BOX 4B
INDICATORS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMME IN THE NETHERLANDS

Sebastiaan van Esch

In 1991, the Dutch Government published environmental indicators^l for the first time, in the Environmental Programme 1992-1995 (VROM 1991). The indicators are used as communication instruments to inform the parliament and the public about the performance of environmental policy in the Netherlands. The Environmental Programme (EP) is an annual publication by the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, published on the third Tuesday of September, the beginning of the new parliamentary year. It outlines the progress of environmental policy in the previous year and presents the plans of the government for the next four years. The EP forms the basis for discussions in parliament about the government's policy for the following year.

This box describes the background and methodology of Dutch environmental indicators. It also focuses attention on what can be learned from the way indicators are developed and used in the Netherlands. The conclusion contains some remarks about the current status of the indicators and expected future developments.

HISTORY

In the first Dutch National Environmental Policy Plan (NEPP, VROM 1989), environmental policy focuses on three main areas. First, the theme area addresses the main problems experienced in the Netherlands. By clustering the environmental problems on the basis of comparable effects, the theme area gives a clear insight into the problems and makes them more manageable. The target group approach is the second main area. In the implementation of environmental policy, this area considers the actors in society that contribute significantly to environmental problems. The third area is the spatial area-oriented policy that focuses on regional differences in environmental pressure and (desired) environmental quality.

The Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment developed a set of environmental indicators to help assess the implementation of the NEPP (the three areas) and to communicate the results of environmental policy to the general public and, in particular, the parliament. Indicators for the theme area (Adriaanse 1993) were published for the first time in the EP92-95 (VROM 1991). Indicators supporting the second main area of Dutch environmental policy, the target group approach (Infoplan 1993), were published for the first time in the EP94-97 (VROM 1993). Currently, the EP does not contain indicators that focus on spatial area-oriented policy. Table 1 gives a list of the current set of environmental policy performance indicators published in the annual EP.

The theme and target group indicators give insight into developments in environmental pressure in the Netherlands and, whenever possible, they are connected to environmental policy goals. The indicators in the Environment Programme present results which correspond to the Dutch environmental policy. The National Institute of Public Health and Environment has been responsible for an annual update of the indicators since 1993.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS

The following principles underlie the current set of indicators:

• The indicators focus on the implementation of environmental policy in the Netherlands. Therefore they are retrospective. This choice was based on the present stage of the Dutch environmental policy, in which the emphasis is placed on policy implementation. 
• For every theme and target group, one indicator is presented. By presenting highly aggregated information, stripped of minor details, the parliament and the general public gain a better understanding of the essential aspects of environmental policy. 
• The indicators show developments in environmental pressure (except disturbances that focus on effect), rather than developments in environmental quality or effects. Although the theme approach addresses all parts of the causal chain from emissions to effects, the policy, as formulated in the NEPP, focuses mainly on environmental pressure for most themes. Environmental pressure is related to the policy goals formulated in the NEPP. 
• The indicators show the environmental pressure of human activities in the Netherlands. However, indicators in the Netherlands do not take into account the environmental pressures contributed by neighbouring countries and by nature itself. The Dutch environmental policy is not able to control these aspects on any significant level. 
• The indicators follow agreements between the Ministry, the Central Bureau of Statistics, the Emission Registration office, the National Institute of Public Health and Environment, the Environment Inspectorate and other actors, concerning: definitions of emissions, target groups, the Netherlands and the determination and use of data. This ensures consistency between indicators in the Environment Programme, the Environmental Outlook, the Environmental Balance and the yearly Emissions Report.

DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT SET OF INDICATORS

Theme indicators

Theme indicators show the development of environmental pressure from 1980 to the present. For every theme indicator, the annual emission or deposition of a significant substance is weighted on its potential effect, expressed in theme equivalents. The development in environmental pressure is related to policy goals. Figure 1 shows an example of a theme indicator, the deposition indicator for acidification as published in the EP1997-2000 (VROM 1996).

