Filed Under Emerging leaders

Are you ready to innovate for a sustainable future?

Neil McCallum — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:22:13 -0500

Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in Karlskrona, Sweden is looking for prospective students for a Master’s degree in Sustainable Product-Service System Innovation (MSPI). Do you know an engineer, designer or product innovator looking to enhance their skills and expertise?

As our world becomes increasingly complex and the need for more sustainable products and services becomes essential, designers and engineers on the cutting edge of sustainable innovative practices are increasing in demand. Industry needs people who understand what the world wants: innovative products and services delivered in the most sustainable way possible.

At BTH, we believe that combining an overarching approach to socio-ecological sustainability with a disciplined focus on meeting market and human needs through product-service systems is the way of the future, and we are doing our part to show the way. By closely collaborating with our industrial partners (to see our industrial partners click here), we are preparing people to be the next generation of innovators. They will be bringing together engineering, innovation, and sustainability competence through this unique master's programme.

The MSPI programme supports the sustainable development of global economy and society. Check out our programme design here.

The design of the MSPI programme has been done in response to the industrial demand for graduates who can combine engineering competence with sustainability knowledge to help deliver new product-service systems. Therefore this programme is in tight and on-going connection with industries. It is necessary to have a structured overview of the system "society in the biosphere" - and this is exactly what we will share with you in this programme.

More specifically, the academic goals of participating students are to be able to:

Analyze sustainability challenges for an organization in a scientific manner.
Introduce a strategic perspective of sustainability to a product innovation process in a company.
Use new methods and tools, and former engineering specialty, to work with sustainable product and service innovation in industry.
Support a transition towards a more service-oriented economy.

Student Life and Experience

The Master's Programme in Sustainable Product-Service System Innovation (MSPI) is hosted at Campus Gräsvik, in the city of Karlskrona, the capital of Region Blekinge in the south of Sweden. The city is situated on an archipelago and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique naval heritage. The programme is designed in a cohort. Check out the current international cohort of 15 students from 9 countries here. If you are ready to innovate and design in a sustainable way, join us in Sweden for an amazing experience academically, professionally and personally. For more information on student life, click here.

Applicants can contact Tamara Connell (tamara(at)kitesh.org) of Kitesh Leadership Development www.kitesh.org for assistance with your application and scholarship information.

To see more about the programme, please visit the website: http://www.bth.se/mspi.

IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership: APPLICATION DEADLINE FEB. 4, 2011!

Franco Varriano — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:35:49 -0500

What is IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership?

This one-of-a-kind program focuses on empowering university and college students to be real and effective agents for change in their communities, organizations and businesses. Its national scope inspires a diverse range of students with a passion for sustainability and provides a unique blend of talents and skills.

If, in September 2011, you are between the ages of 19 & 25; attending a Canadian university or college in any discipline; and are passionate about sustainability; this unique bilingual program is for you.

Be inspired by key-note speakers including Dr. David Suzuki, work on tangible sustainability solutions with business and academic leaders; and build lasting networks.

All conference, transportation, accommodation and meal expenses are fully covered. Your contribution is one of time and commitment - time to prepare and collaborate prior to the conference and the commitment to stay networked to other outstanding Canadian student leaders and to initiate change in your community.

When: September 15-18, 2011

Where: University of Guelph, ON

Who: 165 university & college students from across Canada

All conference related expenses covered

Application deadline: February 4, 2011

For more information, please click here.

Canada

Youth Leaders have IMPACT! right now.

Youth Storyteller — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:55:09 -0400

Thank you to Katja Macura, our volunteer storyteller, for capturing this story and photos during the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training program in Vancouver.

“…young people aren’t just the leaders of tomorrow, they’re the leaders of today. Their voices matter…the things they do now can have a tremendous impact to change the world, right now.” (Justin Trudeau, Globe and Mail, September 26, 2012)

These words were shared by Josh Snider, Manager of Communications at The Natural Step Canada and one of the facilitators of the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training Program held in Vancouver, BC, on September 28-29, 2012. He read them at an evening networking event where eager program participants were able to meet local social entrepreneurs and community leaders. Justin Trudeau’s timely words on youth leadership describe the reason this program is so important, and were exemplified in person by the attendees of this workshop.

The IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training workshops are put on across Canada by The Co-operators, The Natural Step Canada, and generous local supporters. The training is available to students aged 19-25 years old and is focused on developing individual leadership potential, as well as tangible sustainability projects in the community. Based on the participants I met in Vancouver, the project is meeting its goals. The energetic and thoughtful participation of these youth leaders (and make no mistake, they are all passionate leaders!) culminated in clear next steps for each participant.

Workshop facilitators, Josh Snider, Tamara Connell, and Sarah Brooks guided participants through two days of training that included sustainability education and the importance of a systems-based approach; the potential of co-operative business models; and practical lessons in developing a project that included tips on funding and budgeting, all the way through to engagement and project management. In addition to learning about practical ways to move sustainability projects forward, the participants I talked to really appreciated the opportunity to connect with one another, as well as with experienced change agents and business people.

Collectively, participants reflected on the need to demonstrate individual leadership; ways to engage, connect, and collaborate to create an atmosphere for action; the importance of the human side of sustainability; and their personal ability to make an impact by starting anywhere. As the designated storyteller for this event, I witnessed thoughtful dialogue and spontaneous collaboration between participants. This included everything from sharing resources and ideas, to the potential for cross-campus collaboration for greater project impact. These inspiring leaders were putting their learning into action on the spot.

The end result was best summed up by the participants themselves, who identified the traits of a good change agent: persistence, strategic thinking, dedication, talent, passion, and a commitment to collaboration. These are traits all the Vancouver IMPACT! Champions exhibited in the 2-days I spent with them. It was truly inspiring to meet these youth leaders and I look forward to seeing the positive impacts they will make in our world—starting right now.

Learn more about the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training program, including our upcoming sessions across Canada, or contact us at emergingleaders(at)naturalstep.ca or 613.748.3001 x236 to get involved.

Canada

1-day training in The Natural Step for MBA students at HEC (Montreal, QC)

Josh Snider — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:20:28 -0500

Start: Mar 26 2011 - 9:00am

End: Mar 26 2011 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Please note the revised date for this event.

The Natural Step Canada's Anouk Bertner, the Manager of our Emerging Leaders Program, will be delivering a 1-day training session on March 26 at HEC Montreal, an international business school. The training will explain The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, analyze a case study where The Framework has been applied successfully, and lead students through our sustainability visioning process.

There are still a few spots available. Please contact Sarthak Mittal, Net Impact HEC Director, if you are interested in attending.

About HEC Montreal

HEC Montréal is an international business school whose exceptional teaching and research, combined with its relevance and drive for innovation, have allowed it to stand out from the pack since 1907.

With an openness to globalization, HEC Montréal is dedicated to fostering ongoing leadership in teaching, research, technology and multilingualism in order to prepare students for their future roles as managers and management experts, and, ultimately, to help them become active contributors to society.An appreciation of the world’s cultures, ethical behaviour, academic excellence, leadership and an enterprising spirit are just a few of the qualities that HEC Montréal tries to instil in its students.

Learn more about HEC Montreal...

Canada

Axiom News: Natural Step Bootcamp Trains MBA Students to be Sustainability Leaders

Josh Snider — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 15:43:22 -0400

30 MBA Students from across Canada convene for 5-day experiential learning

On the fourth day of a five-day Sustainability Leadership bootcamp hosted by The Natural Step Canada, some of the 30 MBA students attending were asking for more homework and longer days.

According to The Natural Step principal adviser Pong Leung, this is one example of how the organization that helps companies embed sustainability into their operations was able to achieve its goal of engaging a critical stakeholder group — future leaders of tomorrow.

“The passion and the energy of the students I think were really amazing,” says Pong, adding it was one of the reasons The Natural Step wanted to engage business students who are already interested in sustainability practices.

Held in Calgary, the first-ever Sustainability Leadership Bootcamp took place Feb. 22-26 and saw business students from across the country convene to learn from The Natural Step about how to become sustainability champions in their future workplaces.

The bootcamp used a teaching approach called dialogue education, which recognizes people learn best when they’re engaged in the material they are trying to understand. Students were both participants and educators, learning through dialogue, visuals, touch and group work.

“We find it very powerful to honour the knowledge in the room,” says Pong, adding the learning approach also gets away from traditional PowerPoints.

Students would learn theory and then be asked to apply the knowledge to real-world challenges.

The event was sponsored by three of Canada’s largest energy companies Suncor, Cenovus and ENMAX, who participated by sharing the sustainability challenges they were grappling with.

For Ashley Hilkewich, who is an MBA Student at Schulich School of Business, the opportunity to sit down with a company’s leaders to co-create sustainability action plans was valuable.

“We’re all finishing up MBAs so sometimes it can get really academic and this was a really practical look at how you take these concepts about sustainable and responsible business and actually put them into practice,” says Ashley.

“It’s not very often you get to sit down with the VP and see how they are trying to tackle (a sustainability challenge).”

Ashley says the experience helped prepare her to view sustainability as a long dialogue as opposed to something she can jump into and change right away.

“It’s really more about being a change agent more so than anything and we we’re given a lot of good insights and training on how to start those conversations and make that happen,” she says.

Bob Willard, a board member at The Natural Step Canada and author of Sustainability Champions, presented on the final day of the bootcamp. Bob, who was named a leading thinker on corporate responsibility by The Globe and Mail, shared what can derail sustainability initiatives, as well as tools to gain organizational buy-in.

For Houston Peschl, who is an operations manager at DIRTT Environmental Solutions, hearing Bob’s experience was “phenomenal” and taught him new approaches he can use in his work.

