Filed Under Events

The Next Step to Emerging Economies: A Green City Business Initiative

Anouk Bertner — Mon, 10 May 2010 12:21:40 -0400

Start: May 13 2010 - 8:30am

End: May 13 2010 - 2:30pm

Timezone: US/East-Indiana

The Next Step to Emerging Economies will present ideas from the Natural Step Network, an international nonprofit organization that helps integrate sustainability concepts into strategic planning. The network has trained well-known organizations including Nike, IKEA, Nissan, Starbucks, Dow Chemical, CH2M Hill and the City of Madison, Wisconsin.

David Cook, the Natural Step International’s former chief executive and now executive ambassador, will lead the workshop. Based in Stockholm, Cook has been connected to the Natural Step Network since 1997. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the World Economic Forum Global Advisory Council and the Sustainability External Advisory Committee of Dow Chemical. Also attending will be Natural Step USA Executive Director, Regina Hauser.

Attendees will learn about a systems-based approach, designed to develop a continuous learning environment. This approach helps organizations and communities accelerate progress on meeting the economic needs of today without compromising the environmental needs of future generations.

There are a few additional spots available for those wanting to attend on the new date. The re-scheduled conference will be from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on May 13, 2010 at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne. Those interested in attending can register at http://www.regonline.com/emergingeconomies. The cost is $75 per attendee and includes lunch. Area businesses agreed to sponsor the conference as a way to keep the cost down and encourage business participation.

“I am proud of our business community for supporting this important initiative. It’s an event that clearly will show that the environment and profitability can live in harmony and grow our economy.” said Mayor Tom Henry.

The Next Step to Emerging Economies workshop sponsors are CH2M Hill, Hilton Hotel Fort Wayne, Indiana Tech, Transformations Furniture, Ameresco, Citilink, Grand Wayne Convention Center, Kelly Box, Fort Wayne Metals, Kroger, Parkview, Indiana Michigan Power, Fort Wayne Newspapers, SIRVA, NIPSCO, Trane, the Indiana Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, Current Mechanical, Elk Components, Hoosier Environmental Council, Moss Construction Cost Management, Rothberg Logan & Warsco, STAR Financial, Toter Inc., Viridian Architectural Design Inc., Omnisource.

Registrants should contact Julia Gorrell at julia.gorrell@cityoffortwayne.org or 260-427-6059 with any questions.

>Click here to register

Cost: $75

The Grand Wayne Convention Center
(260) 426-4100
120 West Jefferson Boulevard
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
United States

Youth leadership for sustainability at Canada’s Waterlution

Anouk Bertner — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:36:04 -0400

The Natural Step Canada is proud to support Waterlution, the “un-conference” of the Canadian Water Innovation Lab this October. Two hundred and fifty young leaders will learn about Canada’s most pressing water issues using water as the catalyst to talk about larger issues and build cross-sectoral relationships that will lead to long-lasting change toward sustainability.

Waterlution will convene in the province of Alberta, which is a particularly interesting and relevant place to be studying water issues. It is one of the most water stressed regions of Canada – and is home to both pristine glacial headwaters and some major new land developments. Whether connecting with farmers who depend upon a stable water supply for their livelihood, describing the links between energy needs, tar sands development and water use or watching wetlands being converted into suburban housing, participants won’t just learn about water issues – they will experience them.

Interested? Applications are still open for facilitators and participants >Read more

The Natural Step is participating in this conference through our newly launched Emerging Leaders Program – which is supporting students who are making the jump from sustainability education to sustainability careers. We are helping young people to access the education, training, tools and networks needed to become sustainability change agents. Are you an Emerging Leader interested in partnering with The Natural Step or do you have a program you’d like to link to ours? >Read more

Canada

"I am here for my children": A participant's story about the Sustainability for Leaders - Level 1 course, Vancouver, BC

Youth Storyteller — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:50:34 -0500

Thanks to Michiah Prull for sharing his experience with The Natural Step Canada's Sustainability for Leaders - Level 1: Foundations.

For pictures from the Sustainability for Leaders course - level 1 : Foundations, please click here.

***

On November 9th and 10th , a large group of professionals gathered in Vancouver to begin a process of becoming sustainability leaders. The participants represented a wide variety of disciplines including professional consulting groups, architectural firms, educational institutions, business associations and various levels of government. Also present were several individuals with no professional connection to sustainability issues, but who wished to learn more and become involved in future efforts.

