Abhatoo - Centre Nationale de Documentation

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, in carrying out its task promoting economic development in member countries, is concerned with the qualitative and quantitative aspects of economic growth. Its work on the environment focuses on the interdependence between the economy and the environment and emphasises the importance of sustainable development.

Environmental information and reporting are important activities of the governments of OECD member countries. They assist in implementing, developing and harmonising environmental policies, and in responding to demands for environmental information from the public. The availability of relevant data and well synthesised information also leads to a better democratic debate, and to better accountability of public authorities and the various actors.

In the recommendation on environmental indicators and information adopted by the OECD Council in 1991, member country governments agreed to ensure through appropriate co-ordination the development of objective, reliable and comparable environmental statistics and information at international level. This was further reinforced in 1998 at the ministerial meeting of the OECD Environment Policy Committee, where member country governments agreed to further improve environmental information and to provide appropriate access to it. In the OECD Council recommendations on material flows and resource productivity adopted in 2004 and 2008, countries agreed to consolidate and improve data collection concerning material flows within and among countries.