Sustainability and Metrics: Use of Statistics and Independent Auditing

摘要

As the sustainability movement evolves, there is an unavoidable need to improve the use of data in designing and operating sustainability initiatives and in sustainability reporting. Statistical tools can help improve the design of activities and ensure that impacts of sustainability initiatives can be objectively measured and evaluated. Properly designed statistical approaches should be used to test open questions, but should not be designed to verify claimed outcomes. Statistics can compare one program to another, or provide a common language for viewing the combined impacts of sustainability activities across a campus, city, or business.