全球智库信息集成服务系统

Measuring and monitoring as well as communicating on progress in the context of European and national resource policy (in particular ProgRess) requires comprehensive and robust material input and consumption indicators. Several different methods have already been developed that quantify direct and indirect (material extractions in export countries needed to produce imported goods) material flows. However, the different methods used for and the data basis underlying the indicator calculations lack harmonization, which renders the calculation results less comparable and less robust. The report is available for download.

By means of literature review, guideline-based expert interviewing and expert workshops, we (i) first analysed existing methods and data for calculating comprehensive indicators. We used the findings to (ii) then develop concrete approaches for further methodological development and harmonization of calculation methods and existing data bases, which were finally (iii) translated into a concept for the implementation of the approaches developed. Our project results show that harmonizing methods and data basis (e.g. input-output tables or trade data) is key in order to reduce variance of results, to increase timeliness and disaggragetability of indicators and hence foster acceptance of those indicators among statistical offices and policy makers. Driving forward harmonization requires political support to step-up supranational exchange and coordination within relevant networks of actors. This, in turn, necessitates to define and clarify the roles and responsibilities of institutions such as OECD and Eurostat and to elaborate a roadmap for concerted and concrecte next steps.