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Volume 1
Number 2
31 July 2005
PLATFORM NEWS
Seminar "Indicators Socio-economic Inequalities in Health": Brussels, 10 June 2005
On the 10th of June 2005, the Platform organised the sixth and last seminar in its cycle "From Gothenborg to Lisbon" on the priorities idenitifed in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. The focus of the seminar was "Indicators to measure socio-economic inequalities in health in the context of sustainable development. Examples and problems encountered in Belgium; challenges for health policies". An introductory note, the presentations and a report of the seminar and the debate can be downloaded here 
.
BELGIAN NEWS
Public institutions
Federal Council Sustainable Development's Advice on Framework Text for a National Strategy Sustainable Development
In spring 2005 the Secretary of State Els Van Weert commissioned an advice from the Federal Council for Sustainable Development (FCSD) about the framework text for a National Strategy Sustainable Development. In its advice the FCSD, emphasises the importance of the development of national sustainable development indicators. (in Dutch) and (in French)
Vlaamse Regionale Indicatoren (VRIND) 2004/2005
On the 17th of June, the Administratie Planning en Statistiek published its annual report on Flemish Regional Indicators, de Vlaamse Regionale Indicatoren (VRIND). The report gives an overview of the activities and results of the Flemish government, as well as an analysis of the social, cultural, economic and demographic evolution and situation in Flanders on the basis of indicators.
Research institutes and other
Institut pour un Développement Durable Publication on Global Income Distribution Indicators
The latest issue of the bimonthly publication "Indicateurs pour un Développement Durable" of the Institut pour un Développement Durable (IDD) focuses on indicateurs to measure income distribution at the global scale. In 1992 the "Human Development Report" of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) paid specific attention to the global income distribution. The IDD gives an update of this analysis in its publication. (in French).
L'Union Wallonne des Entreprises: Corporate Social Responsibility
On 17 June 2005, the Union Wallonne des Entreprises (UWE) launched a new instrument which allows companies to measure their own progress towards sustainable development. The instrument has already been tested by 59 companies for two years. Companies who wish to carry out this assessment, have to fill in values on 15 social, economic and ecological indicators on the website. On the basis of these indicators an aggregated sustainable development index is provided.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Public institutions
UNEP Publication "One Planet, Many People: Atlas of Our Changing Environment"
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in cooperation with the NASA, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the University of Maryland published this atlas in June 2005. The atlas consists of satellite images, graphics and text about environmental changes resulting from natural processes and human-induced activities. The focus is on the status and trends over several decades, both in physical and human geography.
World Bank Publication on Indicators to Measure Empowerment
In February 2005 the World Bank published the policy research working paper "Measuring Empowerment in Practice: Structuring Analysis and Framing Indicators" (authors: Ruth Alsop & Nina Heinsohn). This paper presents an analytic framework that can be used to measure and monitor empowerment processes and outcomes. The measuring empowerment (ME) framework can be used to measure empowerment at both the intervention level and the country level, as a part of poverty or governance monitoring. The paper argues that the extent to which a person is empowered is influenced by personal agency and opportunity structure. A number of indicators are suggested to measure these.
World Bank Publication "Little Green Data Book 2005"
The Little Green Data Book is an annual publication of the World Bank and is based on the World Development Indicators, 2005. It gives a quick reference on key environmental data. Each page corresponds to one country. The presentation of country data provides a baseline for comparison with regional and income group averages. Under the headings of agriculture, forests, biodiversity, energy, emissions and pollution, water and sanitation, and 'greener' national accounts, the Little Green data Book presents 47 indicators of the environment and its relationship to people for more than 200 countries.
World Health Organization Publication "World Health Statistics 2005"
In July 2005 the World Health Organization (WHO) published it's annual World Health Statistics.
This publication focuses on a basic set of health indicators that were selected on the basis of current availability and quality of data and include the majority of health indicators that have been selected for monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Research institutes and other
Advance Social Watch Report 2005
Social Watch is an international watchdog NGO network monitoring poverty eradication and gender inequality. Every year it publishes the Social Watch Report which evaluates the follow up of internationally agreed commitments on poverty eradication and equality. The edition of 2005 will be published in September, shortly before the meeting of world leaders, to assess the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals. In preparation of the edition of 2005, the Social Watch published an Advance Social Watch Report. On the basis of a variety of indicators the report assesses the progress towards the MDG's.
Earth Policy Institute: Eco-Economy Indicators
The Earth Policy Institute (EPI) publishes regularly new indicators to assess the progress towards an "eco-economy". Indicators can be found on this link , while more information about the "eco-economy" is available on this page of the EPI-website .
World Wildlife Fund Publication "Europe 2005. The Ecological Footprint"
In June 2005, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published a report in which the ecological footprint of the 25 EU-countries has been measured.
Publication of Lee McCormack "The sustainable economic product: a way to measure and compare national sustainable development"
Lee Mc Cormack of the Canadian Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Ottowa, advances a new approach to the measurement of sustainable development in an article in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation (Vol. 20, No 1, pp. 149-157).
Publication of Patrick McAlpine & Andrew Birnie "Is there a correct way of establishing sustainability indicators? The case of sustainability indicator development on the Island of Guernsey"
Patrick McAlpine and Andrew Birnie use the case of developing sustainability indicators on the Island of Guernsey over the last three years to show that "Agenda 21's call to activate grassroots action is being realised, but in ways that are neither top-down and modernist in approach nor bottom-up and postmodernist as Agenda 21 advocates." The article appeared in Local Environment (Vol. 10, No. 3, pp. 243-257).
France: Survey about the Attitudes towards and Knowledge of Sustainable Development
In May 2005, the French survey institute Louis Harris carried out a survey among 1004 French people about their attitudes towards, and knowledge about sustainable development. The survey was commissioned by the Club de Réflexion Marketing sur le Développement Durable (RmD2) and is only available in French.
The Netherlands: Dutch Sustainability Research Publication on Corporate Social Responsibility
In June 2005, Dutch Sustainability Research published an analysis of the sustainability performance of Dutch companies which are quoted on the stock exchange. The report "Duurzaam Ondernemen bij AEX-bedrijven. Een studie naar maatschappelijke verantwoord ondernemen bij beursgenoteerde ondernemingen in Nederland" is published annually. (only available in Dutch)
PETUS Conference: Cardiff (Wales, UK), 15-16 September 2005
The Practical Evaluation Tool for Urban Sustainability (PETUS) project is funded by the European Commission within the EU 5th framework Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development programme, key action “City of Tomorrow & Cultural heritage”. It involves cross disciplinary experience of eight partners from different countries across Europe. The aim of the project is to help those involved in all different types of urban infrastructure projects or plans to make quick but informed decisions on incorporating sustainability into urban infrastructure. The conference in September will present research findings and practical experiences of incorporating sustainability into urban infrastructure from experts in the energy , waste, water/ sewage , transport , green/blue sectors together with those with cross disciplinary expertise.
Environmental Accounting and Sustainable Development Indicators Conference: Prague (Czech Rep.), 26-27 Sept. 2005
The conference is organised by the Jan Evangelista Purkyne University in Usti nad Labem and Charles University – Environment Center in Prague.
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