Action 22009 - INTEgrated Sustainability Assessment: scenarios, platform and indicators (INTESA)

Towards the Integrated Sustainability Assessment Platform for specific policy needs

At the core of the INTESA Action is the development and application of the theory and tools necessary to define and evaluate the natural resources relationships with social and economic sustainability thresholds, seeking to optimise socio-economic outcomes subject to environmental constraints and vice-versa, under alternative policy regimes aimed at resource efficient (green) growth. Such integrated sustainability assessments of policy regimes are made with explicit reference to spatially resolved environmental sustainability targets in a core suite of domains (for example, energy transformation, abiotic and biotic resource use, water use, reactive nitrogen mobilisation, biodiversity targets, territorial cohesion and regional development, etc.).

During 2013, the INTESA Action will continue the development of the European Integrated Sustainability Assessment Platform (ISAP) based upon the analytical framework developed in 2012 for the definition of scenarios and of assessment procedures.

ISAP builds upon the enhancement and expansion of the Land Use Modelling Platform (LUMP) as a key integrating tool for various policy and thematic issues (in both socio-economic and bio-physical domains) and will gradually include elements of the Life Cycle Thinking and Assessment approach.

In 2013 the Action focus is on the development of the bio-economy as a key element for smart and sustainable growth in Europe, the sustainable use of natural resources (including water, biomass and of unconventional energy resources), reduced dependence on scarce minerals and the ‘exploitation and integration’ of ecosystem services in regional development policies.

The INTESA Action contributes to the building-up of key horizontal modelling competences within the JRC in support of the EU policy process.

Specific objectives of the Action

Addressing the aforementioned issues requires:

1. A sound and robust analytical framework comprising both quantitative and qualitative methods, which capture relevant dimensions of sustainability and which make it possible to assess policy scenarios accordingly.
2. A set of indicators / monitoring tools which characterise in sufficient detail a sustainable (development) path along a number of core dimensions.
3. A set of possible policy scenarios and options for relevant policy fields such as trade policy, innovation or regional coherence, which are not yet part of the "Europe 2020" Strategy, but which can be described in sufficient detail to allow for an in-depth analysis of their effects on the aforementioned indicators.

 
The Main goals for the INTESA Action in 2013:

1. Further consolidation of the analytical framework and consequent establishment of the first structural elements of the ISAP.
   This concerns the actual development of the framework for integrated sustainability assessment. It will be achieved following two complementary and interacting paths: the further methodological development of indicators and scenarios, in continuation of the progress achieved in 2012; the setting up of a coherent modelling framework centred on the Land Use Modelling Platform being continuously integrated with sectoral socio-economic (Rhomolo, POLES, TRANSTOOL, GEM-E3, and other macro-models) and bio-physical models (CBM, LISFLOOD, etc.). Key elements for the adopted approach are the ongoing research on dynamic land function and the incorporation of the principles of Life-Cycle Thinking.
2. Application of the methodological approach as a contribution to the evaluation of sectoral measures and policy options in the frame of the implementation of the EU2020 strategy (focus on energy, resource efficiency, bio-economy, regional policy, innovation policy)
   This entails the application of ISAP for strategic policy choices related to a Resource Efficient Europe, green growth, bio-economy, regional policy, trade policy and innovation policy. The Action aims to include sustainability criteria in the further development of these strategies and in their impact assessments, to avoid potential policy risks and increase the robustness of policy.

Main customers, partners and stakeholders

• DG ENV  - Environment
• DG REGIO  - Regional Policy
• DG CLIMA  - Climate Action
• DG ESTAT  - Eurostat
• DG AGRI  - Agriculture and Rural Development
• DG ENER  - Energy
• DG ENTR  - Enterprise and Industry
• DG RTD  - Research and Innovation

EU Legislation and Documents supported by this Action

• The Communication and Flagship initiative "A resource Efficient Europe" and its Roadmap (COM(2011) 21).
• A Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 (COM(2011)21)
• The Europe 2020 Flagship Initiative: "Innovation Union" (SEC(2010) 1161).
• The Communication " Innovating for Sustainable Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe" (COM(2012) 60).
• EU Cohesion Policy 2014-2020: legislative proposals (COM(2011)615)

 

Further information

• JRC Project Browser: INTESA