CAS Scientists Contribute to UNEP "Measuring Progress" Report

A report "Measuring Progress: Environment and the SDGs" was released online by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) on May 22, the International Day of Biological Diversity.

The report, with focuses on the 92 environment-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, analyzes the progress made in achieving the SDGs targets and identifies data gaps.

The statistical approach uses simple correlation analyses between indicator pairs related to the state of the environment and drivers of change, and the state of the environment and the state of society, to improve the understanding of the interlinkages between SDGs indicators.

The report also emphasizes the importance of data disaggregation and fully populated SDGs to understand environmental and socio-economic interactions, and opportunities using innovative data techniques to close data gaps.

The drafting of the report was guided by an Expert Group co-chaired by Prof. GUO Huadong from the Aerospace Information Research Institute (AIR), also chief scientist of the Big Earth Data Science Engineering Program (CASEarth), and Dr. Paul Ekins from the University College London.

At the launching ceremony, Prof. Guo pointed out that huge data gap for evaluating the progress of global environmental SDG indicators exists despite steady improvement of data in terms of availability and quality.

The approaches of filling data gap may come from expanding data coverage, integrating data sources, popularizing public science, and applying emerging technologies such as Big Earth Data, Prof. Guo added.

This report as the second of the series, builds upon insights and lessons learned from the Measuring Progress: Towards Achieving the Environmental Dimension of the SDGs, the first publication.

Download link: https://www.unep.org/resources/publication/measuring-progress-environment-and-sdgs