Change of climate (greenhouse problem)

This indicator shows the trend in total Dutch emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and the total Dutch use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. These are weighted using the Global Warming Potential (GWP) (direct and indirect, assuming a residence time of 100 years), as established by the IPCC. The indicator value is expressed in Mtonnes CO₂ equivalents. The emission of carbon dioxide is adjusted to account for annual meteorological differences compared to the thirty year meteorological average.

Depletion of the ozone layer

This indicator reveals the trend of total Dutch use of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. In this case, it is weighted using the Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) which was established by the ozone secretariat, connected to the Montreal Protocol. The indicator value is expressed in ozone depletion equivalents.

Acidification

For this theme, two indicators have been developed: an emission and a deposition indicator. They show the trend of total Dutch emissions and the average deposition, per hectare, of the main acidic components: sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and ammonia. The emission and deposit of these components are weighted by their acidic potential, expressed in acidification equivalents (moles H⁺) and acidification equivalents per hectare, respectively. The deposit level depends on both Dutch and foreign emissions and on meteorological conditions. Unlike the change of climate, the deposition data has not been adjusted to consider these meteorological influences.

Eutrophication

This indicator shows the trend in the emissions of the two important eutrophicating substances: nitrates as nitrogen (N) and phosphates as phosphorus (P). They are weighted on their potential eutrophication effect. A kilotonne of N has a ten times smaller effect than a kilotonne of P. The ratio 1: 10 has been chosen based on the natural proportion of P and N in Dutch groundwaters, surface waters, soils and organisms. It is an average value. The indicator value is expressed in eutrophication equivalents. Only direct emissions to water and soil are taken into account. The deposition of nitrogen oxides and ammonia is not included. In this respect, the indicator does not disclose the total impact of nitrogen on water and soil.

Dispersion of toxic substances

The trend in emissions of hazardous and radioactive substances and in the use of pesticides, weighted by toxicity and degradation, is expressed in dispersion equivalents. A simple risk evaluation is used. Maximum Acceptable Risk (MAR) levels are used for weighting annual emissions. Out of the many thousand toxic substances, only the most hazardous substances have been selected according to the three categories.

Disposal of solid waste

This indicator shows the total amount of solid waste dumped annually, with the exception of dredge spoil, manure, phosphoric acid, gypsum and polluted soil, and is expressed in disposal equivalents of millions of tonnes per year. This indicator does not differentiate between the various waste streams. They all have the same weighting factor. Only the total quantity is important.

Disturbance

Unpleasant levels of noise and odour, experienced by people in the Netherlands, are expressed in 'nuisance equivalents' as a percentage of the population in the Netherlands. Different sources have been taken into account. The data can be adjusted to account for situations in which people are irritated by more than one source. The indicator does not distinguish between small and large amounts of nuisance. This indicator is the only indicator based on effect. The data used was obtained through surveys conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics.

TARGET GROUP INDICATORS

For the selected target groups, target group indicators reveal developments in environmental pressure. The target group indicators are built upon the theme indicators. Main themes are identified for every target group. If a target group contributes five per cent or more to the national theme total, the theme is presented in the target group indicator. The aggregation per theme is set according to the methods used for the theme indicators. To compare the developments in environmental pressure caused by a target group, the theme totals per target group are indexed (1980 = 100) in theme equivalents. In addition to the development in environmental pressure, target group indicators contain a measurement of the economic activity of the target group. This economic indicator gives an indication of the total production of the target group, and serves as a kind of emission explanatory variable. Figure 2 shows the indicator for industry as published in the EP1997-2000 (VROM 1996).

LESSONS LEARNED

An indicator should be easy to comprehend and it should meet the needs of environmental policy, as well as the needs of the public and government. Most importantly, indicators should have: (1) consistency over the years, (2) agreement among relevant parties on the scientific background, methodology and data used, and (3) a clearly defined goal.

