Measuring sustainability : benefits and pitfalls of fiscal sustainability indicators

dc.contributor.authorMALITO, Debora Valentina
dc.date.accessioned2014-07-02T14:53:27Z
dc.date.available2014-07-02T14:53:27Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.descriptionThis Working Paper is a background paper delivered to frame the workshop ‘Global Governance by Indicators : Sustainability and Sustainable Public Finances’ convened by the Global Governance Programme of the European University Institute in Florence on 10 and 11 April 2014. Successively it was developed further in EUI RSCAS WP 2014/78 http://hdl.handle.net/1814/31914en
dc.description.abstractThe concept of sustainability emerged on the global governance agenda during the 1970s, when, the economic crisis put the spotlight on environmental and social risks associated with economic growth. Although much has been written about it, the literature on pillars, dimensions and measures of sustainability has developed quite independently from the discussions on the idea of sustainability as a set of interlinked and interdependent concentric thematic circles (that is its environmental, social, economic and institutional dimensions). Beginning with this conceptual debate, the present paper argues that indicators of fiscal sustainability are caught between demands of a solvency criterion and the principles of inter- and intra-generational equity. Bypassing their function as a mere representation of reality, these indicators have played a key role in de facto regulating the current fiscal crisis and in eclipsing the other dimensions of sustainability. To discuss this argument, the paper’s first section explores the literature on sustainability indicators and composite indices of sustainable development. Its second part focuses on indicators of fiscal sustainability evaluating concepts, measures and demands. The third part gives insight into two measures, the United Nations’ (UN) Debt to GNI ratio and the European Union’s (EU) fiscal sustainability gap indicators. The fourth part concludes by summarising conceptual, normative and ontological questions.en
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.issn1028-3625
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1814/31913
dc.language.isoenen
dc.relation.hasversionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1814/31914
dc.relation.ispartofseriesEUI RSCASen
dc.relation.ispartofseries2014/77en
dc.relation.ispartofseriesGlobal Governance Programme-120en
dc.relation.ispartofseriesEuropean, Transnational and Global Governanceen
dc.relation.ispartofseries[Knowledge, Governance, Transformations]
dc.rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessen
dc.subjectEconomic and financial crisisen
dc.subjectSustainable public financesen
dc.subjectSustainable developmenten
dc.subjectGDPen
dc.subjectDebten
dc.subject.otherTrade, investment and international cooperation
dc.subject.otherTransnationalism
dc.titleMeasuring sustainability : benefits and pitfalls of fiscal sustainability indicatorsen
dc.typeWorking Paperen
dspace.entity.typePublication
eui.subscribe.skiptrue
person.identifier.other36693
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationcaf18839-221e-4806-9a7e-838ec5d1f652
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoverycaf18839-221e-4806-9a7e-838ec5d1f652
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