I recommend we start with the OECD metrics (similarly like how we use the Sustainable Development Goal class for sustainable development goals.
We need to classify them by the 3 sub-attributes identified:
- Economic Sustainability =The ability to support a defined level of economic production indefinitely. Focus on poverty, hunger, and health. In a business context this implies using assets efficiently and effectively to ensure continued profitability and re-use of raw materials.
- Environmental Sustainability = The ability to maintain rates of renewable resource harvest, pollution creation, and non-renewable resource depletion that can be continued indefinitely; Focus on the environment, natural resources, and energy. In a business context this implies reducing a companies environmental footprint, net energy consumption, and shortening supply, production and distribution networks.
- Social Sustainability = The ability to build and support healthy communities that support current and future generations; Focus on education, equality, peace, and justice. In a business context this implies enforcing basic human rights, labor rights and corporate governance.
Here are the OECD metrtics:
Inputs
I1. Non-renewable materials intensity
I2. Restricted substances intensity
I3. Recycled/reused content
Operations
O1. Water intensity
O2. Energy intensity
O3. Renewable proportion of energy
O4. Greenhouse gas intensity
O5. Residuals intensity
O6. Air releases intensity
O7. Water releases intensity
O8. Proportion of natural land
Products
P1. Recycled/reused content
P2. Recyclability
P3. Renewable materials content
P4. Non-renewable materials intensity
P5. Restricted substances content
P6. Energy consumption intensity
P7. Greenhouse gas emissions intensity