Ecologic Institute again assumed the role of coordinator for the 2013 Indicators Report for a Sustainable San Mateo County. From September 2012 to April 2013, the team gathered data for more than 40 indicators for the 3Es: Economy, Equity, and Environment, which were further enriched by current policy developments, innovative local initiatives, and tips for more sustainable individual behaviors. The report is available for download.

About San Mateo

The 2013 Indicators Report is the 17^th report published by Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) for the county of San Mateo. The county is located between San Francisco in the north and Silicon Valley in the south and is therefore part of one of the most innovative, densely populated and expensive regions in the USA. This leads to tensions between the three pillars of sustainability and as in every year, the 2013 Report provides facts and trends on progress made towards a vibrant economy, an equitable society and a healthy environment.  

This Year's Innovations of the Report

A few innovations were introduced as well. For the first time only the 8-page executive summary was published in print. The main report is now exclusively and freely available on SSMC’s web pages. This saves not only money and resources but also helps to reach out to new audiences, allows for better linkage of indicators, enables the integration of dynamic GIS maps and paves the way to more frequent data updates for 2014.

Key Indicator Income Inequality

The Report contains more than 40 indicators from air quality to waste management and covers a broad spectrum of local sustainability challenges. The key indicator Income Inequality examines the growing discrepancy between top and bottom earners in the USA, the shrinking middle class and the factors that contribute to this trend or are spurred by it. And while the lens focusing on these issues is decidedly local, information on neighboring counties, California and the US as a whole provide interesting comparisons and benchmarks.

Valuable Contributions of Volunteers

The development and production of the report would not have been possible without the contributions of many volunteers including the Mills High School students, dedicated residents and knowledgeable experts. The annual city survey also contributed additional information on local sustainability policies.

The summary [pdf, 2,1 MB, English] as well as the complete report [pdf, 15,7 MB, English] can be downloaded from Sustainable San Mateo County