While DIRTT is already a progressive organization, Houston says its clients, which include Facebook, Google and Bank of America, are demanding increasingly high-levels of sustainability and proof of the practices.

“Bob’s ability to start moving some of these processes was very valuable and he presented it in a very simple non-complex format,” says Houston, adding business must embrace its role in leading sustainability.

"Business has to be a leader in this, and businesses that don’t are going to go the way of the dodo bird."

The Natural Step plans to run future Sustainability Leadership bootcamps in Toronto and Montreal later this year.

Written by Camille Jensen for Axiom News.

Canada

Backcasting to the Future Podcast by Steppin' Off the Edge

Stephanie Mindorff — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:36:41 -0500

Recently, The Natural Step Canada’s Karen Miller sat down with Jamie of Steppin’ off the Edge to record a podcast on sustainability.

To listen to the podcast in full, please click here.

Jamie wanted to understand more about the areas of environmentalism and sustainability, so he took the opportunity to step off the edge with Karen Miller, Junior Advisor for The Natural Step Canada. The podcast explored some critical philosophies like backcasting, cradle-to-cradle design, and what types of questions to ask yourself when making decisions–either as an individual or part of an organization–in order to approach living a truly sustainable existence.

As Jamie writes, “the other show highlights include how to embed sustainability into corporate culture, build momentum for change, avoid getting greenwashed, and understand the economic engines of society operate through the lens of sustainability. I close out the episode with some examples of backcasting in action, including Zeitgeist: Moving Forward. While some have rightly suggested this thought provoking piece of media has a few glaring issues, it is still something I feel everyone should watch.”

To listen to the podcast, please click here. You can also download the podcast from iTunes by searching for: Steppin off the edge.

The Natural Step Canada would like to thank Jamie for putting together a great podcast.

Canada

Blekinge Institute of Technology MSLS Program Scholarship Available

Anouk Bertner — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 21:29:09 -0400

As part of our commitment to sustainability leadership, The Natural Step Canada is pleased to be able to offer one scholarship of Cdn $5,000 for one Canadian applicant to the Master's in Strategic Leadership Toward Sustainabilitiy (MSLS) programme at the Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in Karlskrona, Sweden for the academic year 2011-2012. The scholarship is to help cover general expenses associated with participation in the program.

The Natural Step’s Emerging Leaders program aims to provide students and recent graduates with sustainability tools, training and practical experience. “We think the MSLS program at Blekinge Institute of Technology is one of the greatest programs we’ve seen,” says The Natural Step Canada’s Emerging Leaders Manager Anouk Bertner. “It’s alumni are articulate advocates for sustainability and strategic practitioners. We think they are the best sustainability professionals and champions in Canada and we are pleased to be able to support the program in this way.”

If you are a Canadian student applying for the 2011-2012 year, please download the scholarship application instructions here. The deadline is April 13, 2011.

Canada

Confessions of a Natural Step Intern

Stephanie Mindorff — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:35:28 -0500

An internship at The Natural Step Canada is far from ordinary. There’s no stapling, no photocopying, and besides a few hours of replacing the office address on some print materials, there’s nothing stereotypically “intern” about this experience.

My (Stephanie) experience is vastly different from that of Kara, the other intern also hired though the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program. Since January, I took on the online voice of The Natural Step Canada through their social media outlets and the blog. Kara was responsible for an overhaul of The Natural Step Canada’s award-winning eLearning course. We were both working online but with vastly different platforms.

Kara and I have written about our experiences, which we are excited to share with you.

Stephanie Mindorff, Social Media Coordinator:

I feel like I should start at the end and go backwards—tying everything together like one of those terribly confusing movies. I ended this internship by reading the Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken. In retrospect, I should have started it this way. During my Masters, a friend of mine told me about a book while we were chatting on the beach in Surfers Paradise, Australia. Little did I know that I would, less than a year later, be involved with the organization that moves this environmental revolution.

I worked on several projects during my time. These were (and still are) ongoing. I drafted a social media strategy and put my spin on the blog strategy that has had the magic touch from several interns over the past year.

I was also able to work on the blog—drafting stories, finding news of interest to rebroadcast to our readers, and publishing upcoming events. I utilized this time to also start a weekly section on the blog called “What We’re Reading”—a compilation of stories, articles, and resources that staff around our office are reading or working on at the moment. Over the past few weeks we uncovered some great stories that I was delighted to be able to share with you.

Being able to share my opinion, participate in meetings, and being given the opportunity to run with ideas made this experience unlike any other. Like I said, no photocopying and filing here. My thoughts and opinions were not only asked for, they were valued. Not many interns can say that.

The first day I started I knew I stumbled onto something great. Unlike the majority of the office, my background wasn’t in sustainability. I have always enjoyed ‘green’ initiatives, but my knowledge of sustainability went about as deep as that conversation I had on the beach. Because of that, I was able to look at The Natural Step with a fresh perspective. As I was only with the organization for a short time, I was never able to get knee deep in The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (people spend years working to get to that point), but I was able to brush the surface. I’m happy to have been afforded the opportunity to work in such an organization and truly appreciate the opportunity from the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program.

My bio is posted here and my final report can be found here.

Like I said, at The Natural Step Canada no two experiences are the same. Kara’s experience was vastly different from mine. Take it from her…

Kara Stonehouse, eLearning Research Associate:

Belting out a terrible rendition of a Kelly Clarkson hit was not how I envisioned my first day as an intern at The Natural Step Canada, but then again, The Natural Step Canada is no ordinary organization. You see, there are a few things the people at this organization know that I wish more workplaces and individuals would grasp with such clarity.

At The Natural Step Canada, they know regular karaoke and potluck parties and pizza lunches keep the team talking happily and getting along. They know that giving employees the option of working from home some days keeps busy parents from burning out. The Executive Director knows when to be strong and when to be flexible and make changes. The program officers know when to get it done and when to “Let go and move on!” The staff know their work has meaning and makes a positive difference for communities and businesses. My supervisor, Alex, knew that if he gave me the reins on the project, with his support and guidance, I could lead meetings and gain confidence to do my best.

I knew a few things, too. Like, that if I spend some time getting to know the contractors personally, the process can flow more smoothly because we trust each other and are comfortable asking questions. I feel like my work on the eLearning course has made a great difference in the quality of the learning experience.

Here is a link to the eLearning home page.

I guess it is not about ‘knowledge’ after all. What I really appreciated about this internship was the wisdom of the team. What inspires me is this courage to live a life that creates the world we want. I am very thankful to the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program for making this experience possible and I highly recommend other young people interested in sustainability to apply for internships with The Natural Step Canada.

Kara’s bio is posted here and her final report can be found here.

The Natural Step Canada would like to express our sincere gratitude to the YMCA’s Youth Eco Internship Program for the funding opportunity which allows us to increase our capacity to accelerate change toward sustainability in Canada and throughout the world.

Canada

Développement Durable pour les Leaders - Niveau 1 (Montréal, QC)

Saralyn Hodgkin — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 08:00:41 -0400

Start: Oct 11 2011 - 8:30am

End: Oct 12 2011 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Découvrez et appliquez les concepts de base du développement durable en vous inscrivant pour les cours « Développement durable pour les leaders – niveau 1 : fondations » offert par The Natural Step Canada. Inscription ferme : 7 octobre 2011!

Ce cours interactif de deux jours ce base sur vingt ans d’expérience pratique et de résultats obtenus par des leaders en développement durable. Les gradués de ce cours seront capable d’expliquer et d’appliquer la démarche The Natural Step au bénéfice de leur commerce, communauté, ou même organisation et seront également capables de prendre un rôle de leadership sur le chemin de développement durable.

Pour en savoir plus :

Quels sont les dates clés?
Ce cours s'applique à qui?
Existe t-il des pré-requis?
Quelle est la durée du cours?
Quels sont les objectifs d’apprentissage?
Quel est le coût?
Lieu
Qu’est-ce que vous allez obtenir?
Notre approche envers l’apprentissage
Prochaine étape?
Questions?
Inscription

Quels sont les dates clés?

Dates du cours : 11-12 octobre 2011
Inscription ferme : 7 octobre 2011

Ce cours s'applique à qui?

Ce cours vise les individus intéressés par le développement durable existant autant qu’émergeant qui veulent accroître leurs connaissances, capacités et outils pour pouvoir entreprendre une approche stratégique, systématique envers la communication, la planification et la gestion de leurs initiatives durables.

Existe t-il des pré-requis?
Non.

Quelle est la durée du cours?

Deux jours d’apprentissage en groupe (agenda exemplaire)
Une heure d’apprentissage en-ligne

Quels sont les objectifs d’apprentissage?

Dans ce cours vous allez :

Décrire les opportunités et les risques de développement durable existant pour les entreprises, les communautés et les organisations
Écouter des histoires et des études de cas provenant des leaders d’organisations déjà sur le trajet de développement durable
Appliquer les étapes clés de la méthodologie ABCD de The Natural Step pour la planification du développement durable en utilisant une étude de cas
Présenter les concepts centraux du cadre The Natural Step par une courte présentation et recevez des commentaires rétroactifs de vos pairs
Développer une stratégie pour promouvoir d’une manière efficace le développement durable auprès de votre commerce, communauté, ou organisation
Réfléchir sur la manière dont le cadre The Natural Step peux vous aider à prendre un rôle de leader sur le trajet envers le développement durable

Quel est le coût?

Prix normal : 750 $ + taxes
Prix pour les membres du réseau The Natural Step Exchange et partenaires : 600 $ + taxes

Un rabais supplémentaire de 10 % est applicable pour les organisations qui inscrivent 3 participants ou plus (ce rabais s’applique directement lors de votre inscription en ligne).

