- Reviewing progress
- Reviewing progress
- Methods
Methods of reviewing progress
The methods used for each of the three indicator sets: international, national and regional are given on individual pages for each indicator set. These describe how data have been collected, presented and assessed.
Where appropriate an explanation of the use of traffic light assessments are given.
Change in methodology
The Defra statistical publication ‘Sustainable Development Indicators in Your Pocket (SDIYP)’ presents and assesses 68 indicators as set out in the UK Government Sustainable development strategy which was launched in 2005.
The publication provides indicator charts, commentary and ‘traffic light’ assessments showing the direction of change.
Two baseline years of 1990 and 1999 have been used previously to summarise the direction of change in the indicator measures, using ‘traffic lights’.
When the two baselines were established in 2005 the aim was that the 1990 baseline would provide a long term assessment of progress, whilst the 1999 baseline would provide an assessment of recent changes. However the 1999 baseline is no longer sufficient for a short term assessment, hence the short term baseline will be revised and progress will be assessed using 2003 as the baseline instead of 1999, whilst still retaining the 1990 baseline.
2003 is the latest year from which it is practicable to make a consistently robust assessment of change across the indicators.
A summary of the traffic lights using the 1999 baseline will be provided as an annex in the publication.
The 2009 publication is scheduled to be published on Defra Sustainable Development website www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/progress/ on 30 July 2009 and also as a hard copy.
Updated: 30 July 2009