This report summarises the pilot phase of the Sustainable Penang Initiative, designed to identify issues of sustainable development and recommend policies and strategies. A series of roundtables were organised between late 1997 and mid 1999, each around one of the following themes: ecological sustainability, social justice, economic productivity, cultural vibrancy and popular participation. 50-80 people attended each roundtable, and altogether about 500 participants from a range of backgrounds were involved.

The report starts with an overview of the process and a summary of “good news”, “mixed news”, “challenges” (otherwise known as bad news) and “question marks”. These terms are related to the indicators presented in main body of the report. These indicators are also pulled together in a report card, organised both by theme and by whether their news is good, mixed, etc.
The main body of the report presents the results for each theme in turn. Within each theme, between four and 14 issues are identified, with one or two pages devoted to every issue, including subsections on: Importance; Definition of an Indicator; Facts; Interpretation; Trends; and Linkages. The indicators, usually summarised in a table, are kept simple, though some are more technical (e.g. pH value of rainfall as an indicator of acid rain) and others more evocative (e.g. number of crows as an indicator of unmanaged solid waste). A box is also provided suggesting things for the concerned reader to do.

The report ends with a series of roundtable vision statements, a set of contacts, and a list of all participants.