantons». The sustainability compass includes a
more detailed list of target areas, however, with a view to obtaining a clearer picture of the
impacts of the project in question.
The following points are important to ensure correct use of the sustainability compass:
2)
Swiss federal constitution of 18 December 1998; Strategy for Sustainable Development 2002, Swiss Federal Council, 27
March 2002, see also Appendix 1
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Sustainability compass: guide
•
The overall evaluation of a project is made up of three equal parts comprising the three
sustainability dimensions; «environment» includes 13 target areas, «economy» 13 and
«society» 17. The mean indicator value is the value for the corresponding target area. The
value for the sustainability dimension is obtained from the mean of the corresponding target areas.
•
The sustainability compass is a qualitative tool. It evaluates the effects of a project in
terms of how it will improve or worsen a situation rather than the absolute contribution it
will make.
•
The compass does not claim to examine the complex interaction between the individual
indicators.
4 Carrying out the evaluation
The sustainability compass is an easy-to-use Excel tool. An introductory sheet explains how
a project can be evaluated. The following points are essential:
•
The project is assessed using the «Input» sheet of the Excel tool. On this sheet scores
are to be entered against the various indicators according to the points scale.
•
Five boxes are given for each indicator to evaluate the impact of a project. The points
scale for the impact on sustainable development is as follows: very negative
-2, negative -1, neutral 0, positive +1, very positive +2. The appropriate box for each indicator must be ticked according to the user’s assessment.
•
If an indicator is considered not relevant to the project the «0» box should be ticked.
•
Each assessment can be completed by a comment.
•
In order to obtain a complete evaluation, points must be given for all the indicators; otherwise the programme cannot evaluate the upper levels (as means) from the values at
the lowest level. This process of calculating the means is programmed in Excel and is
carried out automatically along the path «indicator» -> «target area» -> «sustainability
dimension» -> «overall evaluation».
•
The result appears on the «Evaluation» sheet of the Excel tool.
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Sustainability compass: guide
5 Evaluation and analysis of the result
Instructions for technical interpretation and evaluation of the results produced by the sustainability compass are given below.
5.1 Technical interpretation of the result
The result of the evaluation is shown in three ways on the evaluation sheet:
•
with a profile of strengths and weaknesses representing the positive and negative impacts of the project in the individual target areas
•
with means for the target areas, the three sustainability dimensions and an overall score
•
with a colour code in form of a traffic light for a quick appraisal of the overall evaluation
Owing to the capability of Excel, in the evaluation diagram showing the profile of
strengths and weaknesses, the bars for the means for the individual target areas are
rounded up/down to quarter units.
The means indicated are used for a transparent aggregation. The scores for the overall
evaluation again range from -2 (extremely negative impact of the project on sustainable
development) to +2 (extremely positive impact).
The colour code of the traffic light is a qualitative indicator for easy interpretation of the overall evaluation: depending on the result, the colour code shown is
green
if the overall score is positive; means for environment, economy and society are zero or positive (denotes: «Project promotes sustainable development check potential for optimization!»);
yellow 
if the overall score is zero or positive; one or two negative means for environment, economy and society (denotes: «Project does not promote sustainable development in all areas revision is required!»);
red
if the overall score is negative (denotes: «Project obstructs sustainable development abandonment or revision!»)
Important:
Users are recommended to apply the sustainability compass only for evaluating projects
where the score sheet shows at least two changes for each dimension, i.e. projects that have
a minimum of observable effects on each of the three dimensions of sustainable development (environment, economy and society).
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Sustainability compass: guide
Example of how the technical interpretation of the result should be effected:
The sustainability evaluation of the sample project «Linking up two ski areas» (fig. 2) reveals negative effects with regard to the environmental dimension for both target areas
such as natural habitat and biodiversity and the environmental media water, soil and air.
The project would have both a positive and a negative impact on the target area economy: it would be a boost to the private sector while the public sector would foot the bill.
Overall, the impact of the project on the economy would be positive. As far as concerns
the social dimension both positive and negative effects can be seen. The target areas of
landscape quality and living conditions would suffer a negative impact while the more
«social» target areas would profit from the project. The overall evaluation of the project to
link two major ski areas is slightly on the negative side, with an overall score of -0.08. For
this reason the colour code of the traffic light is red and the message «Project obstructs
sustainable development! » is shown. The overall score is not an absolute figure but relates to the qualitative scale of -2 (extremely negative impact on sustainable development) to +2 (extremely positive impact on sustainable development). The project should
therefore not be promoted from the point of view of sustainable development.
