Sustainability indicators at HL: The sustainability indicators in this topic work the same for SL and HL. HL just uses more of them, and on bigger topics — measuring change in the HL material on nutrient cycles, freshwater and population.
Don't worry about that yet — just learn what each indicator actually tells you.
Free preview
This is the free notes preview
You're reading the free notes. Aimnova Pro unlocks the full study experience — and you can try it with your first topic free to keep:
- FlashcardsLock in vocabulary and key terms with spaced repetition.
- Practice questionsAnswer exam-style questions and get instant AI marking.
- Mock exams & past-paper vaultSit full mocks and see exactly how examiners award marks.
- Personalised study planA daily plan built around your exam date and weak areas.
Start Studying Free Full access to Aimnova Pro · cancel anytime
Sustainability indicators
Big idea: A sustainability indicator is something you can measure to show how sustainable a place or activity is.
Track it over time → you can see if things are getting better or worse.
Common indicators
- Biodiversity — number and variety of species
- Pollution levels — in air, water and soil
- Human population size and growth rate
- Climate data — CO₂ levels and temperature
- Ecological, carbon and water footprints
Indicators work at any scale — a single school, a city, or the whole planet.
Citizen science: Ordinary people collect environmental data (e.g. counting birds, logging air quality on an app).
Strength: cheap and covers huge areas Limitation: data quality can vary.