Carrying out and publishing a multidisciplinary integrated analysis of progress towards the 2030 Agenda

• Measuring Progress: Water-related ecosystems and the SDGs

Today at the half-way point for the SDGs, UNEP is preparing to provide important intelligence on the progress we are making on the environmental dimension. The latest available data and estimates for 92 environment relevant SDG indicators tell us that the world is not on track to achieve the environmental dimension of the SDGs by 2030. However, there is some positive news. Global data availability increased to 59% in 2022, from 34% in 2018 and 42% in 2020. Although only 38% of the environment-related indicators indicate environmental improvement, this is a solid improvement compared to only 28% in 2020. These are only glimpses of the report that informs on: (a) progress on the 92 environment-related SDG indicators, (b) interlinkages analysis between water-related indicators and other economic and social indicators, and (c) using big data and citizen science data to close the data gap.

• Measuring Progress: Environment and the SDGs

UNEP has launched the second version of Measuring Progress entitled Measuring Progress: Environment and the SDGs. It was launched on the international day for biodiversity in May 2021 and the purpose of the publication was to explore the potential and limitations of a statistical correlation analysis between SDG indicator pairs to improve the understanding of interlinkages among the indicators. The publication also informed on progress made for the 92 environment-related SDG indicators as well as identifying gaps and opportunities for data availability among those indicators.

Visibility activities

• High level political forum side event
• Third edition of the international forum on big data for sustainable development goals

Additional Resources

• SDG12 Hub
• Circular Economy: from Indicators and Data to Policy-making
• SCP Hat
• SDG and Environment Statistics Unit

Development of tools and training for capacity building to measure, monitor and report on the environmental dimension of the SDGs delivered in the target countries

Technical Presentations

• Environmental SDG Indicators Online Course

This e-learning course is a self-paced course with individual 10 modules developed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (UNSIAP), and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). This course provides an overview of the importance of monitoring the environmental dimension of development, the linkage with existing statistical frameworks (FDES and SEEA), and how to use environment statistics in decision making. The modules will also provide a brief overview on all 25 SDG indicators under UNEP custodianship. This e-learning course is also available in Russian and in French.

• Economy Wide Material Flow Accounting Online Course

This e-learning course on Economy Wide Material Flow Accounting (EW-MFA) delivers a very comprehensive overview of natural resource extraction, trade in natural resources, waste disposal and emissions. These flow accounts track the environmental pressures resulting from the use of natural resources, and headline indicators based on EW-MFA have been used as a stand-in for the overall environmental pressure and impact of a country's economy. 

• Global Chemicals and Waste Indicator Review Document

The Global Chemicals and Waste Indicator Review Document aims to strengthen the knowledge base of chemicals and hazardous waste and enhance the capacity of selected countries to track progress towards related SDG indicators across sectors. With the purpose of enhancing evidence base as well as the science policy interface, this review document responds to the need for better information to empower decision makers and stakeholders to act and support policy making for sound management of waste to minimize risks to public health and the environment associated with chemicals and hazardous waste. This review document is available in Arabic, English and Russian.

• Global Manual on Economy Wide Material Flow Accounting

MFA data sets and indicators are part of the work programme of a growing number of national statistical offices globally and the global application of EW-MFA accounts in national statistics, beyond Europe, has required the creation of a global guidance manual. This global EW-MFA manual builds on the experience and excellence of the Eurostat accounting guidelines but extends them in several important ways. The global EW-MFA manual presents a modular approach to EW-MFA accounting to allow national statistical offices with different levels of capability in accounting to establish the accounts. It addresses specific issues of resource-extractive economies and subsistence economic activities which are more prevalent in developing countries. The manual favors practicality before detail and focuses on such methods that allow statisticians to capture the important aspects of material throughput in their economy. Additionally, it also aims to establish a connection between the EW-MFA accounts established, and the environmental and economic policy questions that can be informed by using EW-MFA based data sets and indicators.