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Possibilities of Measuring Sustainable Development—Selected Aspects

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Experimental and Quantitative Methods in Contemporary Economics (CMEE 2018)

Part of the book series: Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics ((SPBE))

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Abstract

A developed system of indicators and measurement methods, both quantitative and qualitative, has fundamental importance for the possibilities of observation and implementation of a concept and pursuing its objectives and principles. The same applies in the case of sustainable development. An assessment of processes involving sustainable development is usually carried out with the use of indicators as well as qualitative and quantitative methods. This paper focuses on theoretical aspects and a general presentation of issues concerning the measurement of sustainable development. The aim of the paper is to show the diversity and complexity of measuring sustainable development (indicators, quantitative and qualitative methods) and to indicate difficulties associated with measuring it. The paper’s layout is dictated by the implementation of this aim. The paper presents the theoretical basis of measuring sustainable development, after which various possibilities of measuring sustainable development are characterized and the difficulties associated with measuring thereof are pointed out. Quantitative and qualitative methods for the assessment of the course of sustainable development are pointed out.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Of the three dimensions of sustainable development, the environmental dimension was identified the earliest. Then, the time came for the social and economic dimensions. It was them that were the main subject of discussion in the report “Our Common Future”. Over the years, the discussion was clearly reduced to two main themes: environmental and economic. Very little focus was given to the social dimension. In the literature, apart from the above-mentioned division into three basic dimensions of sustainable development, there are also more complex divisions, e.g. one can also encounter, i.e. ethical, technical, legal, political or spatial orders.

  2. 2.

    Towards the 1980s, environmental economist Jack Pezzey identified over 60 definitions of SD [34], in the next decade Michael Jacobs established as many as 386 definitions [30].

  3. 3.

    For example, planning an energy project requires a different approach (where the period of at least 30 years needs to be taken into account) to an approach taken when making financial transactions, when it is seconds that decide about a large loss or profit.

  4. 4.

    The term indicator was first used by an American sociologist Dodd [15] in his work.

  5. 5.

    P (Causes/Determinants)—indicators of causes (origins of the state, factors, determinants, premises, correlates) of a specific phenomenon,

    S (States/Syndromes)—indicators of states or syndromes of a specified phenomenon often expanded by indicators of consequences (R—Results),

    R (Responses)—indicators of response which can also be called indicators of preventive action.

  6. 6.

    The description of the OECD indicators is included in the OECD work [13].

  7. 7.

    The D–P–S–I–R model is often used by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Human Capital Management, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland

    Ewa Mazur-Wierzbicka

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  1. Ewa Mazur-Wierzbicka
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Correspondence to Ewa Mazur-Wierzbicka .

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  1. Faculty of Economics and Management, Institute of IT in Management, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland

    Kesra Nermend

  2. Faculty of Economics and Management, Institute of IT in Management, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland

    Małgorzata Łatuszyńska

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Mazur-Wierzbicka, E. (2020). Possibilities of Measuring Sustainable Development—Selected Aspects. In: Nermend, K., Łatuszyńska, M. (eds) Experimental and Quantitative Methods in Contemporary Economics. CMEE 2018. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30251-1_3

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