What?

For adaptation to climate change, as in all areas of sustainability, it is important to set operationalisable goals whose degree of achievement can then be measured as progress. In doing so, indicators that are also guiding for people should be derived from future images and stories and be applicable at different levels (from the individual to the world as a whole).

The aim of this project is to develop a replicable method for the development of leading indicators for the comprehensive quantitative measurement of climate change adaptation within the framework of the goals set by climate policy and the 2030 Agenda in a concrete setting (a region) together with decision-makers and experts.

We want to support the region in making a transformation towards real wellbeing. The concept is already being implemented in various processes and methodically concretised in different ways and different areas of society – in companies, in regions and throughout Austria.

It is about formulating goals on how to achieve the good life of all with economic prosperity within planetary boundaries. This requires a process of all relevant stakeholders (business, politics, interest groups, media, science and civil society). In this process, the stakeholders develop a sustainability programme with about 10 measurable goals, the implementation of which can then be communicated in sustainability reports, in which the progress can be documented and the programme can be adapted step by step.

In addition to a literature study and 10 to 20 interviews with internationally renowned experts, a detailed, publishable documentation of the process (in texts and videos), a manual on how this methodology can be applied in other regions, as well as a specific system of leading indicators as a result of the process in the selected region will be developed. This is embedded in the future images and stories developed by the stakeholders and also enables a review of the successes of the adaptation measures in the form of regular “adaptation and sustainability reports”.