As the course began, each participant shared their expectations and feelings coming into the course, and it became obvious that this diverse group of individuals was drawn to the same cause for very similar reasons. Almost every participant expressed a profound urgency mixed with a sense of opportunity, and above all a commitment to future generations. As one university professor concluded, “I am here because I see the dark decline of our society if we do not change direction, but also because I see a staggeringly bright opportunity if we skillfully navigate a new course. Above all, I am here for my children.”

With a new familiarly and shared purpose, the course instructors Pong Leung and Alex Magnin led us through the basic principles of sustainability and the associated challenges and opportunities and concluded with an illuminating case study. After an immensely satisfying organic lunch provided by Happy Planet Catering, the afternoon was spent exploring hands-on approaches to sustainability issues. The second day picked up from here with a review of the basic sustainability principles and practices, followed by a step-by-step exercise in strategic sustainability planning.

Throughout both days, the instructors used an exciting and effective mixture of activities and methods that kept everyone engaged and learning through the actual application of the new principles and practices. Ample time was allowed for networking and meeting fellow sustainability professionals. The entire workshop was designed to provide the bare minimum of lecture with the greatest amount of time set aside for group work, creative exercises, and the hands-on application of sustainability principles. This mixture provided the most effective learning environment and also allowed each of us to demonstrate and practice the skills we will need as sustainability leaders in the future.

After two days in this rich environment, we began to see a shift in our own perspectives at a profound level. While reflecting on the previous two days, one participant remarked:

So many of these things seem like a no-brainer once you have done them. It’s like low-flush toilets; it would seem stupid not to install them now. Or littering: no one throws trash in the street without thinking. It seems like the whole challenge here is how we make that transition to seamlessly integrate these solutions that just make sense.

In many ways, that is the challenge this course has prepared us for. We learned of the many obstacles facing our present society, but also the multitude of opportunities. More importantly, we now have a proven framework to put our aspiration into action and make change a reality. As our instructor Alex Magnin remarked, “At the end of the day, it just takes courage and honesty.”

Canada

"Sustainability on Tap" with The Natural Step Canada (Toronto, ON)

Neil McCallum — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:33:03 -0400

Start: May 10 2012 - 5:30pm

End: May 10 2012 - 7:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

The Natural Step Canada invites you to "Sustainability on Tap". Join us at the Labatt Pub for a complimentary draught beer, light snacks, networking, and the opportunity to...

Tap into the leading edge of social innovation for sustainability as The Natural Step's new Executive Director Chad Park discusses the emerging "Sustainability Transition Lab" initiative;

Tap into the expertise of Bob Willard, one of The Natural Step's board members, as he discusses the evolving business case for sustainability detailed in his latest book "The New Sustainability Advantage" (copies of the book will be door prizes);

Tap into top-notch sustainability training by entering a raffle to win a FREE registration to The Natural Step's one-day sustainability course in Toronto on June 12 ($700 value).

Feel free to spread the word and bring your colleagues. Please RSVP by May 8th. We hope to see you there!

Cheers!

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.

Canada

A Sustainable Society: Reframing How We Satisfy Our Human Needs (Webinar)

Kimberley Larocque — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:05:15 -0400

Start: Nov 17 2010 - 1:30pm

End: Nov 17 2010 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Delve deeper into the social aspects of sustainability by examining the foundations of Sustainability Principle 4 and exploring Max-Neef’s 9 Human Needs and Satisfiers framework.

Sustainability Practitioners Series
This event is part of The Natural Step Canada’s monthly webinars for sustainability practitioners that explore various aspects of The Natural Step Framework. Presented by The Natural Step Canada’s experienced Sustainability Advisors and special guests.

Cost:

$30 for the public
FREE for all Members of The Natural Step Exchange (Join the Exchange now)

Canada

ABCD... & E? Evaluating Your Sustainability Efforts (Webinar)

Saralyn Hodgkin — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:08:01 -0400

Start: Oct 20 2011 - 1:30pm

End: Oct 20 2011 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Explore how to evaluate the effectiveness of your sustainability program. What indicators and evaluation techniques can help you demonstrate the environmental, social, and economic benefits to your stakeholders and the community at large.