Lieu

Maison du développement durable, 50 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, Montréal , QC (Carte)

Qu’est-ce que vous allez obtenir?

Les frais incluent :

Un atelier de deux jours personnalisé, facilité par nos conseillers de développement durable (inclus le dîner, collations, breuvages et tous les matériaux du cours)
Une licence d’un an pour notre cours d’apprentissage virtuel reconnu-Sustainability101
Un abonnement avec The Natural Step Exchange, notre réseau exclusif national de professionnels en développement durable

Notre approche envers l’apprentissage

Les programmes d’apprentissage en développement durable The Natural Step sont crés en utilisant une approche d’éducation basée sur le dialogue pour faciliter l’apprentissage. Vous allez avoir la chance de participer activement dans votre apprentissage, ce qui vous permettra de l’appliquer dans des cas réels, de transférer vos connaissances envers votre commerce, votre communauté, ou votre organisation. Les présentations sont courtes et au point et vous permettent l’opportunité de réfléchir au sujet du contenu que vous apprenez.

Prochaine étape?

Développement durable pour les leaders – niveau deux : praticiens.

Questions?

Veuillez contactez Alexandre Magnin par courriel amagnin(at)naturalstep.ca ou composez le 613.748.3001 x233.

Pour plus d’information au sujet de ce cours ou pour vous inscrire...

The Natural Step Canada uses the services of GiftTool to handle our secure online registrations and donations. Learn more about their privacy policy and security policy.

Canada

Emerging leader Kyle Ford helps bring sustainability vision to Ontario Pioneer Camp!

Anouk Bertner — Tue, 24 May 2011 10:04:17 -0400

Kyle Ford, who recently graduated from the Master’s in Environment and Sustainability Program at the University of Western Ontario, teamed up with The Natural Step and has helped Ontario Pioneer Camp become a leader in sustainable camp programming. After working with The Natural Step's Emerging Leaders Program, Kyle has shown outstanding leadership in creating a vision of sustainability and implementing an action plan that is spreading throughout the camp. Check out this video to see how the Ontario Pioneer Camp has fit sustainability into their camp activities and how they’ve embedded sustainability into their culture.

If Kyle’s story and experiences with implementing a sustainability plan at Ontario Pioneer Camp has inspired you, please visit our Emerging Leaders webpage and contact me to find out more about working with the Emerging Leaders Program.

Canada

Emerging Leaders Exchange: Sustainability Careers in Canada (Sustainability Dialogue)

Neil McCallum — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:03:08 -0400

Start: Sep 8 2011 - 4:30pm

End: Sep 8 2011 - 6:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Five young professionals in sustainability from coast to coast of Canada will be sharing their experience working for municipalities, industry and university. What would be your ideal sustainability career? Emerging Leaders participants will share their challenges and ask questions to the young professionals.

Lea Thout, Sustainability Commission Manager, City of Rossland, BC
Marie Jurcevic, CSR Advisor working with the extractive industries, Calgary, AB
Antoine Beliof, Director of Innovation, Metrolinx, Toronto, ON
Laura Rhodes, McGill University, past Food Systems Administrator, moving on to a Law degree, Montreal, QC
Laura MacPherson, ICSP Implementation Coordinator, City of Charlottetown, PE

For more information and to participate, please contact Kara Stonehouse at kstonehouse(at)naturalstep.ca.

The Emerging Leaders Exchange (Elex) is for young people who have had training in The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, to connect and learn from each other about being a sustainability champion in Canada. This year is a pilot year of five dialogues up to November 2011 with continued membership in the The Natural Step Exchange up to April 2012. The 2011 funding is provided by Trillium Foundation to offer this amazing growth opportunity for free to the Emerging Leaders.

Would you like to fund The Emerging Leaders Exchange 2012? If so contact Colin Baril cbaril(at)naturalstep.ca.

Would you like to be in the Emerging Leader’s Exchange starting April 2012? Fill in this form to get on the Emerging Leaders mailing list for updates.

Emerging Leaders Exchange Pilot 2011

July 14, 2011	Meet and greet, share our experiences, identify shared challenges and learning opportunities
August 11, 2011	Sustainability Metrics : How do we measure our social impact?
September 8, 2011	Day in the life of a sustainability practitioner - hear five speakers from across Canada share their experiences as professional sustainability practitioners. (Municipal, business, and academic examples)
October 13, 2011	Inspirational webinar and discussion with a young Canadian entrepreneur, Tatiana Glad, cofounder of Waterlution and The social innovation HUB Amsterdam.
November 10, 2011	Work on articulating and drawing your personal vision as a sustainability champion

Canada

Featured Project: The Co-operators, an Industry Change Agent

Josh Snider — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:41:26 -0400

The Opportunity

The sustainability challenge, and most notably climate change, clearly presents a fundamental risk and opportunity for the insurance industry. In 2006, The Co-operators officially acknowledged these risks to their business and recognized an opportunity to play a crucial role in society’s transition to a sustainable future.

The Response

In 2006, The Co-operators invited The Natural Step Canada to help the organization integrate sustainability into its strategic planning. With a bold vision to be “a catalyst for a sustainable society,” The Co-operators charted a new strategic direction that would earn them the top spot on Corporate Knights Magazine’s 2011 list of “Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada.” The organization has also been named among “Canada’s Green 30” companies by Maclean’s Magazine, and has been listed consistently among the “50 Best Employers in Canada” by AON Hewitt.

The Process

In 2007, with a bold vision in place, the first phase of The Co-operators’ sustainability strategy was about laying the groundwork to embed sustainability within the organization. To that end, The Natural Step Canada worked in partnership with Strandberg Consulting to help The Co-operators develop a sustainability strategy that included an analysis of The Co-operators’ operations, stakeholders, and products and services using The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. The assessment highlighted sustainability challenges, transition guidelines, and opportunities for innovation, giving The Co-operators a clear snapshot of their current reality.

With a sound understanding of their sustainability challenges and a baseline against which to evaluate progress, The Co-operators achieved a number of significant milestones that represented great strides in the early stages of their sustainability journey. By the end of 2011, the introduction of an electronic claims management system saw paperless claims increase from zero to 60%, audits conducted remotely moved from zero to 50%, the claims fleet was reduced by 61%, and kilometres travelled for claims were reduced by 32%.

The company then turned its attention toward how it could achieve its vision to become a catalyst for a sustainable society. With assistance from The Natural Step Canada, they developed a 2011-2014 Sustainability Strategy that outlined six key focus areas that The Co-operators have labeled: Our People, Our Clients, Our Governance & Operations, Our Investments, Our Relationships, and Our Public Voice. These focus areas have been defined specifically to support the achievement of The Co-operators’ vision of success, serving as a strong example of the strategic process of “backcasting” that is fundamental to The Natural Step’s approach to sustainability.

Other notable outcomes that have resulted from the partnership between The Co-operators and The Natural Step Canada since 2006 include: the development of a tool to assess the sustainability impacts of various insurance products, the development of a one-hour bilingual eLearning course on sustainability for employee training, and ongoing co-leadership in delivering IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership across Canada.

Through the ongoing integration of sustainability into its governance, operations, culture, communications, and products and services, The Co-operators continues to establish its role, purpose, and reputation as a groundbreaking insurance company that is affecting meaningful change toward sustainability.

The Feedback

“Having The Natural Step’s framework, principles, and planning process gave us the rigor we needed to come out with a strong sustainability policy and vision. We really had the opportunity to embed this within the organization.”

-Barbara Turley-McIntyre, Director of Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship, The Co-operators

Learn more about The Natural Step Canada’s Service Path for Sustainable Business and how we can help your business develop a bold sustainability vision, strategy, and action plan. Please contact us to discuss your unique needs or join our next FREE Introduction to Strategic Sustainability for Business in Canada webinar.

View full case study here.

Canada

Four words to change the world: "I believe in you"

Kara Stonehouse — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:41:34 -0500

When I recall what prompted me to become a leader for sustainability, I know for sure, it was my mentor at my first job at Wingspan Design. Mike McGuire saw that I cared about people and the planet and he said to me: "You care about the environment, right? Why don’t you develop our environmental policy here?"

I hadn’t really thought about it that much before, but I thought, well yes, I care about the environment. He pointed me to a server file full of resources that he had collected over the years. As I read more into the topic I realized how huge and important sustainability is for me and for everyone. I decided that, yes, this is the cause worth giving my life to.

Mike saw something in me that I didn’t yet see clearly in myself. I knew I wanted to do something good, but he offered me a direction to focus, some resources, and most importantly, his belief in my ability and heart.

In the Emerging Leaders program we find that a lot of our champions get started with us because an adult they respect and trust saw something in them and encouraged them to get involved.

So if you are looking for something easy to do that will make a big difference, just utter four simple words to a young person who you think has great potential:

"I believe in you."

There are a few spaces left in our IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training in Toronto this month. We have an excellent program with on-line learning in advance, two days of expert training in leadership and sustainability project planning, plus four months of follow-up with mentors. To boot, funding is available to support the champions participants in realizing their sustainability dreams.

We are very thankful to our generous coaches and mentors such as Bob Willard, sustainability expert and author; Karen Farbridge, the Mayor of Guelph; Victoria Goodday, an executive at Corporate Knights magazine; and various university professors and sustainability professionals who are donating their time to support future leaders.

Please encourage people aged 19-30 to apply by March 11.

You will make a real difference in their life... and yours.

Email Marketing You Can Trust

Canada

Hire a graduate sustainability student for a co-op placement in your organization this summer

Josh Snider — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 17:02:21 -0500

This summer, hire a competent, hard-working University of Western Ontario (UWO) Master's in Environment and Sustainability graduate student to support your organization in moving toward sustainability. The Natural Step Canada will mentor and train 10 students, one of whom could create a sustainability plan for your organization.

Job descriptions are due by February 10, 2011, through the University of Western Ontario’s CareerCentral. Post a position for your organization today or contact Anouk Bertner, the Manager of Natural Step Canada's Emerging Leaders program, for more information.

About UWO's Master's in Environment and Sustainability (MES) Co-op Program

There’s more to Sustainability than recycling, but what else can you do not only to make your business less harmful to the environment - but to take advantage of the strategic benefits of sustainability? The University of Western Ontario and the Centre for Environment & Sustainability would like to highlight one of their newest summer co-op programs.

The Master's in Environment & Sustainability (MES) is an interdisciplinary, one-year, course-based program at The University of Western Ontario, which uses project-based learning to enhance the graduate student's skill-set, in preparation for a career in the environmental field. This relatively new program has a requirement of completing a four-month summer co-op.

Learn more about the MES Co-op Program...

Canada

IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training for Emerging Leaders

Josh Snider — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:34:17 -0500

(Le texte français suit)

INTRODUCTION

Young people care deeply about the fate of the planet, its people, and their future. Given the opportunity, youth have great power to influence positive change in their communities. The IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training program is a call to passionate, motivated youth who are looking for an opportunity to make a difference.

The Co-operators and The Natural Step Canada are partnering to offer the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training across Canada.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This is an incredible opportunity for students aged 19-25 across Canada who care about sustainability and want to make a difference in their community. Participants will deepen their sustainability understanding, enhance their confidence as leaders, and be empowered to develop or advance meaningful sustainability projects.

This inspiring program is a high-impact initiative that builds the capacity of young leaders to act strategically to address the environmental, social, and economic challenges facing their communities. Through the program, youth develop and implement new projects, or take a leadership role to scale up existing projects, to effectively respond to these issues. Together, the participants will help build healthy and vibrant communities.

The program is anchored by a 2-day in-person workshop in several regions across Canada. Following the training, each participant is expected to develop and implement a local sustainability project that will help transform and better their community. Participants receive top-notch training, project development tools, as well as mentorship for 4 months following the workshop to ensure their community projects have the highest chance of success and fit within the context of a sustainable future. Participants will also have exclusive access to apply for project seed funding from The Co-operators’ IMPACT! Fund and will be connected with other funding opportunities.

PROGRAM INCLUDES

Participants accepted into in the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training program will:

Complete an award-winning Sustainability 101 eLearning course.
Participate in a two-day training workshop to enhance their sustainability understanding, leadership capacity, and project management skills.
Receive a suite of tools and resources to help plan and implement their sustainability projects.
Be matched with an experienced mentor to coach and guide their sustainability project efforts (optional).
Develop a business and action plan for their sustainability project (using a robust template introduced through the program).
Gain an exclusive opportunity to apply for up to $5,000 of seed funding for their project from The Co-operators’ IMPACT! Fund.
Plan and implement a new sustainability project in their community (or advance an existing one).
Contribute to the exclusive online IMPACT! Platform to connect with their peers, share resources, report on progress, discuss lessons learned, celebrate achievements, and plan next steps for their projects.
Connect with peers and community leaders at in-person networking events.

For further program details, please see:

Program-at-a-glance (sample)
Workshop agenda (sample)

APPLICATION

We aim to make the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training as accessible and inclusive as possible. The highly-subsidized participant cost is only a $50 commitment fee, and entrance fee bursaries are available based on need. All participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements and costs.

To ensure a quality learning environment, participation is limited and all students between the ages of 19-25 in the region are invited to apply.

LOCATIONS

Click on the city links to see specific details for that training:

City	Date of Training	Application Deadline
Montreal, QC	March 8-9, 2013	February 17, 2013
Vancouver, BC	April 26-27, 2013	April 7, 2013
Ottawa, ON	September 27-28, 2013	September 8, 2013
Guelph, ON	November 15-16, 2013	October 27, 2013

QUESTIONS

If you have any questions about the program, please contact Josh Snider, Manager, Youth Sustainability Leadership, at jsnider(at)naturalstep(dot)ca or 613.748.3001 x230.

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD…

Twitter: Students: Gain training, network, tools, mentorship & $ 2 lead #sustainability projects http://bit.ly/impactchamps #IMPACTchampions
Facebook/LinkedIn: Incredible opportunity for students in Canada: Gain training, network, tools, mentorship & funding to lead sustainability projects. Apply @ http://bit.ly/impactchamps.

This project is brought to you in partnership by:

This project has been generously funded in part by the following local supporters:

This event uses 100% renewable energy

The Natural Step Canada's events, courses, and workshops have been generously supplied with 100% renewable energy by our partner Bullfrog Power. Learn more about Bullfrog's green electricity option.

##########

IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable

(See English version above)

INTRODUCTION

Les jeunes se soucient grandement du sort de la planète, de ses habitants et de leur avenir. Lorsqu’on leur en donne l’occasion, ils ont le pouvoir d’amener des changements positifs dans leur collectivité. Le programme IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable est un appel aux jeunes passionnés et motivés qui cherchent une occasion de laisser leur marque.

Co-operators et The Natural Step Canada se sont associées pour offrir le programme IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable à travers le Canada.

SURVOL DU PROGRAMME

Il s’agit là d’une occasion incroyable pour les étudiants de 19 à 25 ans à travers le Canada qui se soucient du développement durable et qui veulent améliorer leur milieu de vie. Les participants y approfondiront leurs connaissances sur le développement durable, renforceront leur confiance à titre de chefs de file et se donneront les moyens de réaliser ou de poursuivre un projet de développement durable important.

Cet inspirant programme aura une incidence importante dans la collectivité et renforcera la capacité des jeunes chefs de file à agir de façon stratégique pour résoudre les problèmes environnementaux, sociaux et économiques auxquels sont confrontées les collectivités. En participant au programme, les jeunes élaborent de nouveaux projets ou mettent à profit leur rôle pour créer des projets en cours qui portent sur ces grandes questions. Ensemble, les participants contribuent à bâtir des collectivités saines et vivantes.

Le programme est axé sur un atelier de formation en personne d’une durée de deux jours dans plusiers régions à travers le Canada. Dans le cadre de la formation, chaque participant sera invité à concevoir et à mettre en œuvre un projet de développement durable dans sa région, afin de transformer et d’améliorer sa collectivité. Les participants recevront une formation de premier plan, des outils pour l’élaboration de leur projet et du mentorat pendant les quatre mois suivant l’atelier, pour que leur projet dans la collectivité ait toutes les chances de réussir et qu’il s’inscrive dans le contexte d’un avenir viable. Les participants auront aussi la possibilité exclusive de faire une demande de financement de leur projet auprès du Fonds IMPACT! de la Fondation Co-operators et de profiter d’autres occasions de financement.

PROGRAMME INCLUT

Les participants acceptés au programme IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable :

Suivront le cours primé Principes du développement durable, offert en ligne.
Participeront à un atelier de formation de deux jours pour approfondir leurs connaissances sur le développement durable et renforcer leur confiance et leurs compétences en gestion de projets.
Recevront une gamme d’outils et de ressources qui les aideront à planifier et à mettre en place leur projet de développement durable.
Feront un suivi avec un mentor chevronné qui les accompagnera et les guidera tout au long de la réalisation du projet de développement durable (facultatif).
Élaboreront un plan d’affaires et un plan d’action pour leur projet de développement durable (au moyen d’un modèle éprouvé, présenté au cours du programme).
Bénéficieront de l’occasion exclusive d’obtenir du financement (maximum de 5 000 $) pour leur projet, offert par le Fonds IMPACT! de la Fondation Co-operators.
Planifieront et mettront en place un nouveau projet de développement durable dans leur collectivité (ou poursuivront un projet en cours).
Contribueront au réseau virtuel exclusif IMPACT! pour rester en contact avec leurs pairs, partager des ressources, rendre compte de leurs progrès, discuter des leçons apprises, faire connaître leurs réalisations et planifier les prochaines étapes de leurs projets.
Resteront en contact avec leurs pairs et les leaders de la collectivité lors des activités de réseautage en personne.

Pour obtenir plus de précisions sur le programme, veuillez cliquer sur les liens ci-après :

Survol du programme (version échantillon)
Plan de l’atelier (version échantillon)

INSCRIVEZ-VOUS

Nous souhaitons rendre le programme IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable aussi accessible et abordable que possible. Le coût de participation, fortement subventionné, est de 50 $ seulement pour les participants et des bourses sont offertes au besoin pour le paiement de ces frais. Il incombe à chaque participant de prendre les dispositions nécessaires pour le transport et l’hébergement, qui sont à sa charge.

Pour assurer un milieu propice à l’apprentissage, le nombre de participants est limité et tous les étudiants de la région âgés de 19 à 25 ans sont invités à s’inscrire.

ENDROITS

Cliquez sur les liens des villes pour les détails particuliers de cette formation :

Ville	Date de la formation	Échéance de la demande
Montréal (QC)	8-9 mars 2013	10 février 2013
Vancouver (C-B)	26-27 avril 2013	7 avril 2013
Ottawa (ON)	27-28 septembre 2013	8 septembre 2013
Guelph (ON)	15-16 novembre 2013	27 octobre 2013

QUESTIONS

Si vous avez des questions sur le programme, veuillez communiquer avec Josh Snider, directeur du Programme jeunesse de leadership en développement durable, à l’adresse jsnider(à)naturalstep(point)ca ou au numéro 613-748-3001, poste 230.

AIDEZ-NOUS À PASSER LE MOT…

Twitter : Étudiant(e)s à travers le Canada : Profitez de formation, résautage, outils et mentorat pour vos projets en #durabilité http://bit.ly/impactchamps
Facebook/LinkedIn : Occasion pour les étudiant(e)s à travers le Canada de profiter de formation, réseautage, outils et mentorat pour diriger des projets en développement durable. Faites demande à http://bit.ly/impactchamps.

Ce projet vous est présenté grâce au partenariat de :

Ce projet a été généreusement financé en partie par les supporteurs locaux suivants :

Ce cours utilise 100% d’énergie renouvelable

Les événements, cours et ateliers de Natural Step Canada sont généreusement alimentés en énergie renouvelable par notre partenaire Bullfrog Power. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus sur les options d’énergie verte de Bullfrog (en anglais).

Canada

IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training Program for Emerging Leaders (Edmonton, AB)

Neil McCallum — Sat, 05 May 2012 11:21:09 -0400

Start: Jun 21 2012 - 9:00am

End: Jun 22 2012 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Mountain

(Le texte français suit)

Are you:

A student between the ages of 19 and 25? OR an IMPACT! Alumni?
Passionate about the fate of our planet and its people?
Ready to do more to champion sustainability in your community?

Then you are invited to apply to be part of the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training in Edmonton on June 21-22, 2012.

The Co-operators and The Natural Step Canada are partnering to offer you the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training, a series of two-day trainings offered across Canada, focused in two areas: realizing your leadership potential and developing your sustainability project using The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. After the training, you’ll be partnered with a sustainability professional for four months of personal mentorship.

This complete program includes:

Two days of sustainability and leadership training, with passionate sustainability champions
Feedback on your project from peers and mentors during the training
Staying connected with fellow participants and IMPACT! alumni on the IMPACT! community website
Mentoring from a sustainability professional for four months after the training
Reunion event four months after the training to discuss progress and lessons learned
Eligibility to apply for IMPACT! Funding once a year

To ensure a quality learning environment, participation is limited to 30 spaces in each city. The participant cost is only a $50 commitment fee and entrance fee bursaries are available based on need. All participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements and costs. To ensure a quality learning environment, participation is limited to 30 spaces. So don’t delay, apply today!

The deadline for Edmonton applications is May 31, 2012 and we will continue to accept applications until the workshop is full.

This project has been generously funded in part by:

This event uses 100% renewable energy

The Natural Step Canada's events, courses, and workshops have been generously supplied with 100% renewable energy by our partner Bullfrog Power. Learn more about Bullfrog's green electricity option.

##########

IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable (Edmonton, AB)

(See English version above)

Êtes-vous :

Étudiant(e) âgés de 19 à 25 ans OU un anciens d’IMPACT!?
Passionnés quant au destin de notre planète et de ses habitants?
Prêts à en faire plus pour promouvoir le développement durable au sein de votre collectivité?

Alors, on vous invite à faire la demande pour participer à IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable à Edmonton les 21-22 juin 2012.

Co-operators et The Natural Step Canada ont formé un partenariat afin de vous offrir IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable! Cette série de formation de deux jours sera offerte à travers le Canada et mettra l’accent sur ces deux aspects : réaliser son potentiel en leadership et développer son projet en développement durable en se servant du Cadre théorique de The Natural Step pour le développement durable stratégique. Après la session, vous serez jumelé avec des professionnels et des experts du domaine qui vous supporteront avec 4 mois de mentorat.

Le programme complèt comprend :

Une formation de deux jours en leadership et en développement durable avec d’autres champions passionnés de développement durable de votre région
Recommendation et commentaire sur votre project de vos pairs et des mentors present pendant la formation
Accès à la communauté en-ligne pour restez en contact avec les autres participants et les anciens d’IMPACT!
Accompagnement et mentorat continu par des experts locaux en diverses matières pendant quatre mois.
Une réunion quatre mois après la formation pour discuter votre progrès et vos apprentissages
Opportunité de faire une demande pour l’obtention d’une subvention du Fonds IMPACT! pour vous aider à mettre sur pied votre project

Le participant n’aura à payer qu’un montant de 50 $ (frais d’engagement) et des bourses sont à disposition selon les besoins. Tous les participants sont tenus d’organiser leur propre déplacement, et devront payer pour l’hébergement et leurs frais de voyage. Afin d’assurer un environnement d’apprentissage de qualité, la participation sera limitée à 30 places. Donc, n’hésitez pas, faites votre demande dès aujourd’hui!

L’échéance pour les demandes de Edmonton est le 31 mai 2012.

Ce projet a été généreusement financé par :

Ce cours utilise 100% d’énergie renouvelable

Canada

IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training Program for Emerging Leaders (Toronto, ON)

Josh Snider — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 07:59:30 -0500

Start: Mar 22 2012 - 9:00am

End: Mar 23 2012 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

(Le texte français suit)

Are you:

Between the ages of 19 and 25?
Passionate about the fate of our planet and its people?
Ready to do more to champion sustainability in your community?

Then you are an Emerging Leader, and invited to apply to be part of the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training in Toronto on March 22-23, 2012.

The Co-operators and The Natural Step Canada are partnering to offer you the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training, a series of two-day trainings offered across Canada, focused in two areas: realizing your leadership potential and developing your sustainability project using the The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development.

The program runs from March to June 2012, and includes a two-day in-person workshop on March 22-23 at Friends House, 60 Lowther Avenue, Toronto, ON (map).

Bring your own project or create one during the training!

You will be provided with ongoing support from spectatular mentors such as Bob Willard, Sustainability Guru; Karen Farbridge, Mayor of Guelph; and Victoria Goodday, Assistant Publisher of Corporate Knights Magazine! Stay connected using the online community and reconnoection event in June. We are here for you all the way, to help you discover your inner champion!

We are very grateful to The Co-operators (national sponsor) and Alterna Savings (Toronto sponsor) for subsidizing the cost of the training. The participant cost is only a $50 commitment fee and bursaries are available based on need. All participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation arrangements and costs. To ensure a quality learning environment, participation is limited to 30 spaces. So don’t delay and apply today!

The deadline for applications is March 11, 2012. There are only a few spots left, so please apply today!

Sponsors

We are incredibly grateful to our generous sponsors who have helped to make this program possible:

IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable (Toronto, ON)

(See English version above)

Êtes-vous :

Âgés de 19 à 25 ans?
Passionnés quant au destin de notre planète et de ses habitants?
Prêts à en faire plus pour promouvoir le développement durable au sein de votre collectivité?

Alors, vous êtes bien leader émergent et on vous invite à faire la demande pour participer à IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable à Toronto les 22-23 mars 2012.

Le programme se déroulera de mars à juin 2012 et comprendra un atelier de deux jours avec participation en personne, les 22-23 mars, et il aura lieu à Friends House, 60, avenue Lowther, Toronto, ON (carte).

Apportez votre propre projet ou vous pourrez en créer un lors de la formation!

On vous fournira soutien continu et ressources de mentors locaux et vous pourrez rester en contact avec la communauté en ligne. Notre but c’est de vous aider à découvrir votre esprit de champion!

Nous souhaitons remercier Co-operators (commanditaire national) et Caisse Alterna (commanditaire de Toronto) pour le financement du coût de la formation. Le participant n’aura à payer qu’un montant de 50 $ (frais d’engagement) et des bourses sont à disposition selon les besoins. Tous les participants sont tenus d’organiser leur propre déplacement, et devront payer pour l’hébergement et leurs frais de voyage. Afin d’assurer un environnement d’apprentissage de qualité, la participation sera limitée à 30 places. Donc, n’hésitez pas, faites votre demande dès aujourd’hui!

L’échéance pour les demandes de Toronto est le 11 mars 2012.

Commanditaires

Nous sommes très reconnaissants à nos généreux commanditaires qui ont aidé à réaliser ce programme :

Canada

IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership (Guelph, ON)

Franco Varriano — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:25:48 -0500

Start: Sep 15 2011 - 9:00am

End: Sep 18 2011 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

What is IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership?

Be inspired by key-note speakers including Dr. David Suzuki, working on tangible sustainability solutions with business and academic leaders; and building lasting networks.

When: September 15-18, 2011

Where: University of Guelph, ON

Who: 165 university & college students from across Canada

All conference related expenses covered

Application deadline: February 4, 2011

For more information, please click here.

Canada

Integrated Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP) Course (Online sessions and workshop in Vancouver, BC)

Josh Snider — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 19:16:21 -0500

Start: May 25 2011 - 11:00am

End: Oct 26 2011 - 1:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Pacific

Learn how to embed sustainability throughout your community’s planning, decision-making, and operations by registering for The Natural Step Canada’s Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Course.

This 5-month course is designed around the lessons and experiences of The Natural Step Canada and its partner organizations in community sustainability planning. Via a mixture of online seminars, in-person workshops, and applied project work, it is designed to provide community leaders, and those supporting them, with the practical knowledge, skills, and tools to lead long-term, participatory planning efforts toward sustainability. These are often referred to as an “integrated community sustainability plan” (ICSP).

Learn more...

Course overview brochure
Location & dates
Who is it for?
What are the pre-requisites?
How long is it?
What are the learning objectives?
How much does it cost?
What will you receive?
Our approach to learning
What comes next?
Questions?
Register now

Location & dates

This course includes a mix of online learning and an in-person workshop in Vancouver, BC:

Course begins: May 25, 2011
In-person workshop: June 15-17, 2011
Course ends: October 26, 2011
See full schedule here

Registration dates:

Early bird deadline: May 11, 2011
Registration closes: May 20, 2011

Who is it for?

This course is aimed at those who are leading and facilitating long-term planning efforts in their communities.

In particular, the following individuals should consider taking this course:

Municipal staff and community leaders tasked with leading ICSP initiatives for their communities
Consultants looking to improve their ability to support and facilitate ICSP efforts with clients
Community leaders looking to learn and apply a sustainability planning process to engage other leaders in exploring and realizing long-term success in their communities

What are the pre-requisites?

