DECOIN: Development and Comparison of Sustainability Indicators

Development and Comparison of Sustainability Indicators

http://www.decoin.eu        

SIXTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME SSP PRIORITY
Integrating and strengthening the Εuropean Research Area, scientific support to policies

Specific Targeted Research Project

Duration: 2007-2009

Scientific Responsible: Prof. Maria Giaoutzi (E-mail: giaoutsi@central.ntua.gr)

The Project Objectives

The DECOIN project deals with sustainable development indicators and the methodology of ana¬lyzing inter-linkages between different trends in the EU. The DECOIN project contributes to the research towards a sustainable European knowledge society through the development of the EU framework of Sustainable Development Indicators. Through the methodological work concerning the analytical frameworks the project will help the EU and its Member States to better observe the trends in relation to the different dimensions of sustainability. The very broad societal relevance of the overall research topic is exceptional and so the project will play an important role in serving the society as a whole.

- To find out the possibilities and most promising ways to develop the methodologies and data quality of the “best-needed” sustainability indicators.

- To evaluate the existing methods in order to assess (i) the progress towards sustainable development, (ii) the elaboration of forecasts on the basis of available scenarios, and (iii) the identification of inter-relationships such as synergies and trade-offs between selected unsustainable trends defined in the EU Sustainable Development Strategy.

- To carry out a detailed analysis on the inter-relationships between selected unsustainable trends and to provide a tool for the analysis. The aim is to develop a tool which is easy to use and provides the required results of the analyses in an understandable and comprehensive form for monitoring purposes and decision-making.

Partners

1. Turku School of Economics, Finland Futures Research Centre (Adj. Prof. Dr. Jyrki Luukkanen, Finland) (Project Leader)
2. University of Siena, Department of Chemistry, Energy and Environment Research Unit (Prof. Dr. Sergio Ulgiati, Italy)
3. National Technical University of Athens, Department of Geography and Regional Planning (Prof. Dr. Maria Giaoutzi, Greece)
4. National Institute of Research on Food and Nutrition (Director, Dr. Mario Giampietro, Italy)
5. Statistics Finland