Cost:

$30 for the public
FREE for all Members of The Natural Step Exchange (Join the Exchange now)

Canada

Accelerating Profit with Sustainable Practice

Simon Harvey — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 05:24:29 -0400

Start: Apr 12 2013 - 8:30am

End: Apr 12 2013 - 10:00am

Timezone: NZ

In this thought leadership seminar, Simon Harvey will explain why so many businesses self-impose sustainability as a cost rather than an opportunity; and provide stimulating insights about how businesses can respond proactively and profitably to social and environmental drivers of change. Drawing on his considerable experience working with a diverse range of businesses he will highlight the possibilities within grasp for:

Driving new ideas and inspiring continual innovation
Enhancing the business story and brand value
Reducing risks and costs whilst targeting new market opportunities
UnUderstanding material impacts, drivers of change, and how to see round corners

This event will also launch the Adding Sustainable Value Programme, New Zealand’s leading performance improvement programme for businesses serious about sustainability.

Cost: Complimentary

Registrations: Please RSVP by email.

New Zealand

Accelerating Profit with Sustainable Practice

Simon Harvey — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 18:31:24 -0400

Start: Apr 12 2013 - 8:30am

End: Apr 12 2013 - 10:00am

Timezone: Etc/GMT-4

Simon Harvey will explain why so many businesses self-impose sustainability as a cost rather than an opportunity; and provide stimulating insights about how businesses can respond proactively and profitably to social and environmental drivers of change. Drawing on his considerable experience working with a diverse range of businesses he will highlight the possibilities within grasp for:

Driving new ideas and inspiring continual innovation
Enhancing the business story and brand value
Reducing risks and costs whilst targeting new market opportunities
Understanding material impacts, drivers of change, and how to see round corners.

This event will also launch the Adding Sustainable Value Programme, New Zealand’s leading performance improvement programme for businesses serious about sustainability. This exciting programme is organised collaboratively by the Sustainable Business Network, The Natural Step and Otago Polytechnic.

Campbell Sturrock of Fulton Hogan will also provide a case study of his experience with the Adding Sustainable Value programme last year.

Cost: Complimentary

Registrations: Please RSVP by email to julia@sustainable.org.nz.

New Zealand

Action for a Sustainable America - Seattle, USA

Chas Martin — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 19:01:30 -0400

Start: Jun 10 2009 - 12:00am

End: Jun 11 2009 - 11:59pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT

Regina Hauser, Executive Director of The Natural Step Network - USA will be be moderating a panel discussion at an important conference coming up on June 10-11 in Seattle. Action for a Sustainable America will bring together leaders in corporate sustainability to examine how they are using sustainability to redefine corporate strategy and drive management practice.
Over a dozen CEO and Chairmen are speaking including senior representatives from Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, Lafarge, New Belgium Beer, Kettle Foods, The Holland Inc, End Footwear, ShoreBank Pacific, Gray’s Harbor Paper, Nestle Waters North America, fymi, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, gDiapers and more.
Along with corporate case studies, Action for a Sustainable America includes a special session on mandatory GHG reporting as well as updates on other regional, national and international climate policy developments impacting business. Mayor of Seattle, Greg Nickels will be welcoming delegates to this exciting event.
Explore additional information on the complete Series of Events in other cities or contact Andrew Slavin at 604-569-1752 or email.

Adding Sustainable Value - business courses with 70% scholarship funding available!

Simon Harvey — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:09:34 -0400

DOWNLOAD THE BROCHURE

One size does not fit all when it comes to business improvement and sustainability strategy. We believe that businesses can achieve better sustainability performance improvements when they really understand the full range of issues involved, and have a simple, smart framework that develops a tailored response to their particular business situation. When people are competent to take action, change happens and it sticks. So we go beyond a focus on waste and energy to help businesses examine and understand all the opportunities.

Last year TNS NZ teamed up with Otago Polytechnic to develop a business training and improvement programme that combined sustainability education, fit for the future business planning, and an NZQA qualification. The result is the Adding Sustainable Value business improvement programme which has been running in the Manawatu and Waikato regions. This year we’re launching the programme in Auckland.

The ASV programme enables businesses to understand the full range of their impacts and make strategic choices about where the best and most effective gains are to be found. With action competence, business owners and managers can figure out what a sustainable trajectory means for the development of their core business model; rather than simply making the existing model more efficient – and that is the spark for innovation and competitive advantage.

This short video show participating businesses from the initial pilot ASV programme in the Manawatu talking about the benefits of the programme.

The Auckland programme includes 10 scholarship places that fund 70% of the programme fees for qualifying businesses. Registrations are now open for the programme which starts on 7th May 2012. The programme will run from May to November with 4 workshopss, one-on-one coaching sessions, and take-home tasks after each workshop that add real value.

To register follow this link and fill in the online form. Places are limited and registrations close on 21st May 2012.

