Measuring Progress

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have elevated the profile of the environmental dimension of development – and how we monitor this dimension. For 68 per cent of the environment-related SDGs indicators, there is currently not enough data to assess progress. However, there have been improvements in reclassifying data from Tier III to Tier II or I between the original classification in 2016 and May 2019– with the percent of environment-related Tier III indicators dropping from 50% to 28% (UN, 2016). It is expected that the efforts to measure the SDGs will improve data availability for the SDG indicators, which will allow better analysis of the global progress toward specific SDG targets and indicators.

The second version of the Measuring Progress publication will aim to align with the next UN Environment Assembly in February 2021. The publication will focus on the relationship between the SDGs and nature based actions. For this a broad definition of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) will be used. This definition is defined as actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore ecosystems in a way which produces well-being and biodiversity benefits. This publication will aim to demonstrate the relationship between protection, management and restoration and well-being and biodiversity, using the SDG indicators as the basis. The SDG indicator framework includes indicators related to protection (e.g. SDG 14.5.1, 15.1.2 and 15.4.1), management (e.g. SDG 14.2.1, 15.2.1 and 6.5.1), restoration (e.g. 6.6.1, 15.1.1 and 15.3.1); as well as indicators related to well-being (including human health, food security, disasters and climate change and economic and social development) and to biodiversity (including endangered species and air, fresh water and marine water quality).