Environmental Enforcement Indicators

Report Title: Toward Data Driven Environmentalism: The Environmental Sustainability Index
Source: The Environmental Law Reporter News and Analysis, Environmental Law Institute
Author: Daniel C. Esty
Web Link: Environmental Law Institute

Date of report review: September 6, 2001

Report notes:

• In this article Daniel Esty reviews the Pilot Environmental Sustainability Index. Esty says to forward the environmental sustainability decisions need to be based on data and analysis. Specifically Esty comments, “that at the heart of any shift toward more systematic environmental decisionmaking lies a need for reliable environmental “indicators” or “metrics.” Overall, Esty gives the PESI a favorable review.

• The Corruptions Perception Index (1 of 3 variables within the Public Choice Failures factor of the Social and Institutional Capacity component) has the highest correlation with the overall ESI. Esty notes this relationship may serve as a proxy for other factors such as the respect for jurisdictional laws that are designed to shape environmental results.

• The ESI can show that the level of economic development shapes the capacity to address environmental threats. (One of three primary conclusions identified in the PESI is that “by comparing the PESI with the Economic Competitiveness Index and other measures of economic performance, it is possible to shed light on debates over the degree to which economic and environmental objectives are in conflict. Our analysis suggests that decisions of how vigorously to pursue environmental sustainability and of how vigorously to pursue economic growth are in fact two separate choices. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that high levels of environmental protection are compatible with, or possibly even encourage, high levels of economic growth, though they do not prove it.”

• That using best practices from environmental leaders can lead slacker countries to environmental progress. However, to successfully employ best practices from one country to another likeness in economic performance standards must be considered.

• Environmental indicators need to be collected at all jurisdictional levels like national, state, municipal, etc. Esty notes the main weakness with the ESI is the lack of available data for analysis.

* In the ELR article Esty states that there are 67 variables evaluated in the PESI, however, the PESI states that there are only 64.

Suggested initiatives: n/a