During the 8 month programme participating businesses will analyse their operations and business model to develop a long-term strategic plan that integrates sustainable practices into core business as a value adding strategy. They will also develop an action plan to implement the strategy and develop a business case for a special project of their choosing. One person from each business will also enrol for the NZQA Certificate in Sustainable Practice qualification from Otago Polytechnic – adding real value in terms of staff development.

For further information contact Simon Harvey on 021 808 300 or look at the brochure here.

New Zealand

Agriculture - Sustainable Development Issues and Approaches (Webinar) :: Canada

Anouk Bertner — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:19:33 -0500

Start: Jan 29 2010 - 1:00pm

End: Jan 29 2010 - 3:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Webinar :: Friday, January 29th from 1-3pm EST

This session will begin with the description of an approach to SD known as "strategic sustainable development". Dr. Mary Beckie will describe how The Natural Step Framework has been adopted by the flax industry to define where they are heading, what they want to achieve with respect to sustainability. This work was championed by the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission and is part of ABIP Natural Fibres for the Green Economy (NAFGEN) network.

The second presentation will focus on the environmental dimension of sustainability, and, in particular, on the need to look beyond carbon! Dr. Amy Landis will review the carbon and nitrogen cycles, reactive nitrogen and the tradeoffs that are part of conventional agriculture. The final 2 presentations will be on the pulse industry. As nitrogen fixers, pulse crops are "part of the solution" and increasingly farmers are including them in their rotations. Gord Kurbis will describe Pulse Canada's approach to sustainable development, and be joined by Susan MacWilliam who will describe the analytical work underway to model the environmental and socio-economic attributes of pulse products over their lifecycle.

It will follow the format of 4 presentations followed by Q&A. The abstracts can be downloaded below, and the presentations will be available for downloading during the webinar.

To register, please follow the instructions below. It is best to do this ahead of time to avoid being caught with technical glitches at the last minute. On Friday, call in and log on to the webex site 5 to 10 minutes ahead of time as we typically have a high number of participants.

To register for this meeting
-----------------------------------------------------
1. Go to https://pwgsc-pm.webex.com/pwgsc-pm/j.php?ED=132167367&RG=1&UID=0&RT=NCMxMQ%3D%3D.

2. Register for the meeting.

Once the host approves your request, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the meeting.

Canada

Are you the next sustainability leader?

Anouk Bertner — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:48:05 -0500

Online applications for the Master’s in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) and Master’s in Sustainable Product-Service System Innovation (MSPI) at Blekinge Institute of Technology in Karlskrona, Sweden, will be open until January 15th. Both these leading-edge international master’s programmes are based around The Natural Step Framework, and integrate practical, applied course work to empower and enable graduates to make positive change in the world.

This year’s MSLS class consists of 67 students from 21 different countries. Will you join us in the next class?

The MSPI masters will have its inaugural intake in 2010. It builds off BTH’s strong reputation in education for sustainable development, and will incorporate the cutting-edge research conducted at BTH within Sustainable Product-Service System Innovation.

To apply, you will need to complete the online application form at www.studera.nu, and then mail your supporting documents by Feb. 15th, 2010. Spaces in both programmes are limited and successful candidates can receive their decisions in May, with a starting date of classes in late August 2010.

BTH looks forward to receiving your application…

Sweden

Awesome neighbourhoods for a sustainable city: What do you declare possible?

Pong Leung — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 09:55:18 -0400

We create and re-create our neighbourhoods constantly. What do we need from our neighbourhoods? What do our neighbourhoods need from us? What do YOU declare possible?

Our cities are made by us. Most parts of cities are left to us by earlier generations, but they are still made by us. We believe that working at the neighbourhood scale is where we can make cities what we need them to be. It is at this scale where we experience the city and all it has to offer.

It’s time to name the impossible awesome dream. It’s time to experiment and find our way there. It’s time to name what the dream is for our city and our neighbourhoods.

It’s time to make the impossible possible.

Join us for an experiment…

As part of its Sustainability Transition Lab program and with the support of the Alberta Real Estate Foundation, The Natural Step Canada is hosting an experiment in Edmonton this fall.

Earlier this year, we hosted a Dialogue for a Sustainable and Prosperous Edmonton among leading citizens. At this gathering we heard that now is a key time to engage all generations in imagining a new future for our neighbourhoods.

Workshop I: Youth declare the impossibly awesome neighbourhood possible

Are you aged 18-30 (give or take) and working (paid or unpaid) to make your neighbourhood and city better?

