Environment Statistics

The Statistical Commission in its 44th session in 2013 endorsed the revised¹ Framework for the Development of Environment Statistics (FDES 2013) as the framework for strengthening environment statistics programmes in countries, and recognized it as a useful tool in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The Commission endorsed the Blueprint for Action which documents a way forward for making the FDES 2013 operational in countries that need guidance in starting or further developing their environment statistics programmes. It also endorsed the establishment of the Expert Group on Environment Statistics (EGES) to collaborate with UNSD to develop supporting methodological tools, hands-on guidance, and training material which contribute to the implementation of the FDES 2013 in countries as evidenced in the growing number of countries publishing FDES coherent environment statistics compendia in several languages.

The EGES was convened in 2014 and comprises experts on environment statistics and related areas from all geographical regions representing United Nations member States, as well as international and regional organizations. The EGES meets annually to review the progress made in the implementation of the FDES 2013 in countries. It also assesses the progress made in the development of methodological and data collection guidance in environment statistics needed for the compilation of environmentally-related SDG indicators and environmental-economic accounts, as well as for the reporting to Multilateral Environmental Agreements. Given the growing importance of climate change statistics, the Statistical Commission, at its 49th session in 2018, inter alia, supported the expansion of the mandate of the EGES to cover more aspects of climate change statistics and indicators. Complementarily, during each calendar year, the EGES organizes its work remotely through smaller teams tasked with specific areas of work.

The first four EGES meetings were chaired by Ms. Iva Ritschelova, President, Czech Statistical Office. Subsequently, Ms. Janet Geoghagen-Martin, Director of Censuses, Demographic & Social Statistics Division, Statistical Institute of Jamaica (STATIN) chaired the EGES for two years. The current chair is Ms. Ruth Minja, Director for Population Census and Social Statistics Directorate, National Bureau of Statistics of Tanzania.

The Chair of the EGES contributes to the work of UNSD in guiding the global efforts in the development and coordination of environment statistics and is responsible for overseeing the meetings of the EGES, in particular in keeping the discussion within subject matter, identifying common positions, respecting deadlines, and guiding/indicating paths for future developments or further work of the Group.

Biennial reports of the Secretary-General to the Statistical Commission are prepared on environment statistics, which are accompanied by detailed Background Reports. Reports of the Secretary-General to the Statistical Commission on climate change statistics are prepared every two or three years.

¹ The United Nations Statistical Commission, at its 41st Session (23-26 February 2010), endorsed a programme of work for the revision of the FDES. The UN Statistical Commission recommended that an Expert Group be established to conduct the revision of the FDES and that all relevant stakeholders be engaged in the process.