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

The workshop, held in Costa Rica, brought together 38 experts to discuss the feasibility of using small clusters of aggregated national indicators to track sustainability. Participants reached a high level of consensus on the desirability of such clusters to balance human and ecological wellbeing, while emphasizing the need to embed these indicators in policy-making processes and test them with real data. The report identifies challenges such as the value-based nature of sustainability and the need for cultural adaptation of measurement practices.

• There was a high level of consensus among participants regarding the practicality and desirability 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 include a balance of signals reflecting both ecological and human wellbeing.
• The workshop concluded that indicators must be integrated into decision-making and policy processes to be effective. This requires involving policy-makers in the development phase, establishing transparent long-term reporting with stakeholder involvement, and using visualization and new technology to communicate results to the public and media.
• Participants identified several fundamental challenges in assessing sustainability, including that the concept is value-based and varies across cultures, involves complex systems where critical breaking points may be invisible, and requires indicators that address both substance and process.
• The workshop participants unanimously agreed that the development of these indicators must move quickly to testing with real data and broad dissemination to avoid lagging progress, while acknowledging that practices must be adapted to local conditions and cultural differences.

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} }