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Sustainability compass: guide
Figure 2: Example of how to interpret the result of the evaluation: Linking up two ski areas
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Sustainability compass: guide
5.2 Interpretation of the content of the result
The result of an evaluation using the sustainability compass should always be checked from
the point of view of plausibility. In this respect the following questions in particular should be
asked:
•
Does the overall result correspond to what was expected intuitively? If this is not the
case, examining the result more closely, what is the reason for this deviation? Does
closer examination confirm the analysis or the intuitive expectations?
•
Have the correct indicators to allow for a complete picture of the project been used?
Should the set of indicators be modified?
•
Are the indicators consistent with each other and plausible? Please note: certain indicators are not independent of each other. For example, projects that will reduce the consumption of energy will normally also lead to a reduction in air pollution.
•
Is the evaluation of the indicators well founded (sufficient specialist knowledge) and well
balanced (objective)?
Example of how the content of the result should be interpreted:
The indicators provide a comprehensive picture for the example «Linking up two ski areas»
(Fig. 2) as well as showing the major effects of the project.
The example shown in Figure 2 indicates that the water regime will be disturbed, land-use
will be increased, the consumption of energy and natural resources will rise, biodiversity will
be reduced, the quality of the natural habitat, the soil, water, air and energy will be affected
and the emission of green-house gases will rise. With the exclusively negative impact of the
project on the environmental dimension the aggregated score for this dimension – namely 0.67 – is clearly negative. The score for the economic dimension shows that the project will
be a financial burden on public funds, although higher income from taxes can be expected.
On the other hand, the private sector will enjoy a positive effect with investments, the creation of new jobs and a general boost to the local economy. Overall, the impact on the economic dimension is positive with an aggregated score of +0.27. The effects with regard to the
social dimension are mixed. On the one hand the quality of the social environment (landscape, living conditions) will fall, whereas, on the other, the project would be advantageous
for the social target areas of health, security, inclusion, integration, community and supraregional cooperation as well as outdoor leisure facilities. Overall, the impact on the social dimension is positive with an aggregated score of +0.15.
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Sustainability compass: guide
The overall evaluation of the indicators for the example «Linking up two ski areas» is negative. The verdict is therefore that, from the point of view of sustainable development, the project should not be promoted.
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Sustainability compass: guide
Appendices
A1 The conception of sustainable development in Switzerland
The conception of sustainable development that is generally accepted in Switzerland has
been developed from basic documents issued by the United Nations, in particular the socalled Brundtland Report and documents drawn up at the corresponding UN conferences.
The best known definition and objective of sustainable development has been provided by
the Brundtland Commission:
« Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.»
For Switzerland the conception of sustainable development has been specified at priority
level in the federal constitution and further developed in the Federal Council’s Sustainable
Development Strategy 2002. Federal constitution:
Preamble:
«… being mindful of our responsibility towards creation, in renewing our alliance to
strengthen liberty and democracy, independence and peace in solidarity and openness
towards the world, determined, with mutual respect and recognition, to live our diversity in
unity, conscious of our common achievements and our responsibility towards future generations…»
Article 2 Purpose
(2) «The Swiss Federation promotes common welfare, sustainable development, inner
cohesion, and cultural diversity of the country. »
(4) «It strives to safeguard the long-term preservation of natural resources and to promote
a just and peaceful international order. »
Article 73 Sustainable development
«The Federation and the Cantons shall strive to establish a durable equilibrium between
nature, in particular its capacity to renew itself, and its use by man. »
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Sustainability compass: guide
In the Federal Council’s strategy, the three basic principles of the conception of sustainable
development are defined as follows:
•
Comprehensive, balanced consideration for the environment, the economy and the society
•
Consideration for the interests of future generations (intergenerational solidarity)
ƒ
Consideration for the interests of all the peoples of the planet (intragenerational solidarity)
Figure 3: Basic principles of the conception of sustainable development in Switzerland
This can be expressed by the above diagram. The areas where the circles overlap indicate
that the three dimensions of sustainable development frequently overlap, and that the environment, the economy and society are intertwined.
In its strategy, the Federal Council established the aims of sustainable development in five
target areas each for the environment, the economy and society. It spreads the themes of
the main target areas in the three dimensions environment, economy and society where sector development is important.
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Sustainability compass: guide
The target areas
Environment
En1. Natural habitats and biodiversity are to be preserved.
En2. The consumption of renewable resources is to be kept below the level of regeneration.
En3. The consumption of non-renewable resources is to be kept below the level of
the potential increase in renewable resources.
En4. Any impact of emissions and toxic substances on the natural environment and
human health is to be reduced to a safe level.
Economy
En5. The impact of environmental disasters is to be reduced and environmental risks
are to be accepted only to the extent that no permanent damage would be
caused.
Ec1. Levels of income and employment are to be maintained or increased as required with due consideration being given to socially and geographically acceptable distribution.
Ec2. Productive capital (social and human capital) should be at least maintained, or
qualitatively improved.
Ec3. Economic competitiveness and innovative capacity are to be improved.
Ec4. Market mechanisms should be the primary economic determinants with due
consideration being given to scarcity factors and external costs.
Society
Ec5. The public sector is not to be managed at the expense of future generations.
S1.
Health and safety are to be comprehensively protected and promoted.
S2.
Education is to be provided, ensuring individual development and identity.
S3.
Culture is to be promoted, together with the preservation and development of
the social values and resources that constitute social capital.
S4.
Law and order, legal security, gender equality, protection of racial minorities
and human rights are to be guaranteed.
S5.
Solidarity is to be promoted within and between the generations as well as at a
global level.
Table 1: Target areas for sustainable development according to the Federal Council’s 2002
strategy
If all the aims of sustainable development were compatible, i.e. if they did not conflict at all, it
would be a simple objective to achieve. Sustainable development is not a harmonising concept, however. The core problem concerning sustainable development is to correctly identify
the partly contradictory aims and interests regarding the three dimensions environment,
economy and society, and to achieve a balance of interests. Two basic attitudes can be assumed in this respect which are both based on the so-called capital stock model, each of the
three sustainability dimensions environment, society and economy being understood as capital stock:
• Strong sustainability
means that no reductions are allowed in the capital stock of any of the three dimensions.
• Weak sustainability
means that a single capital stock may decrease as long as the sum of all three capital
stocks does not decrease.
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Sustainability compass: guide
In the opinion of the Federal Council both concepts are not realistic or desirable. The Council
thus implicitly provided a definition of the «Weak sustainability plus» category. Basically weak
sustainability is allowed, but only within defined, non-negotiable limits that may not be exceeded or undercut respectively.
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Sustainability compass: guide
A2 List of indicators
Environment
Water regime
Reduction of water consumption
Reduction of volume of waste water
Water quality
Reduction of concentration of pollutants
Reduction of concentration of nutrients
Reduction of microbiological pollution
Land use
Reduction of sealing of soil surface
Reduction of residential floor area per inhabitant
Increase in settlement concentration (growth within existing built-up areas)
Reduction of soil erosion
Soil quality
Reduction of concentration of pollutants
Reduction of concentration of nutrients
Reduction of soil compaction
Consumption of raw materials: turnover of ressources
Reduction of volume of waste
Reduction of material consumption
Consumption of raw materials: recycling
Increased recycling and re-use of materials
Increased recycling of organic waist (from yards and kitchens)
Quality of materials
Increase in ratio of renewable resources to overall consumption of raw materials
Increase in ratio of materials and products low in harmful substances
Biodiversity
Improvement in the habitats of rare and threatened species
Improvement and precautionary protection of the habitats of common species
Improvement in the quality of flowing and surface waters
Nature areas
Increase in share of near-natural areas
Improved quality of near-natural areas
Air quality
Reduction of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions
Reduction of respirable dust (PM10) emissions
Reduction of ozone emissions
Climate
Reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
Reduction of emissions of other greenhouse gases (e.g. methane, nitrous oxide)
Energy consumption
Reduction of stationary energy consumption
Reduction of energy consumption by traffic
Increase of energy efficiency in stationary consumption
Increase of energy efficiency in traffic
Energy quality
Increase in ratio of renewable energy to overall energy consumption
Increase in ratio of domestic energy to overall energy consumption
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Sustainability compass: guide
Economy
Income
Increase in average wage level
Increase in average disposable income
Cost of living
Reduction of prices of consumer goods
Reduction of price for accommodation
Labour market
Creation of new jobs
Reduction of unemployment rate
Investment: new investment
Expansion of local infrastructure (transport, telecommunications, energy, water, etc.)
