What’s measured gets managed: Indicators are at the heart of any local sustainability management and governance system. They allow cities to identify strengths and weaknesses and to set priorities accordingly. Indicator sets covering a wide spectrum of environmental, social and economic issues support an integrated approach to local policy-making. They can refer to global frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to European or national sustainability strategies, or to a locally defined set of objectives.

ICLEI offers guidance to local governments in assessing their local sustainability situation, setting measurable targets together with local stakeholders, and evaluating their level of success in achieving them.