None

How long is it?

Approximately 5 months of customized learning via a mixture of online seminars, in-person workshops, and applied project work
Read our Course Overview Brochure for more details and our Course Outline for a complete schedule

What are the learning objectives?

At the end of this course, participants will have the necessary knowledge and skills to be able to:

Communicate the business or community case for sustainability in general and for integrated community sustainability planning specifically
Describe the importance of the backcasting approach of The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development
Explain in detail the general phases of integrated community sustainability planning
Scope and design an integrated community sustainability plan process
Design and facilitate processes to help communities analyze municipal-level systems and theme areas
Assist communities in establishing an ongoing framework for analyzing and prioritizing initiatives to bridge the gap between current reality and sustainable success
Analyze and contrast different tools and approaches to sustainable community development

How much does it cost?

Municipal/non-profit sector:
- Regular fee: $1,799 + tax
- Early bird fee: $1,599 + tax
- Members of The Natural Step Exchange or partners: $1,499 + tax
Corporate sector:
- Regular fee: $2,299 + tax
- Early bird fee: $2,099 + tax
- Members of The Natural Step Exchange or partners: $1,999 + tax
Group rates available for organizations that register 3 or more participants (please contact us for details)

What will you receive?

The course fee includes:

A customized, 3-day workshop facilitated by our experienced sustainability advisors (including lunch, snacks, refreshments, and all course materials)
Eight 2-hour interactive online learning sessions facilitated by our experienced sustainability advisors and special guests presenters
Personalized coaching from our experienced sustainability advisors
A 1-year license for our award-winning eLearning course
A membership in The Natural Step Exchange, our exclusive network of sustainability professionals from across Canada

Our approach to learning

The Natural Step Canada’s Sustainability Learning Programs are designed using a dialogue education approach to learning design and facilitation. Instead of just listening and watching presentations, you will actively engage in hands-on, participatory learning tasks that will help you dive into the content, apply it to real situations, and prepare to transfer what you learn to your business, community, or organization. We keep the presentations short and focused, and provide plenty of opportunities for you to apply what you’re learning and reflect.

What comes next?

Planning to Implementation for Communities Course

Questions?

Please contact us at info(at)naturalstep.ca or 613.748.3001.

The Natural Step Canada uses the services of GiftTool to handle our secure online registrations and donations. Learn more about their privacy policy and security policy.

Canada

International Applications for Master's in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability (MSLS) due January 17

Josh Snider — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:29:46 -0500

Are you the next sustainability leader?

"The question of reaching sustainability is not about if we will have enough energy, enough food, or other tangible resources - those we have. The question is: will there be enough leaders in time?"

Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) has experienced great success with the Master's in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability (MSLS) programme since 2005. With 300+ alumni working all over the globe, the impact of this programme's attendees has been truly humbling.

Building off this success and the strong research happening at the school, in 2010 they launched the Master's in Sustainable Product-Service System Innovation (MSPI) programme. The MSPI programme is already enjoying its first year of exciting activities, and is looking forward to welcoming its second cohort of participants.

International Applications are open from Dec. 1, 2010 - Jan. 17, 2011 (with all documents required by Jan. 28, 2011)

For more information, please contact sustainabilitymasters@bth.se.

About BTH:

Want to obtain an amazing master's degree, while studying with international colleagues in a beautiful part of the world?

Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) in Karlskrona, Sweden offers two groundbreaking Master's programmes.

BTH is a top ranked sustainability research and education institution currently recruiting bright, early – mid career professionals for their cutting-edge Master's programmes.

The Master's in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) and the Master's in Sustainable Product Service System Innovation (MSPI) are underpinned by the science-based Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (widely known as The Natural Step Framework), spearheaded by Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, a global sustainability leader and programme co-founder.

MSLS explores the baseline science of strategic sustainable development coupled with the skills required for organizational change. The programme produces graduates who can deliver organizational leadership for strategic change towards sustainability.

MSPI enables students to design and innovate for positive socio-ecological impacts of products, services, and product-service systems throughout their life-cycles. This programme produces graduates who can deliver outcomes that meet user needs while generating competitive advantages in the expanding sustainability-driven market.

BTH is located in the beautiful coastal city of Karlskrona, a UNESCO world heritage site on the southeast coast of Sweden.

Please see our website portal www.bth.se/sustainability for more information.

Canada

Introduction to The Natural Step (Webinar)

Franco Varriano — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 10:09:08 -0400

Start: May 19 2011 - 1:30pm

End: May 19 2011 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-4

A free, 1-hour webinar introducing The Natural Step Framework for strategic sustainable development and our work. You’ll discover how this approach can help you accelerate the transformation to sustainability in your business, community, or organization.

Cost:

FREE for everyone

Canada

Job opportunity: Fundraising Coordinator, The Natural Step Canada (application deadline: April 8, 2011)

Josh Snider — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:31:12 -0400

We’re looking for someone who embodies the spirit of: ‘Show me the Money!’ But of course, in a way that reflects the professional and sustainable face of our non-profit organization.

The Fundraising Coordinator will be joining The Natural Step Canada as it rapidly scales up its corporate and foundation fundraising activities. The Fundraising Coordinator’s primary function is to support our approach to relevant corporations and foundations by researching the ‘best fit,’ writing clear and compelling proposals, and supporting our business development activities. This position reports to the Director of Operations and Development.

Postion: Fundraising Coordinator
Position location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Details: Full-time, permanent position
Salary range: $30,000-$40,000
Start date: ASAP (April 2011)
Deadline to apply: April 8, 2011

With equal parts detective, author, artist, and hound-dog, the successful candidate will have a proven success record in fund development. In this critical role, the Fundraising Coordinator will thrive under pressure as they are involved in all parts of the organization’s fundraising and business development activities.

In addition, because The Natural Step Canada has a limited number of staff and because special circumstances may arise requiring unique activities, this position may require undertaking special initiatives, such as assisting with special events or special projects (e.g. writing articles, individual donor requests, marketing, and outreach).

Click here for the full job description and application details.

Canada

Job opportunity: Social Media Coordinator, Ottawa, Canada - Closes March 29, 2011

Josh Snider — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:26:25 -0400

We’re looking for someone who loves social media and is web- and tech-savvy!

Over the past year, The Natural Step Canada has been increasing its online presence with the use of social media. Reporting to the Manager of Communications, the Social Media Coordinator will manage and support all areas of The Natural Step Canada’s social media and web presence, including our social media portals, web site, blog, multimedia, earned media, and newsletter.

In this meaningful role, the participant will be helping the organization scale-up our impact in advancing sustainability to an ever-greater audience. The Social Media Coordinator will help us grow our online audience, better communicate our work through blogs, express ourselves as thought leaders in the sustainability field, and promote our free resources, learning opportunities, and stories of success through proactive and regular use of social media. The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing our Blog and Social Media Strategies.

Under the guidance of our Manager of Communications, the Social Media Coordinator will help to complete our Web Site Refresh Strategy by the mid-point of the internship—a process to overhaul the content, design, and navigation of our current web site. She/he will then help The Natural Step Canada look toward the future by helping to develop a Web Site Redesign Process for the organization and managing the implementation of the critical first phase. The goal of that project will be to lay the groundwork for the development a new web site for The Natural Step in 2012.

We are committed to providing all youth employees with an empowering experience rife with learning opportunities. The participant in this project will learn a significant amount about sustainability, The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, and have many professional development/learning opportunities both internally and externally. She/he will learn and apply essential communications and social media skills; will play an essential role in advancing our sustainability work; and will bolster her/his future employment possibilities. Along with other interns at The Natural Step Canada, the participant will receive additional training and support specifically designed for interns from the Manager of our Emerging Leaders Program.

Read the full job description and application details.

Canada

Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy (Banff, AB)

Josh Snider — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:05 -0500

Start: Apr 27 2012 - 8:00am

End: Apr 27 2012 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Mountain

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

The Natural Step Canada’s Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy is an opportunity to apply the core concepts of sustainability. In this compelling 1-day workshop you will work through a hands-on case study using The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, giving you the knowledge and tools to better understand “strategy” and take a systemic approach to planning and managing sustainability initiatives. After this workshop, you will be better equipped to take a sustainability leadership role in your organization to capture value, enable innovation, and drive strategy.

This course is taught by engaging facilitators who have worked with businesses and communities—large and small—across Canada and around the world. It draws upon The Natural Step’s 20 years of practical sustainability experience researching, developing, and refining our approach with countless global clients and partners.

Should I take this course?

The Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy is designed for any professional whose goal is to lead or influence sustainability-related change processes, whether in a sustainability role or not. The only pre-requisite is an appetite for the skills and tools to more effectively communicate, plan, influence, and manage sustainability initiatives. As a graduate, you will be able to explain and begin to apply The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development to enable your business, community, or organization to take a leadership role in sustainability.

How much does it cost?

Early bird price: $585 CDN + tax (early bird deadline is April 4, 2012)
Regular price: $700 CDN + tax (registration closes April 23, 2012)
Members of The Natural Step Exchange: 15% discount
Groups of 3 or more: 10% discount
Cancellation policy

What will I get?

A customized, 1-day workshop (including lunch and refreshments)
A comprehensive workbook to use during the workshop and keep for your reference
A 1-year license for our award-winning Sustainability 101 eLearning course
A certificate of completion from The Natural Step Canada

What will I learn?

You will gain a solid foundation in sustainability concepts and strategy, share your experiences and challenges, and engage with sustainability practitioners from a variety of sectors.

Before the workshop, you will complete our 1-hour Sustainability 101 eLearning course on your own time as an introduction to the core concepts of The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. All participants will arrive at the workshop with a shared language and understanding of sustainability basics, which will enhance our interaction and discussion to make the most of our time together.

