Cessation of the Sustainable Development Indicators

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Contact:
Matthew Steel

Release date:
28 July 2016

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  1. Cessation of the Sustainable Development Indicators

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1. Cessation of the Sustainable Development Indicators

Since 2014, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has taken responsibility for updating and publishing the Sustainable Development Indicators (SDIs) annually in July, at the request of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). They provide an overview of progress towards a sustainable economy, society and environment.

The SDIs contain 12 headline and 23 supplementary indicators, supported by 25 and 41 measures respectively. The latest release of the SDIs, published in July 2015, can be found on our website.

User engagement has revealed limited use of these statistics. This is most notable within Defra where policy interests have moved on towards the use of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework for measuring sustainability. There has also been considerable confusion between the SDIs and both the SDG programme and existing measures of National Well-being. In consultation with our users we have therefore taken the decision to stop publishing the SDIs.

This decision will not result in the loss of any statistics, which will each continue to be available from their original source. To support users we have prepared a table which signposts towards the source of each SDI, and is available below.

Please be aware that these links were accurate as of the 22 July 2016.

If users are unable to access any of the data or have any questions, please contact us at qualityoflife@ons.gov.uk.

Indicators Measures Source
1. Economic Prosperity GDP ONS
GDP per head ONS
Median income DWP
2. Long Term Unemployment Proportion of adults unemployed over 12 months ONS
3. Poverty Proportion of children in relative low income households (before housing costs) DWP
Proportion of children in absolute low income households (before housing costs) DWP
4. Knowledge and Skills Human capital (£) stocks ONS
Human capital per head ONS
5. Population Demographics Total population and projections ONS
Number of households and projections DCLG
6. Debt Public Sector Net Debt and Public Sector Net Borrowing

Public sector finances: May 2016

Economic and fiscal outlook – March 2016		 HMT
7. Pension Provisions % of workers in the automatic enrolment eligible population within a workplace ONS/DWP
8. Physical Infrastructure Total non financial assets net worth ONS
9. Research and Development Expenditure on R&D by business in real terms ONS
Business expenditure on EPE related R&D Defra
10. Environmental Goods and Services Sector Sales of Low Carbon and environmental goods and services sector ONS
11. Healthy Life Expectancy Life expectancy at birth ONS
Healthy life expectancy ONS
12. Social capital Civil participation at least once a year Cabinet Office
Volunteering at least once a year USoC
Proportion of people who have a partner, family member or friend to rely on if they have a serious problem USoC
Percentage of people who agreed or agreed strongly that they felt they belonged to their neighbourhood USoC
13. Social Mobility in Adulthood Percent of 16-65 year olds who are in paid employment who are in managerial or professional positions by social background using parent occupational groups BIS
14. Housing Provision Trend in net additional dwellings DCLG
15. Avoidable Mortality Avoidable mortality ONS
Preventable mortality ONS
Amendable mortality ONS
16. Obesity Percentage of adults overweight or obese

Health Survey for England, 2014

National Child Measurement Programme		 NHSIC/National Child Management Programme
Percentage of children overweight or obese by deprivation level

Health Survey for England, 2014

National Child Measurement Programme		 NHSIC/National Child Management Programme
17. Lifestyles Prevalence of smoking ONS
Proportion of trips under 5 miles taken by walking or cycling DfT
Proportion of trips under 5 miles taken by public transport DfT
Proportion of physically active and inactive adults Sport England
Average daily consumption of fruit and vegetable by age group PHE
Trends in fruit and vegetable measures as portions Defra
18. Infant Health Full term babies with birth weight less than 2500g ONS
19. Air Quality Average number of pollution days - urban R-AEA Energy and Environment
Average number of pollution days - rural R-AEA Energy and Environment
20. Noise Number of people affected by noise Defra/CIEH/PHOF
21. Fuel Poverty Number of fuel poor households DECC
22. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Greenhouse gas emissions DECC/Defra
Carbon Dioxide emissions DECC/Defra
23. Natural Resource Use Raw material consumption - construction Defra/ONS
Raw material consumption – non construction Defra/ONS
24. Wildlife Farmland birds RSPB/Defra/NCC/Wildlife
Trust/Centre of Ecology
Woodland birds RSPB/Defra/NCC/Wildlife
Trust/Centre of Ecology
Water and wetland birds RSPB/Defra/NCC/Wildlife
Trust/Centre of Ecology
Seabirds RSPB/Defra/NCC/Wildlife
Trust/Centre of Ecology
25. Water use Abstraction from non-tidal surface waters and ground waters Environment Agency
26. UK CO2 Emissions by Sector CO2 emissions by sector – energy supply DECC
CO2 emissions by sector - transport DECC
CO2 emissions by sector - business DECC
CO2 emissions by sector - residential DECC
CO2 emissions by sector - other DECC
27. Energy from Renewable Sources Energy from renewable sources DECC
28. Housing Energy Efficiency Housing energy efficiency of existing homes DECC
Housing energy efficiency of new homes DECC
29. Waste Disposal and Recycling Household waste recycling rate Defra
Waste recovery rate Defra
30. Land use Land use by type DCLG
31. Origins of Food Consumed in the UK Origins of food consumed in the UK Defra
32. Water Quality Biological quality of rivers Environment Agency
Chemical quality of rivers Environment Agency
33. Sustainable Fisheries Fish stocks harvested within safe limits International Council for the Exploration of the Sea Centre
34. Priority Species and Habitats Status of priority species UK biodiversity partnership/Natural England/JNCC
Status of priority habitats UK biodiversity partnership/Natural England/JNCC
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Contact details for this Article

Matthew Steel
qualityoflife@ons.gov.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1633 455680