Measuring Sustainability program
Sustainable Australia Report 2013
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FUTURE
Sustainability indicators for Australia
Sustainability requires that the wellbeing of society - the combination of community liveability, environmental sustainability and economic prosperity - is maintained or improved over time. Measuring sustainability is about monitoring how each of these is tracking over time. Put another way, it is about measuring our stocks of social and human, natural and economic 'capital' and ensuring that the resources inherited by future generations allow for the same (or greater) levels of wellbeing as enjoyed by Australians today.
As part of the Measuring Sustainability program, the Australian Government has developed a set of sustainability indicators for Australia that will provide information about our:
- social and human capital (skills and education; health; employment; security; institutions, governance and community engagement)
- natural capital (climate and atmosphere; land, ecosystems and biodiversity; natural resources; water; waste)
- economic capital (wealth and income; housing; transport and infrastructure; productivity and innovation).
The sustainability indicators have been designed to reflect both stocks (quantity and quality of resources) and flows (uses or drivers of change in stocks) of social and human, natural and economic capital.
The National Sustainability Council will produce public reports against the indicators every two years. The reports will highlight key trends and emerging issues across the dimensions of sustainability to support decision-making and planning by governments, business and communities across Australia.
Development of the sustainability indicators for Australia
The development of broader-based and more effective measures of progress and sustainability is a subject of considerable and growing effort, both domestically and internationally. For example, the United Nations, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and several other countries have significant programs underway. A number of community and local government organisations in Australia are also active in this area.
The development of Australia's sustainability indicators has taken into account domestic and international best practice, and has included consultation with state and local governments, academic and research institutions, business and industry, and non-government and community organisations.
National level data can mask important differences in the way sustainability issues play out in different communities. However, there are often constraints around the availability of data at more local levels. The sustainability indicators will provide information at the most appropriate level according to the available data. The National Sustainability Council will provide advice on potential improvements to the data underpinning the indicator set over time.
Set of sustainability indicators for Australia
The set of sustainability indicators for Australia comprises:
- headline indicators, divided into themes, to provide information on key sustainability issues
- supplementary indicators for each theme, to provide additional information and support a more detailed understanding of the issues represented in the headline indicators
- cross-cutting, contextual indicators covering key demographic information.
The set of sustainability indicators for Australia (headline and supplementary) consists of the following:
| Type of Capital | Theme | Indicator* |
|---|---|---|
| Social and Human Capital |  Skills and Education |
Educational attainment Primary education (literacy and numeracy) Early development Research and development |
 Health |
Self-reported physical health Life expectancy Mental health Smoking Obesity |
|
 Institutions, Governance and Community Engagement |
Level of trust in core institutions Volunteering Cultural activity attendance Participation in sport Community engagement by persons with a disability |
|
 Employment |
Under-employment Unemployment Hours worked Employment to population ratio |
|
 Security |
Feelings of safety Incidence of personal crime Incidence of household crime |
|
| Natural Capital |  Climate and Atmosphere |
Air quality Greenhouse gas emissions Observed climate change Energy intensity Carbon stored in the landscape |
 Land, Ecosystems and Biodiversity |
Extent of native vegetation Ground cover Ecosystem protection (protected areas) |
|
 Water |
Water quality Water consumption Water availability to meet demand |
|
 Waste |
Waste disposed to landfill Recycling rate |
|
 Natural Resources |
Fish stocks Timber resources Mineral and fossil fuel reserves |
|
| Economic Capital |  Wealth and Income |
Household net worth Income disparity Financial stress |
 Housing |
Housing supply Housing affordability |
|
 Transport and Infrastructure |
Vehicle and passenger kilometres travelled Travel time to work Mode of transport to work Broadband internet connections |
|
 Productivity and Innovation |
Productivity Business innovation |
* - bold denotes a headline indicator.
The contextual indicators covering key demographic information are:
| Topic | Indicator |
|---|---|
| Population | Population size Population density Gender and age profile |
| Cultural Diversity | Proficiency in spoken English Indigenous population Country of birth |
| Regional Migration | International migration Domestic migration |
| Land Use | Land use change |
