The OECD “Measuring” monographs on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) are internationally recognised vehicles for communicating analysis of key and novel aspects of science and innovation. They address gaps in the provision and use of STI indicators and serve as reference documents to drive the measurement and analysis agenda for better, evidence-based policies, both at OECD and across its members and partners. Past “Measuring” publications have informed the OECD Innovation Strategy and the Organisation’s monitoring and recommendations on digital transformation, contributing to mainstreaming these policies across government and providing new foundations for measurement and analysis.
Following this model, this “Measuring” publication aims to articulate measurement concepts and provide new statistical insights on the multidimensional contribution of STI to sustainable growth in the context of key energy and green transitions. This goal is also supported by the Declaration on Transformative Science, Technology and Innovation Policies for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future, which was adopted at the meeting of the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP) at the ministerial level in April 2024. One of this declaration’s four pillars focused on “Strengthening the evidence base for STI strategies and policy making”, specifically calling on the “OECD, through the CSTP and in collaboration with other relevant OECD committees” to “provide international statistics, data resources and new evidence on STI systems and policies and their impacts, notably regarding the Sustainable Development Goals and the just and green transitions.” The publication is the result of a project approved by the OECD Committee for Scientific and Technological Policy (CSTP) and included in its Programme of Work and Budget (PWB) 2023-2024.
This report, informed by preparatory work and engagement across OECD bodies and with the International Energy Agency, aims to serve as a reference document for policymakers, statisticians, researchers and the wider public, bringing together a diverse range of data sources and outputs to give a comprehensive and international overview of the channels through which science and innovation systems contribute to sustainable growth. The additional overarching aim is to provide a measurement blueprint to lay the ground for a forward-looking international agenda for continuous improvement in the quality of measurement of sustainability-relevant science and innovation.
Three objectives underpin the overarching aims:
Map and render operational concepts and definitions of “green” science and innovation.
Provide a comprehensive and interconnected (statistical and data-based) view of the STI system’s role as an enabler of the green transition, drawing on available indicators.
Identify knowledge gaps and limitations of existing indicators, showcase experiences demonstrating the feasibility of measurement, and introduce new measurement experiments.