sustainable development 20 years on from the ... - José Eli da Veiga

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Within the framework of their environmental information systems, countries should take steps
towards consolidating methods and mechanisms for periodic reporting on the impact of industrial
activities by both private and public enterprises. In that regard, pollutant release and transfer registers
(PRTRs) must continue to be kept and should be easily accessible to the general public.
As mentioned in chapter III, in the past two decades, visible progress has been made in terms of
technologies that could contribute to environmental protection. However, these technologies have yet to
be applied in much of the region, mainly owing to a lack of resources and technical capacity. In this area
international cooperation is fundamental.
(b)
Enhance the integration of economic, social and environmental information systems
In parallel with the recommendations under guideline 2, it is fundamental to create or strengthen
information systems and indicators that cover the three pillars of <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>. From
indicators that decouple economic activity from environmental implications, to integrated environmental
and economic accounts systems, to <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> indicator systems, there are numerous tools
that should be developed and put to use in support of public policy.
The information systems on natural disasters and the potential impacts of climate change must be
supplied with constantly updated economic, social and environmental information. For example,
historical records of losses and damage caused by disasters (the direct consequence of vulnerable
conditions, exposure and environmental degradation) help to establish a base line for evaluating the
potential impact of climate change in the countries of the region.
(c)
Foster a territorial focus in gathering information for <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>
Urban and subregional or territorial perspectives should be taken into account in the management
of data and indicators. Data for urban agglomerations are scarce (and those that are available are often not
comparable) and most of the established indicators do not reflect urban-quality or local-economy issues
(for instance, local GDP, urban transport, public spaces, security, growth models and urban services).
(d)
Increase human and financial resources to boost the production, processing and
dissemination of environmental and <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> statistics and indicators and
develop awareness-raising strategies to expand their use
Designing <strong>development</strong> and sectoral policies that effectively incorporate the three pillars of
<strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong> requires a solid statistical base that includes demographic and economic data, as
well as information on human settlements and natural and human capital. Where applicable, statistics
should be georeferenced and disaggregated by sex, race, ethnicity and age. Issues such as gender equality
and the empowerment of women —the cornerstones of economic and <strong>sustainable</strong> <strong>development</strong>— need to
be directly reflected in any new measurement system. Key concepts, such as poverty, capital and wealth,
will have to be redefined and new measures and indicators will have to be introduced to capture the
broader, multidimensional sense of those concepts.
As they progress in the generation of statistics, countries must meet the quality criteria laid down
by international standards and constantly strive towards greater statistical harmonization and
reconciliation. Several countries in the region have taken part in statistical conciliation exercises within
the framework of the Millennium Development Goals. 6
6
See ECLAC, Millennium Development Goals in Latin America and the Caribbean [online] http://www.eclac.cl/
mdg/default.asp?idioma=IN.