The MONET system of national indicators offers in-depth insights into sustainable development in Switzerland. Meanwhile, synthetic indicators such as the ecological footprint provide an appropriate basis for more general statements and for international comparisons.

MONET

The Swiss Federal Statistical Office (SFSO), the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE) and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) established the MONET measurement system to track sustainable development. Drawing on more than 100 indicators, this monitoring tool permits regular reporting on the status and progress of sustainable development in Switzerland. The main features and trends are shown in simplified form by 17 key indicators.   

Findings

One of the most important things revealed by monitoring activities is that approaches to sustainable development do actually exist in the majority of areas. That said, counter-trends can also be observed: For example, while household incomes are rising, there has been little progress on closing the gap between men and women with regard to professional status and income. There has also been an increase in the number of working poor. Developments on the transport front present a particular problem because, despite improvements in fuel-efficiency, fuel consumption continues to rise as the volume of traffic expands unchecked.

A society of contradictions
Where the national aspects of sustainable development are concerned Switzerland is more or less on the right path. Yet the country does not act sustainably with regard to factors of global importance: Throughout Switzerland we enjoy ever-improving air quality and clean water, yet our CO2 emissions - so vital to the global climate - have only just begun to stabilize.

Future generations will pay
The relatively positive assessment of the current situation might nonetheless be to the cost of future generations: While many Swiss people today are very happy with their working and private lives, one-fifth of young people cannot read properly. An increase in living space per person comes at the expense of an urban sprawl that is running at 0.86 m2 per second - across valuable productive land. Furthermore, we can expect rising levels of public debt to severely limit the financial room for manoeuvre afforded to future generations.

All in all, there has been progress with regard to living conditions (subjective), the production and consumption of organic products, research and technology and the preservation of air quality. Yet these advances are offset by the greatest deficits, which are to be found in transport, the use of land and space, poverty and international solidarity. Particular attention must be devoted to these areas in the future.

Ecological footprint

The ecological footprint of a country, region or the world as a whole measures the degree to which people are using up the natural resources of the area in question. The results of the survey are expressed as «global hectares» and juxtaposed against «biocapacity», i.e. nature's ability to produce raw materials and break down pollutants. A national Swiss study has been published at the instigation of the Federal Offices ARE, SFSO, FOEN and the SDC, in collaboration with the Global Footprint Network. The study takes a particularly close look at the extent to which Global Footprint Network data, which is drawn from international sources, corresponds with Switzerland's official statistics. The two datasets were found to be largely congruent. According to the study, Switzerland's per-capita footprint is around 4.7 global hectares, whereas global biocapacity is just 1.8 global hectares per capita. This means that the population of Switzerland is using just under three times the volume of natural resources that is sustainable in the long run.

The Swiss study resulted in a correction being made to the calculation method for the global footprint. Calculations may well come out even higher when the new method is applied in the future.