To provide data to gauge broad similarities and differences of national progress on sustainability of countries, over time and relative to other nations.

To provide a comparative index of national-level environmental sustainability based on lessons learned from the year 2000 pilot effort.

To provide data that address the key issues of sustainability by combining indicators of human wellbeing with those of environmental sustainability to generate a more comprehensive picture of the state of the world.

To provide a baseline dataset for the evaluation of climate change impact.