Consistency over the years

It is not necessary to change an indicator time and time again. It can maintain its comparability and credibility over time. In the Netherlands, the parliament was very critical when it discovered several differences between the EP indicators in 1994 and the indicators in 1995. However, in the end, the ministry managed to explain the differences to the satisfaction of the parliament. In this case, the credibility of the indicators was at stake. Corrections and alteration are sometimes inevitable due to new scientific information, improvements in the way data is determined and collected, and the increasing importance of new substances. When changes appear inevitable, it is advisable to follow these recommendations:

• Always implement corrections retroactively. Most indicators present a trend. The comparability of data over the whole time period is important. 
• Report and explain alterations in advance. 
• Not all new facts justify changing an indicator. Comparability over time may be more important than including the latest findings, especially if the new findings do not significantly alter the trend or the exact value of the indicator. In the Netherlands, the indicators will be evaluated only in relation to important policy documents (e.g. the third National Environmental Policy Plan).

Consensus between relevant parties

It is important, for several reasons, to create a consensus about the choice of substances, aggregation protocol, important definitions and the determination and use of data. If an indicator has the support of several scientific institutes (national and international), the providers of data and the relevant ministries, it is likely to gain the support of the parliament and the general public. It also improves the credibility. Consensus prevents different actors from publishing different values for the same indicators in different publications. This was the case in the Netherlands up until 1994. It can develop into a very confusing situation. Therefore, it is necessary to discuss the principles of indicators and involve the relevant actors in the development of indicators. The use of existing material about indicators developed by international organizations (e.g. IPCC, OECD, CSD) is helpful.

The need for a clear goal

Indicators should be presented or published with a clear goal in mind. Indicators are an instrument. They should be presented clearly and precisely and avoid unnecessary details. The EP will not present an indicator if, for example, a target group does not contribute significantly to the environmental pressure of a theme. In 1995, the indicator for the target group 'waste disposal sector' was left out of the EP.

In most cases, if an indicator does not serve the explicit goal of a particular publication, the indicator should not be included. The publication of several irrelevant indicators might send the wrong message. Moreover, there should be a limit on the number of indicators used. If one indicator is sufficient to emphasize a specific trend, then there is no need to use five indicators to over-emphasize the point. Limits should be applied in order to avoid confusion or an overload of information.

CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

After their initial development, the indicators were evaluated on two occasions. These evaluations resulted in several changes to the indicators. The most important reasons for adjusting the indicators were: new scientific data, changes in the availability of emissions data, adjustments to agreements on definitions of target groups and changes in methodologies for calculating data on emissions. A full description of all the revised indicators is available in Dutch (Van Esch 1996). No major adjustments are expected before the update in 1997.

The indicators have been fully accepted by the parliament. Most of these indicators are included in the yearly Environmental Balance (CHECK) of the National Institute of Public Health and Environment and in the annual Emission Report of the Environmental Inspectorate. These indicators are also used by local authorities.

In November 1997, the third National Environmental Policy Plan (NEPP3) will be presented by the Dutch Government. NEPP3 will focus on improving the implementation of Dutch environmental policy and the relationship with spatial and economic policies. Attention to resource management is also expected. New issues, however, require new instruments to support and evaluate them. In 1997, as part of the NEPP3 process, attention will be paid to the development of new indicators to support these new policies.

NOTES

¹ In 1991 the indicators were named environmental policy performance indicators. Today, they are called environmental indicators.

REFERENCES

Adriaanse, A. (1993) Environmental policy performance indicators. Sdu Uitgeverij.

Infoplan (1993) Target group indicators for environmental policy. Doelgroepindicatoren voor het ilieubeleid. (In Dutch.)

Van Esch, S. (1996) Theme and target group indicators for environmental policy. Background document to the indicators in the Environmental Programme 1997-2000. (Thema- en doelgroepindicatoren van het milieubeleid. Achtergronddocument bij de indicatoren in het Milieuprogramma 1997-2000). RIVM. Report No.251 701 025, November 1996. (In Dutch.)

VROM (1989) National Environmental Policy Programme. Tweede Kamer, 1988- 1989, 21137, nrs. 1-2.

VROM (1991) Environmental Programme 1992 -1995. Tweede Kamer, 1991- 1992, 22302, nrs. 1-2. (In Dutch.)

VROM (1993) Environmental Programme 1994 - 1997. Tweede Kamer, 1993- 1994, 23405, nrs. 1-2. (In Dutch.)

VROM (1996) Environmental Programme 1997- 2000. Tweede Kamer, 1996- 1997, 25005, nrs. 1-2. (In Dutch.)