Indicators and SEA: Chinese and European Experiences and Guidance

Jingjing Gao, Lone Kørnøv, Per Christensen

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Abstract

Abstract: Indicators are widely used in SEA to measure, communicate and monitor impacts from a proposed policy, plan or programme, and can improve the effectiveness for the SEA by simplifying the complexity of both assessment and presentation. Indicators can be seen as part of the implementation process helping to understand, communicate and, integrate important environmental issues in planning and decision-making. On the other hand, use of indicators can also limit SEA effectiveness, if the ones chosen are biased or limited, if the aggregation gives incorrect interpretation and if the information requirement for different target groups is not addressed.

Indicators are widely used in SEA to measure, communicate and monitor impacts from a proposed policy, plan or programme, and can improve the effectiveness for the SEA by simplifying the complexity of both assessment and presentation. Indicators can be seen as part of the implementation process helping to understand, communicate and, integrate important environmental issues in planning and decision-making. On the other hand, use of indicators can also limit SEA effectiveness, if the ones chosen are biased or limited, if the aggregation gives incorrect interpretation and if the information requirement for different target groups is not addressed.

The paper firstly considers Chinese experience with use of indicators in SEA and secondly presents a comparative study of national systems and guidelines. The study takes a point of departure in the Chinese system, and compares this to Great Britain and Denmark. Great Britain represents a centrally guided SEA indicator system, while Denmark represent a SEA tradition with no formal indicator system in place.

The paper explores and identifies the challenges and opportunities in using indicators in Chinese SEA: insufficient in indentifying the social and economical issues; difficulties in practice due to the low availability of data and availability of information. There is space for improving the Chinese SEA system especially when it comes to treating and using indictors in a process as well as in communicative perspective.

Developing indicators is both a political and professional process, and the paper finally discuss the need of selection criteria mentioned in the guidelines, and also gives some ideas on how to tackle the development of indicators being explicit about it both as a political and a professional process.

Original languageEnglish
Publication date2010
Number of pages12
Publication statusPublished - 2010
EventIAIA10 Conference: Transitioning to the Green Economy - Geneva, Switzerland
Duration: 6 Apr 201011 Apr 2010

Conference

ConferenceIAIA10 Conference: Transitioning to the Green Economy
Country/TerritorySwitzerland
CityGeneva
Period06/04/201011/04/2010
  • IAIA10

    Jingjing Gao (Speaker)

    6 Apr 201011 Apr 2010

    Activity: Talks and presentationsConference presentations

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