Environmental SDG Indicators

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). In September 2015, the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit adopted an international framework to guide development efforts, entitled 'Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development'. The Agenda is built around 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), divided into 169 targets, which are informed by 244 Indicators[1]. The importance of improving the availability of and access to data and statistics related to the environment was recognized through the adoption of a wide range of environmental SDG targets and indicators.

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.

In particular, this e-learning course aims to build the capacity of countries – representatives of National Statistical Office (NSOs), Ministries of Environment and other stakeholders - to compile and use data on the environment-related SDGs for evidence-based decision-making and to promote cross-cutting data analysis to better understand the environmental dimension of development.

Course structure:

Module 1. Measuring the environment
Module 2. Linkages between the FDES, SEEA and the SDGs
Module 3. Measuring waste in the SDGs
Module 4. Measuring the state of the oceans
Module 5. Measuring land and water in the SDGs
Module 6. Measuring material flows in the SDGs
Module 7. SCP interventions in the SDGs
Module 8. Policy coherence for sustainable development
Module 9. Measuring gender and environment
Module 10. Using environment statistics for national analysis and policy

Each module can be regarded as a stand-alone module and taken individually. Modules 1, 8 and 10 comprise Learning Pathway for Policymakers.

The course is available in English, French and Russian.

[1] Currently 231 unique SDG indicators and 247 SDG indicators in total with repeated indicators. Updated list available here.

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Target Audience

The target audience of the e-learning course is relevant staff from National Statistical Offices, Ministries of Environment, and also other civil servants and stakeholders that support broader national sustainable development monitoring and decision making, such as through the UN-led Common Country Analysis (CCA) and the government-led Sustainable Development Goals Voluntary National Reviews (VNR). The general public could also benefit by understanding what environment statistics are and how they can be utilized at the sub-national and national levels.

Learning Objectives

It is expected that, by the end of the course, participants will be better positioned to:

Describe key concepts relevant for environmental monitoring and SDG indicators;
Explain how respective environmental indicators are computed;
Discuss key challenges the participants’ countries may be facing in compiling these indicators and actions that can be taken to address them.