Investment: maintaining value
Investment in maintenance and replacement of local infrastructure
Promotion of economic development
Improvement of general conditions for trade and industry: support and advisory services, networking and contacts, etc.
Improved availability of childcare facilities
Cost internalisation
Fairer charging to causers (e.g. adjusting fees to effective costs / causer pays principle)
Better compensation for central services provided by cities
Resource efficiency
Increase in regional cooperation (with suppliers, cooperating partners, etc.)
Reduction of transport intensity (transport per GDP)
Improvement in product life
Improvement in utilization ratio of public infrastructure
Economic structure
Increase in the number of companies creating high added value
Increase in the mix of industries / branches
Improvement of taking advantage of local / regional features
Tax burden
Reduction of tax burden on legal persons
Reduction of tax burden on natural persons
Public sector
Reduction of budget deficit
Reduction of debts
More efficient and effective application of public resources
Increase in tax revenues
Know-how
Expansion of opportunities for professional training
Increase in employees’ qualifications
Improved access to information
Innovation
Increase in innovative products and services
Promotion of research and development
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Sustainability compass: guide
Society
Quality of the landscape
Improvement of quality of natural landscapes
Improvement of quality of man-made landscapes
Living quality
Reduction of traffic noise
Reduction of noise from other sources (industry, commerce, etc.)
Reduction of non-ionising radiation (electrosmog)
Reduction of offensive smells
Quality of built up areas
Improvement of local recreation areas (e.g. parks in residential areas)
Increase in share of people living in village or town centres
Improved quality of settlement areas (e.g. quality of urban construction, pleasantness)
Expansion of pedestrian precincts and zones with traffic restrictions
Improved protection of cultural monuments
Shopping facilities and services
Improved shopping facilities for convenience goods
Improved shopping facilities for specialty goods
Improved supply of services (healthcare, financial services, telecommunication etc.)
Mobility
Increase in share of population who live and work in the same place
Increase in attractiveness and use of public transport
Increase in attractiveness and use of human powered mobility
Reduction of travelling time or distance
Health
Improvement of health promotion or disease prevention
Improvement of psycho-social well-being
Improvement of public health
Increase in health promoting physical training
Reduction of consumption of narcotics
Security
Increase in general feeling of security among the population
Reduction of punishable offences and violent crimes
Reduction of accidents (traffic, workplace, domestic)
Improvement in emergency services
Improvement in security of supply (food, water, energy etc.)
Improvement in protection against natural disasters
Reduction of the risk of incidents
Participation
Increase in number of active voters
Promotion of voluntary work
Promotion of active participation of local population
Integration
Improved integration of unemployed people
Improved integration of old, sick and handicapped people
Improved integration of aliens
Improved integration of marginal groups
Improved integration of young people with behavioural problems
Community
Promotion of local culture
Promotion of encounter and dialogue
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Society (continued)
Distribution of income and wealth
Reduction of differences in income
Reduction of share of working poor
Equal opportunities
Improvement of equal opportunities between various population groups (e.g. gender equality)
Supra-regional cooperation
Improvement of cooperation with or financial commitment for other regions in industrialised countries
Improvement of cooperation with or financial commitment for other regions in developing or emerging countries
Leisure
Increase in range of sports facilities
Increase in range of youth centres
Increase in range of other leisure activities
Culture
Increase in the range of cultural events
Increased protection and promotion of cultural diversity
Increased promotion of cultural activities
Strengthening of cultural heritage (e.g. traditions)
Education
Improvement with regard to compulsory schooling
Improvement with regard to non-compulsory schooling
Improvement with regard to apprenticeship and training places
Improvement with regard to adult education and non-professional courses
Social security
Improvement in provisions of homes for old people, handicapped persons etc.
Improvement in provisions of out-patient facilities
Improvement in provisions to cover social risks
Reduction of the number of beneficiaries of social welfare and pensions for disabled
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