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DAC statistics on aid by purpose can be supplemented with information on the policy objectives of aid. Data on aid activities targeting environmental sustainability and gender equality have been collected since 1991. In 1997, data collection methodology was revised. Analyses of the policy objectives on aid should therefore generally focus on aid extended since 1997.
The data are collected using so-called policy objective markers. The characteristics of marker data are described below using environmental sustainability as an example. A more detailed explanation, including the definitions of each marker, can be found in the reporting directives.
Aid targeting environmental sustainability or “environment-oriented aid”
Certain aspects of environmental sustainability can be captured through purpose codes (e.g. biodiversity conservation, biosphere protection, environmental policy and planning). But activities across all economic sectors can be targeted to environmental sustainability. Infrastructure projects designed with integrated environmental protection components, water resources protection or sustainable forest management programmes are examples of typical environment-oriented aid activities that would not have been assigned an environmental purpose code. They can be identified with the help of the environmental sustainability marker.
Environmental sustainability marker data are descriptive rather than quantitative.
An activity can target environmental sustainability either as a “principal objective” or “significant objective”. The score principal (score “2”) means environmental sustainability was an explicit objective of the activity and fundamental in its design (i.e. the activity would not have been undertaken without this objective). The score significant (score “1”) means environmental sustainability was an important, but secondary, objective of the activity (i.e. not one of the principal reasons for undertaking the activity). Analyses of environment-oriented aid should take into consideration both categories, but preferably present each separately as figures for activities with the score “1” are less precise than those with the score “2”. It may happen that only a proportion of an activity scored “1” targets environmental sustainability, whereas the amount recorded in the database relates to the entire activity. (See Chart 1.)
When calculating shares, use the right denominator
The score not targeted (score “0”) means that the activity has been screened against, but was found not be targeted to environmental sustainability. But there are activities for which the field is empty. This means the activity has not been marked. (With a view to reducing the administrative burden, some Members have decided to exclude certain activities from their marker systems.) When examining the share of a donor’s aid that targets environmental sustainability, activities not screened against the objective should be excluded. (See Chart 2.)
Watch out!
An activity can have more than one principal or significant policy objective. To avoid double-counting, users are advised to prepare statistical presentations on one policy objective at a time.
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