Review of indicators for sustainable energy development

Abstract

Sustainable energy development has become an international policy objective and an integral part of sustainable development. It is necessary to develop a robust and comprehensive set of indicators to monitor progress towards sustainable energy development. This analysis aimed to assess established indicator sets for sustainable energy development. The characteristics of a comprehensive and robust indicator set were identified to enable such an assessment and used as a basis for six assessment criteria; transparency of indicator selection and indicator application, conceptual framework, representative, linkages, and stakeholder engagement. A total of 57 indicator sets were found that monitor progress towards sustainable energy development or some aspects of it. All but one of these indicator sets were found to be lacking in some aspect, especially regarding a lack of transparency and consideration of linkages between indicators, presentation of an imbalanced picture, and no involvement of stakeholders during indicator development. The only indicator set that met all criteria were Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development developed jointly by multiple international agencies. Nonetheless, several flaws in this set were identified. The Energy Indicators for Sustainable Development could be considered as an initial basket of indicators for further refinement in the context where they will be applied to ensure their policy relevance and usefulness. The refinement process would benefit from more stakeholder input to take into account the specific context and make sure that there is a balance in the representation of the three dimensions of sustainable development.