Throughout the day, you will interact closely with your peers, discussing and presenting your ideas and challenges back to the group. There will also be ample opportunities to network before and after the course, during breaks, and over the lunch hour.

Who are the course instructors?

This course will be led by The Natural Step Canada's experienced sustainability advisors:


Karen Miller Advisor	Brendan Seale Advisor

Where is this taking place?

This session will take place at The Juniper Hotel in stunning Banff, Alberta, in Canada's Rocky Mountains.

The Juniper Hotel is the preferred accommodation for course participants. To receive an exclusive discount on accommodation, please call the Juniper Hotel at 1.866.551.2281 and quote the following rate code: NATU.

Can’t make it to this venue? See other locations and dates for this course.

Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy (Toronto, ON)

Erika Aruja — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:00:04 -0400

Start: Dec 4 2012 - 8:30am

End: Dec 4 2012 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

Learn more...

Should I take this course?
How much does it cost?
What will I get?
What will I learn?
Who are the course instructors?
Where is this taking place?
Other questions?

Should I take this course?

Read a blog from a Toronto Level 1 course graduate to learn about the participants experience in the summer offering of the course.

How much does it cost?

Early bird price: $585 CDN + tax (early bird deadline is October 26, 2012)
Regular price: $700 CDN + tax (registration closes November 29, 2012)
Members of The Natural Step Exchange: 15% discount
Groups of 3 or more: 10% discount
Cancellation policy

What will I get?

A customized, 1-day workshop (including lunch and refreshments)
A comprehensive workbook to use during the workshop and keep for your reference
A 1-year license for our award-winning Sustainability 101 eLearning course
A certificate of completion from The Natural Step Canada

What will I learn?

You will gain a solid foundation in sustainability concepts and strategy, share your experiences and challenges, and engage with sustainability practitioners from a variety of sectors.

Who are the course instructors?

This course will be led by The Natural Step Canada's experienced sustainability advisors:


Pong Leung Advisor & Director of Program	Brendan Seale Advisor

Where is this taking place?

Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) Annex, 720 Bathurst Street, 3rd Floor, Meeting Room #1, Toronto, ON (map)

Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy (Whistler, BC)

Josh Snider — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:03 -0500

Start: Jul 9 2012 - 8:00am

End: Jul 9 2012 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Pacific

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

Learn more...

Should I take this course?
How much does it cost?
What will I get?
What will I learn?
Who are the course instructors?
Where is this taking place?
Sustainability Week in Whistler
Other questions?

Should I take this course?

How much does it cost?

Early bird price: $585 CDN + tax (early bird deadline is May 25, 2012)
Regular price: $700 CDN + tax (registration closes July 3, 2012)
Add an exciting day full of sustainability site tours in Whistler: $125 CDN + tax (see details below)
Members of The Natural Step Exchange: 15% discount
Groups of 3 or more: 10% discount
Cancellation policy

What will I get?

A customized, 1-day workshop (including lunch and refreshments)
A comprehensive workbook to use during the workshop and keep for your reference
A 1-year license for our award-winning Sustainability 101 eLearning course
A certificate of completion from The Natural Step Canada

What will I learn?

You will gain a solid foundation in sustainability concepts and strategy, share your experiences and challenges, and engage with sustainability practitioners from a variety of sectors.

Who are the course instructors?

This course will be led by The Natural Step Canada's experienced sustainability advisors:


Sarah Brooks Principal Advisor & Team Lead, Advisory Services	John Purkis Senior Advisor

Where is this taking place?

This session will take place at the Delta Whistler Village Suites in stunning Whistler, British Columbia—host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games—in Canada's Pacific Coast Mountains.

The Delta Whistler Village Suites is the preferred accommodation for course participants. Nestled in Whistler Village with a range of amenities for guests, the Delta is offering an exclusive offer on guestrooms. To receive the discounted rate, please call Delta’s reservation department at 1.888.299.3987 and quote group name "The Natural Step" and the following group code: 1207THENAT.

Can’t make it to this venue? See other locations and dates for this course.

Sustainability Week in Whistler

Want more? From July 9-13, 2012, immerse yourself in sustainability learning in one of Canada’s most stunning and innovative communities. A must-attend experience for sustainability practitioners!

July 9: Lay a solid foundation during our Level 1 Sustainability Course
July 10: Experience sustainability first-hand through guided site tours provided by our partners at Centre for Sustainability Whistler showcasing some of Whistler’s greatest sustainability achievements
July 11-13: Take your learning to the next level during our Level 2 Sustainability Course
Why not stay for the weekend, too?

Learn more about Sustainability Week in Whistler.

Level 2 Sustainability Course: Deep Dive into Application and Practice (Whistler, BC)

Josh Snider — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:02 -0500

Start: Jul 11 2012 - 8:00am

End: Jul 13 2012 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Pacific

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

Sustainability has the potential to drive innovation and value creation for businesses and communities around the world. The Natural Step Canada’s Level 2 Sustainability Course: Deep Dive into Application and Practice is designed for sustainability professionals and those looking to enable sustainability-related change processes. In this course you will practice using tools and processes to:

Assess the value of sustainability for your organization
Address objections and build buy-in among your colleagues
Integrate sustainability into your organizational culture
Evaluate and integrate feedback on your organization’s own sustainability programs and efforts
Expand your network of peers in the sustainability field

Read a first-hand account of last year’s inaugural Level 2 Sustainability Course from participant Jennifer Hedayat.

Learn more...

Should I take this course?
What are the pre-requisites?
How much does it cost?
What will I get?
What will I learn?
Who are the course instructors?
Where is this taking place?
Sustainability Week in Whistler
Other questions?

Should I take this course?

This course is for people who have responsibility for change processes in their business, community, or organization and want to expand their capacity to lead this, as well as people who would like to take a leadership role in sustainable change within their organization. Past participants have included:

Sustainability coordinators and managers
Corporate VPs and Directors of Sustainability
People responsible for product and service innovation in their organization
Marketing, communications, and branding people looking to better understand and communicate the sustainability imperative
Poets and artists interested in the impact of sustainability to their work and communication
Community activists
Futurist and systems thinkers ("future proofing")
Biologists and ecologists looking to apply fundamental principles of sustainability to their ecosystem work
Graduate students focusing on sustainability

What are the pre-requisites?

To participate in the Level 2 Sustainability Course, you must have completed one or more of the following:

The Natural Step Canada's Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy
The Natural Step Canada's Integrated Community Sustainability Planning Course
Masters in Strategic Leadership Toward Sustainability Program at Blekinge Institute of Technology
Significant engagement with The Natural Step as a client (to be assessed by The Natural Step Canada’s sustainability advisors)
Relevant education and/or experience (to be assessed by The Natural Step Canada’s sustainability advisors)

How much does it cost?

Early bird price: $1,500 CDN + tax (early bird deadline is May 25, 2012)
Regular price: $1,800 CDN + tax (registration closes June 18, 2012)
Add an exciting day full of sustainability site tours in Whistler: $125 CDN + tax (see details below)
Members of The Natural Step Exchange: 15% discount
Groups of 3 or more: 10% discount
Cancellation policy

What will I get?

This course combines online learning sessions and an in-person workshop. Specifically, it includes:

Online Seminar #1 (June 20, 2012, 9:00-11:00am, Pacific Time): Online learning and coaching webinar facilitated by our experienced sustainability advisors
3-day in-person workshop (July 11-13, 2012, 8:30am-5:00pm, Pacific Time): Facilitated according to the best practices of participatory, adult learning (includes lunch, refreshments, and all course materials)
Online Seminar #2 (September 12, 2012, 9:00-11:00am, Pacific Time): Online learning and coaching webinar facilitated by our experienced sustainability advisors
Personalized feedback and coaching from our sustainability advisors on homework assignments
A certificate of completion from The Natural Step Canada
A voucher for $150 off a membership in The Natural Step Exchange, our exclusive network of sustainability professionals from across Canada

What will I learn?

Building on The Natural Step Canada’s Level 1 Sustainability Course, these 3 days will focus on the application of sustainability processes and will leverage the expertise of your fellow participants and facilitators. You will practice real time development of sustainability strategy, present your results for feedback and refinement, and leave with experiences to underpin a successful sustainability change process in your organization.

You will be exposed to world-class facilitators who are internationally-recognized sustainability practitioners.

Each day you will interact closely with your peers, discussing and presenting your ideas and challenges back to the group. There will also be ample opportunities to network throughout the course.

In this course, you will:

Conduct a Sustainability Value Assessment of your business, community, or organization
Strategize how to mobilize colleagues, address objections, and get buy-in to advance sustainability in your business, community, or organization
Practice an elevator pitch to make the case for sustainability
Explore the ecological and social science basis of The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development
Reframe your organization’s purpose in terms of meeting basic human needs
Practice techniques for facilitating a sustainability change process
Design and receive feedback on a sustainability program for your business, community, or organization

Who are the course instructors?

This course will be led by The Natural Step Canada's experienced sustainability advisors:


Sarah Brooks Principal Sustainability Advisor	John Purkis Senior Advisor

Where is this taking place?

This session will take place at the Delta Whistler Village Suites in stunning Whistler, British Columbia—host of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games—in Canada's Pacific Coast Mountains.

Sustainability Week in Whistler

Want more? From July 9-13, 2012, immerse yourself in sustainability learning in one of Canada’s most stunning and innovative communities. A must-attend experience for sustainability practitioners!

July 9: Lay a solid foundation during our Level 1 Sustainability Course
July 10: Experience sustainability first-hand through guided site tours provided by our partners at Centre for Sustainability Whistler showcasing some of Whistler’s greatest sustainability achievements
July 11-13: Take your learning to the next level during our Level 2 Sustainability Course
Why not stay for the weekend, too?

