News & Events

Sept. 6, 2018

OECD uses ESA data to measure green growth

Data used to develop new OECD Green Growth headline indicator on land cover change

ESA data have been used to develop the new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Green Growth headline indicator on land-cover change.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) defines green growth as ‘fostering economic growth and development, while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which our well-being relies.’

As loss of biodiversity and increased pressures on ecosystem services continue to pose challenges globally, it is becoming increasingly important to monitor land-cover change in the context of green growth. This is the message of a recent OECD publication.

The report on monitoring land-cover change, seeks to shine a spotlight on the importance of land-cover change as ‘the best measure available to monitor pressures on terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity.’

One of the key ways in which OECD recommends doing this is through the use of its new green growth headline indicator, which is based on ESA data from the Climate Change Initiative (CCI) and Cover project.