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Dear Sust-mar list, Oct. 5 I recently had the opportunity to hear Ron Colman explain the GPI (Genuine Progress Index) initiative (at the Nova Scotia Environmental Network fall gethering). It was clear to me (and many others too) that we are very fortunate that Nova Scotia is the site for this pilot project to give ourselves a way of measuring things that really matter to our well-being and that of our environment. I was impressed that even though Ron has real criticisms of how progress has been measured in general in the past (with too much reliance on GNP as a measuring stick, for instance) he is non-adversarial in his approach, working WITH people in government departments such as Stats Can to develop the GPI. I was also surprised, and irritated, to find out that right now Ron and the other people working on developing the GPI have no more funding! It is a credit to their devotion that they continue their work nonetheless, but it is a pretty damning commentary on our government's priorities that there is no funding for the GPI work. So, I suggest that we, citizens, do some funding directly, and hopefully we can help persuade people in government that the GPI merits core funding, that it is a waste of valuable expertise to oblige the people who are working on the GPI to hunt around for funding. The group of which I am secretary has voted to establish a special fund for the GPI. We invite you to donate to it and we can send you an official tax receipt for your donation. Please send your donations to: Enviro-Clare, %Jan Slakov, Box 35, Weymouth, NS, B0W 3T0. Cheques can be made out simply to "Enviro-Clare". Don't forget to include your return address. Any questions? Call me at (902) 837-4980 or e-mail at <jslakov@tartannet.ns.ca>. all the best, Jan Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 12:04:52 -0300 From: jleon@ns.sympatico.ca (John Leon) I. Executive Summary What we measure is literally a sign of what we value as a society. If critical social assets are not counted and valued in our measures of progress, they receive insufficient attention in the policy arena. The current reliance on economic growth statistics alone as the basic measure of prosperity and progress implicitly devalues the importance of our natural and social capital, including natural resource wealth and environmental quality, unpaid voluntary and household work, leisure time, health and knowledge. This practice also fails to distinguish economic activities that contribute to well-being from those, like crime and pollution, that cause harm. The need for better measures of progress is universally acknowledged. To remedy these flaws, the Genuine Progress Index can provide a practical, policy-relevant measure of progress that is more comprehensive and accurate than current measures based on the Gross Domestic Product. GPI Atlantic was founded in 1997 as a non-profit research group that is currently constructing such an index of sustainable development for Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada has designated the Nova Scotia GPI as a pilot project for Canada. The Nova Scotia GPI consists of 20 social, economic and environmental components: Time Use: * Economic Value of Civic and Voluntary Work * Economic Value of Unpaid Housework and Childcare * Costs of Underemployment * Value of Leisure Time Natural Resources: * Soils and Agriculture * Forestry * Fisheries * Nonrenewable Subsoil Assets Environment: * Greenhouse Gas Emissions * Sustainable Transportation * Ecological Footprint Analysis * Air and Water Quality Socioeconomic: *Income Distribution * Debt, External Borrowing, and Capital Movements * Valuations of Durability * Composite Livelihood Security Index Social Capital: * Health Care * Educational Attainment * Costs of Crime * Human Freedom Index .. Five detailed reports have been published so far - Measuring Sustainable Development (135 pages), an overview of the GPI project design, framework, indicators and methodologies; The Economic Value of Civic and Voluntary Work in Nova Scotia (68 pages); The Economic Value of Unpaid Housework and Child Care in Nova Scotia (120 pages); and The Cost of Crime in Nova Scotia (223 pages), and a 67 page application of the GPI methodology to a full-cost accounting analysis of greenhouse gas reduction strategies. Three renewable resource accounts (soils and agriculture, forests, and fisheries), and the complete greenhouse gas component of the GPI are all in the first draft stage and will be publicly released before the end of this year. Work is also currently under way on four other modules - income distribution, costs of unemployment, value of leisure, and sustainable transportation. The entire index is scheduled for completion in 2001. Rather than rushing towards a "bottom-line" overall index of sustainable development, the Nova Scotia GPI is being constructed on a sector-by-sector basis since that approach is most useful for policy purposes. In other words, the project must produce twenty well-regarded and acceptable sets of indicators to produce one well-regarded and acceptable general index. Each component attempts to make use of the best available methodologies in each area and to integrate existing data from accepted sources. First drafts are subjected to an extensive review process by Statistics Canada staff, and by government, academic and independent experts, whose feedback and comments are integrated into the final reports. The Nova Scotia GPI is not intended as a rigid final formula or fixed set of methodologies, but as an ongoing work in progress that can be continuously improved as better methodologies and data sources become available. The components are being constructed to provide annual benchmarks of progress and to be easily replicable by other jurisdictions. By valuing a wide range of social, economic and environmental assets, and recording any depletion or depreciation in their value, the GPI is intended to provide policy makers with accurate information on provincial strengths and early warning signals of potential weaknesses that can allow timely and rational responses to emerging needs. The total GPI Atlantic budget is $774,375 with $591,026 required to complete the project by December 31, 2001. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- You received this because you are subscribed to "sust-mar", the Sustainable Maritimes mailing list. To unsubscribe, send email to <majordomo@chebucto.ns.ca> with "unsubscribe sust-mar" (without quotes) as the body of your message. To post a message to sust-mar subscribers, send it to <sust-mar@chebucto.ns.ca> Posts that are off-topic or excessive length (10K) will be rejected. For help contact <sust-mar-owner@chebucto.ns.ca> Archives: http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/lists/sust-mar
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