Impact measurement · SDPI & ECG
Measuring the common good
If you measure only money, you'll get only money. The SDPI matrix and Economy for the Common Good (ECG) ask a different question: does this organization serve people, nature and future generations - or just shareholders?
Problem
ESG has become greenwashing
Three decades after ESG metrics were introduced, the system has betrayed its own promise. What was supposed to measure a company's impact on the world has turned into a tool for managing investor reputational risk.
Measures the wrong thing
ESG ratings measure risk to the investor - not the actual impact of the company on people, climate or community.
Greenwashing by default
Over 90% of ESG funds hold fossil fuel stocks. 'Sustainable' becomes a marketing term without substance.
No thresholds, no context
Percentages of progress ('we cut emissions by 10%') say nothing if we ignore planetary boundaries and absolute thresholds.
Framework #1 · UNRISD
SDPI - Sustainable Development Performance Indicators
SDPI was developed by the United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) in 2022 as a response to the weaknesses of ESG. It consists of 61 indicators across five dimensions of sustainable development.
The key difference: SDPI uses threshold-based reporting - it measures whether you are within planetary boundaries and social thresholds, not what percentage of progress you have achieved compared to your own past.
01 Economy 02 Environment 03 Society 04 Institutions 05 GovernanceSource: UNRISD Corporate Sustainability Accounting (2022) sdpi.unrisd.org
Framework #2 · ECG
Common Good Matrix
The Economy for the Common Good movement was founded by Austrian economist Christian Felber in 2010. Today it brings together over 4,000 organizations from Europe and Latin America.
The Common Good Matrix measures an organization across 5 values x 4 stakeholders = 20 fields. The result is a 'Common Good Balance Sheet' (0-1000 points) published publicly alongside financial statements.
Click a cell for details
Suppliers Financiers Employees Customers & society Dignity Solidarity Sustainability Justice DemocracySource: Economy for the Common Good - Common Good Matrix 5.2 ecogood.org
Application
Why this matters for the cooperative economy
Cooperatives already have a built-in democratic foundation. The '1 member = 1 vote' rule is a starting point that ECG measures as best practice - what corporations spend years building, cooperatives have by default.
Ethical banks can use SDPI to assess projects instead of pure credit scoring. The question is no longer just 'will the project repay the loan?', but 'does the project contribute to the community, the climate and a just transition?'.
Climate justice becomes measurable. Without frameworks like SDPI, capital flows where ROI is highest. With the framework, capital flows where impact is highest - that is the difference between the market and ethical financial infrastructure.
Practice
What an organization can do tomorrow
Measuring the common good doesn't require expensive consultants or years of preparation. Three simple steps that any cooperative, association or business can start immediately.
01Self-assessment matrix
Download the free ECG matrix, fill it in with your team in a workshop - that alone reveals blind spots and opportunities for change. No external audit is needed for the first iteration.
02Public balance sheet disclosure
Publish the results (even bad ones) on your website alongside financial reports. Transparency is a value in itself - and pressure for continuous improvement.
03Connect with the network
Join the national ECG chapter or UNRISD working groups. The network of 4,000+ organizations shares tools, practices and pressure on regulators.
Tools and resources
Both frameworks are open, free and available in Croatian (ECG) or English (UNRISD). Start with the one that fits your organization's size and focus best.
ECG Matrix UNRISD SDPIMeasure what matters
ZEF builds infrastructure where capital, governance and impact measurement work for the community - not against it. These frameworks are our compass.
Keep exploring
Each of these frameworks lights up a different side of the same question: how can finance and organising serve people and nature instead of the other way around?
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