Transcript Breakout Sessions Block 1: Designing the Metrics

Description of an Essential Variable
Breakout Sessions Block 1: Designing the Metrics
Breakout Session 2.1: Essential
Variables for Sustainable
Development Goals, Global
Boundaries and Safe Operating
Space for Humanity
Essential variable – Key questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
WHAT: Definition of EV
WHY: Why GEOs?
HOW: Provide recommended process
WHO: Provide description template for
communities of practice
TEMPLATE for the description of an Essential Variable
Designing the Metrics
• Describe the societal goal(s) that have a linkage to the EV
• Describe the societal target(s) or equivalent entities that are linked to the
indicators
• Describe the indictor(s) that depend on the EV
• Describe the system relevance of the EV, where system is the coupled humannatural system.
• Provide details on the earth system components for which the EV is essential
• Describe operational, forecasting, and discipline-specific relevance of the EV
• Describe the underlying data organization/management for the EV
• Describe the benefits of having the EV available
WHAT is essential variable?
• How do we define essential variables:
Variables that determine the system’s state and developments, are
crucial for predicting system developments, and allow us to define
metrics that measure the trajectory of the system. Limited knowledge
of essential variables implies limited predictive capabilities and
limited means to measure where the system is heading.
• Technical / Societal relevance distinction?
• Essential variables are crucial for the creation of practice-relevant
knowledge (reflect in definition?)
• Essential variables are closer to knowledge than others.
Essential variable – concerns
1. EVs are domain specific – d/t communities of
practice have different approaches and are likely
to characterize their variables their way
- NB: Goal is to recommend a process for
determining EVs not prescribe domain-specific
variables
2. How can we proceed and facilitate a
coordinated discussion/deliberation of EVs in
GEO?