Effective metrics help steer transition to sustainability and promote the decoupling of economic performance from intensive use of resources. Sustainability refers to both ecological and social systems. This project applies sustainable competitiveness, a national level concept, to measure the impact of economic performance on both environmental and social sustainability for Ireland (2005–2015) focusing on:
● measurement of the main economic, environmental and social features of a competitive economy;
● identification of the most important Irish competitiveness pillars in terms of key strengths and roadblocks to sustainable competitiveness;
● drivers of ecological innovation by firms (indigenous and multi-national) – such innovation plays a determining role in promoting economic growth that supports the decoupling of economic performance from intensive use of environmental resources.