BEYOND DELUSION: A SCIENCE AND POLICY DIALOGUE ON DESIGNING EFFECTIVE INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP REPORT

This report documents a multidisciplinary workshop held from May 7th to 9th, 1999, in San Rafael de Heredia, Costa Rica, organized by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The event brought together 38 scientists, researchers, and policy specialists from 17 countries to discuss the design of effective indicators for sustainable development, specifically focusing on the feasibility of aggregated national-level indicators and the integration of measurement results into decision-making processes.

• There was a high level of consensus among participants regarding the desirability and practicality of creating a small cluster of national-level indicators for sustainable development. Such clusters are seen as a way to move beyond traditional economic tracking to a balanced approach that monitors both ecological and human wellbeing.
• The workshop identified several unique challenges in assessing sustainability, noting that it requires indicators for both substance (such as expanded time horizons and complex systems) and process (such as transparency and consensus seeking). Additionally, sustainability is value-based and varies across cultures, and there is a persistent tension between creating systems for international comparison versus meeting specific national needs.
• Participants unanimously agreed that indicators must be embedded within policy and decision-making processes to be effective. This requires involving decision-makers in the development phase, establishing transparent long-term reporting with stakeholder involvement, and utilizing visualization and new technology to engage the public and media.
• The workshop concluded that progress depends on the immediate testing of indicator approaches with real data and broad dissemination for discussion, warning that striving for perfection at this stage could impede progress. Furthermore, any such system must be simple to ensure effective communication and must be adapted to local cultural conditions while maintaining general principles.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). BEYOND DELUSION: A SCIENCE AND POLICY DIALOGUE ON DESIGNING EFFECTIVE INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP REPORT. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/finalreport.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. BEYOND DELUSION: A SCIENCE AND POLICY DIALOGUE ON DESIGNING EFFECTIVE INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP REPORT. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/finalreport.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=BEYOND DELUSION: A SCIENCE AND POLICY DIALOGUE ON DESIGNING EFFECTIVE INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP REPORT |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/finalreport.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndbeyond, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{BEYOND DELUSION: A SCIENCE AND POLICY DIALOGUE ON DESIGNING EFFECTIVE INDICATORS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP REPORT}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/finalreport.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }