RESPONSE-EFFICIENCY-ASSESSMENT: A CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FOR RATING POLICY'S EFFICIENCY TO MEET SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ON THE EXAMPLE OF SOIL SEALING MANAGEMENT

In the field of environmental policy, it is widely accepted that the exploitation of the environment in a rapidly urbanising world needs intervention by policy to meet sustainable development. But which laws, incentives, and awareness raising actions support sustainable development? According to the European Environment Agency, policy-effectiveness can be assessed by evaluating changes in driving forces, pressures, states, responses and impacts. However, these changes can only be measured after implementing responses and often cannot be directly related to specific policies or instruments. Therefore, this article argues that a specific framework is necessary which is introduced by a Response-Efficiency-Assessment (REA). For the methodological approach, the framework is developed through a multi-attribute decision method (MADM) using an analytical hierarchy process (AHP). The framework will be presented using the example of soil sealing management including 48 indicators to assess the efficiency of soil sealing management; one main challenge facing the environmental policy.