This is an invitation to young people in the Edmonton area to declare what the “impossibly awesome” neighbourhood looks and feels like. What is it for? Who does it serve? How does it operate? What are the characteristics of a neighbourhood that meets the needs of today and tomorrow? What will our social, energy, economic, ecological, cultural, and government systems look like?

System change requires the participation of a wide range of perspectives and values. Join us to share yours and declare Edmonton’s future.

DATE: Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm (coffee & lunch provided)

LOCATION: The Older Timers’ Cabin, 9430 Scona Road, Edmonton, AB (map)

Registration Deadline: October 22

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Workshop II: Pool the intelligence of the whole city to advance the youth’s awesome declaration

Are you aged 18 – 88 (give or take)? Are you open to being influenced by the dreams of youth and accept the challenge to be responsible for the consequences of today’s actions?

It will take a whole city to respond to the youth declaration of the impossibly awesome neighbourhood. You share this dream and you believe the impossible is possible. You believe that young and old must work together to make it happen. You believe that people of various walks of life and perspectives can work together.

Join us to take action with the wisdom of our varied perspectives and multiple generations.

DATE: Thursday, November 22, 2012, 9:00am-4:00pm (coffee & lunch provided)

LOCATION: Prince of Wales Armouries, Jefferson Room, 10440 - 108 Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB (map)

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Who should attend?

For both workshops, we are inviting those who value:
**Generating new ideas for our neighbourhoods and communities**
**Getting to know Edmonton’s innovative and passionate leaders**
**Creating networks of diverse people who share your passion for this city**

Professionals, artists, activists, city staff, city builders, trades, contractors, teachers, students, educational institutions… anyone who is interested in making neighbourhoods that serve our needs now and into the future is welcome to join us for this experiment.

What to bring

Willingness to share your wisdom and networks
Commitment to support the dreams of youth
Desire to work with people of various perspectives
Comfort in creating a new path together

Our team

In this experiment, you will be hosted by two experienced sustainability practitioners:

Pong Leung, The Natural Step Canada

Pong has over a decade of experience supporting sustainability driven change processes, including in many communities across Canada. Recently, Pong was on the expert panel of Edmonton’s sustainability plan, The Way We Green.

Beth Sanders, POPULUS Community Planning Inc.

Beth works with organizations who seek to create cities that serve citizens well, and citizens that serve cities well. Beth is co-designer and co-host of the Integral City Collective’s international City 2.0 Conference.

Questions?

Please contact Kirsti Piirtoniemi at kpiirtoniemi(at)naturalstep.ca or 613.748.3001 x228.

The Natural Step Canada is a national charitable organization with a mission to accelerate the shift toward a sustainable society, where human beings live within the capacity of the Earth to sustain us. We are an entrepreneurial charity that delivers projects and programs based on our expertise in the social processes of sustainability driven innovation. Our programs build leadership capacity and develop role models for sustainable communities and businesses. Our approach is based on seeing systems, collaborating across boundaries, and creating desired futures. Learn more at www.thenaturalstep.org/canada.

View invitation as a PDF.

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

Benchmarking our Progress Toward Sustainability (Webinar)

Kimberley Larocque — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:18:38 -0400

Start: Feb 3 2011 - 1:30pm

End: Feb 3 2011 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Discover ways to document the progress that you are making in implementing your Sustainability Plan, to communicate your successes, and to support continuous learning.

Cost:

$30 for the public
FREE for all Members of The Natural Step Exchange (Join the Exchange now)

Canada

Beyond CSR: A day of learning and sharing in Montreal, Quebec

Anouk Bertner — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:03:35 -0400

On Friday, March 12th over a hundred and fifty students from McGill Desautels School of Management, the HEC’s Ecole de Gestion and business leaders from around Montreal gathered to share best practices, voice frustrations over sustainability roadblocks and celebrate mutual successes and advancements in CSR. This attitude of learning and searching for solutions brought us to a conference called ‘Beyond CSR’ - a strong recognition that CSR is not an inclusive enough concept as we try to move towards holistic definitions of sustainability. CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) is about making business better through inclusion of social responsibility concepts in corporate planning. Sustainability planning (corporate sustainability, sustainable development) is about ensuring that a business’ vision, goals and operations line up around sustainability. This is the difference between doing ‘less bad’ by cleaning up and greening status quo business practices and addressing upstream issues in a holistic way (see this article in The Guardian with a concrete example).

