The Environmental Impact Index (EII) is developing a new global measure of countries’ domestic and international environmental impacts.

It includes outcome-based measures of resource use and pollution relating to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the country level.

This new global measure will inform domestic and international policy debates on sustainable consumption and production in the context of Agenda 2030, the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. It uses data from a wide range of sources official and non-official - including from new technologies. For all metrics, time-bound thresholds have been identified that need to be achieved in order to meet the SDGs and honor commitments made in the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

The first prototype version of the EII will be launched in 2020.

Explore Bilateral Spillover Effects

For now, please take a look at our new data visualization tool that tracks “bilateral spillover effects” – the international environmental impacts1 of countries embodied into trade. Spillover Dashboard

About the Project

The project is a joint initiative led by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy (YCELP) We are grateful for the support provided by Roberta Gordon and Marshall Ruben as well as from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) has been operating since 2012 under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to support the design and implementation of the SDGs. SDSN has been deeply involved in the design and implementation of monitoring frameworks for the SDGs. Since 2016, SDSN and the Bertelsmann Stiftung have jointly released the annual Global SDG Index and Dashboards benchmarking the performance of countries on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDSN’s thematic network on data (TReNDS) provides advice and recommendations on SDG data. SDSN solicits experts on all dimensions of the SDGs using its network of over 750 member institutions. It has also undertaken a large number of public consultations on SDG indicators.

The Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, a joint undertaking between Yale Law School and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, advances fresh thinking and analytically rigorous approaches to environmental decision-making across disciplines, sectors, and scales. In addition to its research activities, the Center also aims to foster discussion and collaboration across the Yale campus on environmental law and policy issues at the local, regional, national, and global levels. The Center facilitates a joint-degree program through which Yale Law students can simultaneously pursue a master’s degree at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, while providing research, educational, career development, and social opportunities for students as well as for others affiliated with the Center.