A comparison of sustainable development indicator metrics and the need for ecological thresholds: Which way are we going

Despite the fact that it has been well over a decade since Agenda 21 first called for sustainable development indicators, there is no consensus regarding the best approach to the design and use of SDI models. It is important, therefore, to question the effectiveness of SDIs in an effort to continue advancing sustainability.; This thesis addresses one aspect of this question by exploring whether our global SDI metrics are sending a clear message to guide us towards sustainable development. Six global SDI metrics are compared by relative ranking in colour coded tabular format and spatially in map format. The combined presentation of results clearly illustrates that the different metrics arrive at varying conclusions about the sustainability of nations. The degree of variability between the metrics is analyzed using correlation analysis and by comparing the absolute change in rank among countries between metrics. The variability in findings draws attention to the lack of a clear direction at the global level in how best to approach sustainable development.; As our understanding of natural systems grows, it is becoming increasingly clear that advancing human well-being and securing a healthy environment must be addressed in the same equation. Accepting that our compasses of sustainable development present variable messages raises the challenge of ensuring that we are not misguided by sustainable development indicators. As such, this thesis discusses the possibility of including ecological thresholds as a means to better reconcile SDI metrics with environmental sustainability. An example is given of what this could look like using the ecological footprint 'fair earth share' concept. Assessing the global SDI metrics explored using the ecological footprint 'fair earth share' as a threshold measure, dramatically changes the perspective of which countries are leading the path towards sustainability. While not a perfect threshold, this proposition acts as a starting point to stimulate further debate and research on the concept of ecological thresholds.