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A sustainable municipal solid waste management (MSWM) system is recognized by Agenda 21 as an opportunity for cities for creating decent jobs, raising incentives for responsible consumption, and protecting the natural environment. However, according to our experience for many stakeholders and decision-makers in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, the principles for sustainability defined by the Bruntland Commission are far too abstract. They are not readily applicable to establish a sustainable MSWM system. Even though Brazilian cities are strongly being influenced by concepts developed in high-income countries to search for strategic policies and long-term action plans for MSWM, many decisions-makers have not paid much attention to an overall sustainability approach so far. Against this backdrop, the present paper introduces the municipal solid waste diagram (MSWD) as a comprehensive framework for assessing the current state of a MSWM system against a future sustainable one. The normative foundation of MSWD is the Integrative Concept of Sustainability (ICoS), which contrasts the conventional approach of sustainability which typically characterizes a sustainable future along the three dimensions of economy, environment and society. ICoS points out crucial documents for sustainable development (e.g., Brundtland report and Agenda 21), and moreover, it does not neglect the potential of the capability approach. By this, the dynamic interrelationship between the abovementioned dimensions is taken into account. Another characteristic of the MSWD is the strong involvement of stakeholders, experts, and decision-makers during the construction and application of that instrument. Their central task was to certify the relevance, compatibility, flexibility of the chosen nine assessment criteria and the related 18 indicators on the ground of the ICoS. Any other study is known which looks for the dynamics of MSWM. The proposed approach helps to identify the constitute elements of MSWM clearly and to match to goals of sustainability without distinguishing and prioritizing any dimensionality. This approach clarifies the scientific background for sustainable development in the process of decision making regarding MSWM which is not done by conventional sustainability assessment methodologies. By the participation of the most relevant stakeholders of Belo Horizonte, the municipal solid waste diagram is verified. Belo Horizonte has currently obtained a level of development of about one third towards the goals of sustainability. The city had the best performance on securing human existence, in which the individual protection takes currently a high priority. The presented MSWD and thus the findings are specific to Belo Horizonte, but not the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article devoted to analysis of sustainable development indicators (SDI) evolution and peculiarities of designing the set of SDI for Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and other countries. The paper provides an overview of evolution and application experience of sustainability measuring practice. Researchers analyze the directions of measurement approach progress. Modern trends of indicators' using are explored. Ways of overcoming the lack of harmonization in variety of conceptual and organizational frameworks which are used by different countries are viewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sustainability as a concept has multiple disparate perspectives stemming from different related disciplines which either maintain ambiguous interpretations or concentrate on metrics pertaining to single aspects of a system. Given the embedded multi-dimensionality of sustainability, systemic approaches are needed that can cope with interactions of different dimensions. Past efforts for measuring sustainability holistically have taken an accounting approach based on the availability and efficiency of resource flows. However, an accounting approach fails to fully incorporate the intensive parameters pertaining to sustainability. An ecological information-based approach is a promising holistic measurement which incorporates both intensive and extensive dimensions of sustainability. This paper evaluates this approach by applying it to six economic resource trade flow networks: virtual water, oil, world commodity, OECD+BRIC commodity, OECD+BRIC foreign direct investment, and iron and steel. From the perspective of biomimicry, it appears that these networks can achieve higher levels of efficiency without weakening their robustness to resource delivery. The trends of measured efficiency and redundancy of the studied networks are demonstrated to be useful in reflecting long term changes while the trend in robustness levels were found to exhibit similar behavior to an ecosystem in its early phase of development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents a new index to quantify, measure and monitor the progress towards the objectives of the Europe 2020 strategy. This index is based on a set of relevant, accepted, credible, easy to monitor and robust indicators presented by the European Commission at the time the strategy was launched. The internal analysis of the index shows that the Smart and the Inclusive growth dimensions of the strategy are strictly correlated and that the trade-offs between each of these two dimensions and the Sustainable one exist but are decreasing, suggesting that a change towards more sustainable models of development is occurring in Europe. The external analysis of the index shows that it can be a valid measure to assess the overall competitiveness of countries and that the most critical factors for this strategy to be successful are good governance and social capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Revisiting the way society defines and measures progress has been identified as one of the key levers in tackling the root causes of unsustainable development. The recent economic and food crises exposed a critical weakness in the ability of currently mainstream indicators of progress to provide early warning and take adequate preventive action. Since the early 1990s a growing number of organizations have been involved in the development of indicator systems around the key socio-economic and environmental concerns of sustainable development within their own context. In order to provide guidance and promote best practice, in 1997 a global group of leading measurement and assessment experts developed the Bellagio Principles. The Bellagio Principles have become a widely quoted reference point for measuring sustainable development, but new developments in policy, science, civil society and technology have made their update necessary. The Bellagio Sustainability Assessment and Measurement Principles (BellagioSTAMP) have been developed through a similar expert group process, using the original Principles as a starting point. Intended to be used as a complete set, the new BellagioSTAMP includes eight principles: (1) Guiding vision; (2) Essential considerations; (3) Adequate scope; (4) Framework and indicators; (5) Transparency; (6) Effective communications; (7) Broad participation; and (8) Continuity and capacity. The paper provides the rationale for the revision of the principles, their detailed description and guidance for their application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]