Learn more about Sustainability Week in Whistler.

MBA Sustainability Leadership Bootcamp (Edmonton, AB)

Brendan Seale — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 16:02:43 -0500

Start: Feb 20 2013 - 8:30am

End: Feb 23 2013 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Mountain

Purpose

To train, empower, and create a network of 30 MBA students and recent graduates in accelerating Alberta’s shift toward a prosperous and sustainable future through a four-day intensive Bootcamp experience.

Summary

Take your MBA skills to the next level by applying your strategy, project management, sales, marketing, negotiation, and facilitation learning to the sustainability field through a week of applied exercises, simulations, and live case studies. Be inspired by a faculty of national sustainability leaders and authors. Hone your skills through practical real-life cases and presentations of your findings to corporations seeking solutions to complex sustainability challenges.

You will be whipped into sustainability shape through an intense four-day Bootcamp, and will continue with coaching in the following three months. After the Bootcamp, you will have access to coaching from our expert advisory team who work with clients such as Nike, Pratt & Whitney Canada, The Co-operators Group, David Suzuki Foundation, and Research in Motion (RIM).

For more information and to apply, please visit The Natural Step Canada's MBA Sustainability Leadership Bootcamp (Edmonton, AB).

Canada

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR (CANADA): Focusing and scaling up to achieve the impact we all desire

Chad Park — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:36:32 -0400

The first half of 2012 has been an exciting time at The Natural Step Canada. While those of you who follow us on social media know that we have been contributing our perspective to some of the public debate around issues linked to sustainable development, I wanted to take this opportunity to update you on what we have been focusing on and how we are scaling up our impact.

We continue to help a number of leading organizations with the development and execution of their sustainability strategies, including for our friends at the David Suzuki Foundation. Supporting the development of role model organizations for sustainable business and sustainable communities continues to be a primary way that we achieve our mission of accelerating the transition to a sustainable society.

We often work with medium-sized businesses in Canada who want to make a deep commitment to sustainability and drive long-term profitability, resiliency, and increased market share—but don’t know how. Has your company started along its sustainability journey and made some progress, but found you need help to make the transformational change you know is needed (and good for the company)? Know that you’re not alone. And, thankfully, this is where The Natural Step Canada excels.

Luckily, there are many inspiring examples of role model organizations that are leading the way toward sustainability. Take for example, two of our partners who have recently been recognized with prestigious awards. The Landmark Group of Builders recently won an Emerald Award for one of their sustainability-inspired innovations that reduces greenhouse gas emissions by a 6.21 tonnes per home and produces 58% less waste in the production process. And The Co-operators recently achieved the distinction of being ranked #3 in the Top 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights Magazine.

It is clear, though, that working one organization at a time won’t change things at the speed—or on the scale—we need. To address the complex challenge of living sustainably, we need to tackle the systemic and interconnected causes of the great challenges of our time. This requires an approach that looks at whole systems, collaborates across boundaries, and fosters innovation and creativity.

It is within this context that we are developing an innovative new program, the Sustainability Transition Lab. Building on what The Natural Step has learned through 20 years of experience facilitating transformational change at the organizational level, we are blending our approach with the best of what others have learned about how change happens in multi-stakeholder collaborations. This process will build the capacity of groups of stakeholders to tackle their most pressing challenges through collaboration.

To understand why we see this as being so important for the future of the sustainability movement, please watch this 2-minute video on Systems Innovation by our partners at Forum for the Future in the UK.

One of the prototype projects that we’ve been working on in this area is a Dialogue for a Sustainable and Prosperous Edmonton, which has brought together dozens of stakeholders in Edmonton to explore collaborative opportunities to align sustainability and economic development strategies in the city. We are building other partnerships in the same spirit, including a collaboration with the Evergreen Foundation to support their City Lab work on transportation in Toronto, and a collaboration with Green Living Enterprises and the Centre for Impact Investing at the MaRS Discovery District to develop a project to amplify the growing B Corp movement in Canada.

We are very keen to connect with interested partners on these and other possible collective impact projects, as the future of the sustainability movement and of The Natural Step surely lies in collaboration and partnership.

While we work with the leaders of today, we are also helping to build a whole generation of emerging young leaders for tomorrow. Building on the incredible success of our pilot MBA Sustainability Leadership Bootcamp in Calgary, we are offering another session in Toronto in August (applications are now open), with several more planned for 2013.

We have also launched the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training program with our partners at The Co-operators. This innovative new program is helping Canadian students aged 19-25 gain the training, skills, network, mentorship, access to funding, and—perhaps most importantly—the confidence needed to spearhead a wellspring of successful local sustainability projects in communities across the country. After an amazing pilot in Toronto this spring, we are scaling up and currently accepting applications for upcoming sessions in Ottawa, Vancouver, Guelph, and Montreal, which will take place in the months ahead.

We’ve had an exciting start to 2012 and look forward to the rest of the year. We hope you will continue to join us on this journey and would love to hear from you.

Chad Park
Executive Director, The Natural Step Canada

Canada

Networking reception with emerging business leaders in sustainability, hosted by Calgary Economic Development (Calgary, AB)

Josh Snider — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:50:15 -0500

Start: Feb 23 2012 - 5:30pm

End: Feb 23 2012 - 7:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Mountain

Looking for top talent? Meet and recruit emerging business leaders!

30 top MBA students and recent graduates from Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver will be in Calgary for a Sustainability Leadership Bootcamp and we want you to meet this dynamic group.

Hosts Calgary Economic Development and The Natural Step Canada invite you to network with emerging business leaders interested in a career within the fields of corporate social responsibility and sustainability.

Participants will represent a diverse set of industries including extractive and renewable energy, concrete, environmental solutions, and the non-profit sector. They are looking to create change within their own organizations and to be catalysts for sustainability in Western Canada. A portfolio of the participants and their contact information will be available during the event.

The evening’s agenda includes a short presentation from Chad Park, Executive Director of The Natural Step Canada, and an interactive format for you to connect with other employers and MBAs.

Date and time: February 23, 2012
- Networking reception from 5:30-7:30pm
- Short presentations start at 6:00pm
Location: Global Business Centre, Terrace View Room (5th floor), 120 8 Avenue SE, Calgary, AB (map)
Registration: This event is generously sponsored by Calgary Economic Development and there is no cost to you. Please RSVP online by February 17, 2012.

About Calgary Economic Development

Calgary Economic Development (CED) strives to make Calgary the undisputed choice for people and business. As Calgary’s lead economic development agency, we work with businesses to facilitate growth, expedite local, national, and international business investment and trade development opportunities, and promote sustainable economic growth in the Calgary region. For more information, please visit our web site and follow us on Twitter @calgaryeconomic.

Canada

Filed Under Emerging leaders

Are you ready to innovate for a sustainable future?

IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership: APPLICATION DEADLINE FEB. 4, 2011!

Youth Leaders have IMPACT! right now.

1-day training in The Natural Step for MBA students at HEC (Montreal, QC)

Axiom News: Natural Step Bootcamp Trains MBA Students to be Sustainability Leaders

30 MBA Students from across Canada convene for 5-day experiential learning

Backcasting to the Future Podcast by Steppin' Off the Edge

Blekinge Institute of Technology MSLS Program Scholarship Available

Confessions of a Natural Step Intern

Développement Durable pour les Leaders - Niveau 1 (Montréal, QC)

Emerging leader Kyle Ford helps bring sustainability vision to Ontario Pioneer Camp!

Emerging Leaders Exchange: Sustainability Careers in Canada (Sustainability Dialogue)

Featured Project: The Co-operators, an Industry Change Agent

The Opportunity

The Response

The Process

The Feedback

Four words to change the world: "I believe in you"

Hire a graduate sustainability student for a co-op placement in your organization this summer

IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training for Emerging Leaders

INTRODUCTION

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

PROGRAM INCLUDES

APPLICATION

LOCATIONS

QUESTIONS

PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD…

IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable

INTRODUCTION

SURVOL DU PROGRAMME

PROGRAMME INCLUT

INSCRIVEZ-VOUS

ENDROITS

QUESTIONS

AIDEZ-NOUS À PASSER LE MOT…

IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training Program for Emerging Leaders (Edmonton, AB)

IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable (Edmonton, AB)

IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training Program for Emerging Leaders (Toronto, ON)

IMPACT! Formation de champions en développement durable (Toronto, ON)

IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership (Guelph, ON)

Integrated Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP) Course (Online sessions and workshop in Vancouver, BC)

International Applications for Master's in Strategic Leadership toward Sustainability (MSLS) due January 17

Introduction to The Natural Step (Webinar)

Job opportunity: Fundraising Coordinator, The Natural Step Canada (application deadline: April 8, 2011)

Job opportunity: Social Media Coordinator, Ottawa, Canada - Closes March 29, 2011

Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy (Banff, AB)

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

Learn more...

Should I take this course?

How much does it cost?

What will I get?

What will I learn?

Who are the course instructors?

Where is this taking place?

Other questions?

Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy (Toronto, ON)

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

Learn more...

Should I take this course?

What will I get?

What will I learn?

Who are the course instructors?

Where is this taking place?

Other questions?

Level 1 Sustainability Course: Foundations in Strategy (Whistler, BC)

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

Learn more...

Should I take this course?

How much does it cost?

What will I get?

What will I learn?

Who are the course instructors?

Where is this taking place?

Sustainability Week in Whistler

Other questions?

Level 2 Sustainability Course: Deep Dive into Application and Practice (Whistler, BC)

A Transformative Approach to Innovation, Strategy, and Results

Learn more...

Should I take this course?