See the Sustainability Indicators in Action section for profiles of a wide range of local, regional, state, national and international indicators programs. 

The nonprofit group Redefining Progress conducted a study that examined Santa Monica's Ecological Footprint 1990-2000, concluding that the California city's Footprint shrank by 5.7 percent, or 167 square miles, over the 10 year period, and is nearly four acres smaller than the U.S. average.

International Institute for Sustainable Development Compendium of SD Indicator Initiatives provides an overview of initiatives on sustainable development indicators being carried out at the international, national and provincial/territorial/state levels. The Compendium includes information on hundreds of indicator programs throughout the world.

Sustainable Sonoma County (California) conducted an Ecological Footprint Project, completed in 2002, that used the Ecological Footprint tool to measure the impact of human activity in the county on the natural environment. The project reported on this ecological footprint, educated the community about the footprint concept, and began encouraging people to reduce both their individual and the community's collective footprints.

Office of Sustainable Development in Portland, Oregon undertakes benchmarking projects that help compare Portland's sustainability to that of other U.S. cities as well as documenting local environmental assets. 

The University of California at Santa Barbara Environmental Studies Program conducted an Indicators Project for Santa Barbara, the South Coast, and beyond, begun as a class project.

Michigan State University's Office of Campus Sustainability compiled its first Campus Sustainability Report, with economic, environmental and social data on the university, to be used as a baseline from which administrators and officials can assess the university's progress toward sustainability over time.

Megalinks to success stories on other sites provide links to success stories on a wide variety of sustainable development topics, including Measuring Progress.

Last updated: December 3, 2003

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