This new bend in the conversation is really exciting for me. When completing my MBA at Concordia’s John Molson School of Business a few short years ago, even the basic concepts of CSR were not being taught. Now we’re already pushing beyond CSR. It’s quite inspiring and exciting for me to be involved in this. One of the key issues highlighted at the conference was creating opportunities for young people to receive meaningful training and coaching in the sustainability field. Many are lucky enough to do internships and attend lectures on sustainability, but not at the rates needed to create a significant workforce in this area. This is in part why The Natural Step launched our Emerging Leaders program in January and why we’re looking to pair young people with organizations that need support in implementing sustainability solutions in a cost effective way. If your organization is interested in hosting a coop student this summer to do a sustainability analysis, contact me today or learn more now on our website. We are still accepting organizations!

Canada

Building CSR Commitment Through Stakeholder Engagement Panels (Webinar)

Neil McCallum — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 09:31:09 -0400

Start: Sep 22 2011 - 1:00pm

End: Sep 22 2011 - 2:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

External CSR Advisory Council or Stakeholder Engagement Panel can be a vital business strategy component. These groups can help companies identify new opportunities, promote innovation, and mitigate risks. Join CBSR for a look at some leading practises in optimizing your use of Stakeholder Engagement Panels.

Participants will:

Hear how Stakeholder Engagement Panels can further a company's CSR commitment
Learn about the type and functions of Stakeholder Engagement Panels
Understand the benefits and challenges of Stakeholder Engagement Panels for project planning and operations
Gain some strategies companies have used to build trust and foster better relationships with their stakeholders
Learn what to include when determining terms of reference and the logistics to manage an Stakeholder Engagement Panel

Who should attend this webinar?

CSR practioners
Communications Managers
Stakeholder Relations Directors

Speakers:

Marie Jurcevic, CSR Advisor, CBSR
Chad Park, Director Programs and Strategies, The Natural Step
Jayne Russell, CRMP, Manager, Public Relations, The Co-operators Group

This webinar is free for CBSR members. Non members may join for $75.

Registration Closes: Sep 22, 2011 01:15 PM

Canada

Building Engagement from Within, with Chris Jarvis from Realized Worth (Sustainability Dialogue)

Josh Snider — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:28:05 -0500

Start: Feb 18 2011 - 1:00pm

End: Feb 18 2011 - 2:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

An organization's sustainability journey is propelled by the unwavering commitment and coordinated efforts of its employees. But without the entire team on board, how can meaningful sustainable progress be made? What practices and practical steps can foster employee engagement in the sustainability journey?

In this Sustainability Dialogue, Chris Jarvis, Co-Founder and Owner of Realized Worth, will present insights into how to motivate employees to embrace and champion your organization’s sustainability actions while drawing on his experiences designing and implementing sustainability-inspired employee volunteer programs.

During this Dialogue you will:

Be introduced to the concepts of: '3 Stages of Engagement,' Missional Organizations, and 'Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation.'
Learn how to design a program utilizing the '4 Conditions of Sustainable Participation' that will foster buy-in among your staff.
Have the opportunity to discuss how to implement these practices in your organizations.

Our Sustainability Dialogues are exclusive to Premium Members of The Natural Step Exchange. For information about The Natural Step Exchange and how you or your organization can join, please check out our Membership Package or contact us today!

About Chris Jarvis:

Chris Jarvis is the Co-Founder and Senior Consultant for Realized Worth, a leading employee volunteering and CSR consulting firm. Chris provides training and hands-on involvement in the design and implementation of outstanding and sustainable employee volunteer programs for businesses interested in leveraging their CSR programs and differentiating their corporate culture. Learn more...

Canada

Canadian Business for Social Responsibility :: 7th Annual Summit on CSR, Toronto, ON

Anouk Bertner — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:23:31 -0400

Start: Nov 5 2009 - 12:00am

End: Nov 5 2009 - 11:59pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-4

Transformational CSR: The Next Wave of Business Leadership, Innovation and Performance
November 5, 2009 – Toronto

This year’s Summit will focus on new and creative ways for businesses to take a transformational approach to CSR – by embedding environmental, social and governance excellence and linking these principles to effective business strategy and bottom line performance. We will highlight current strategies, practical case studies and cutting edge trends that are advancing business practice. Featured speakers include: Dr. John Ruggie, United Nations Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, Ray Anderson, Founder and Chairman of Interface Inc. and Jeffrey Hollender, Chair and Chief Inspired Protagonist of Seventh Generation. Pre- and post-Summit workshops will take place on November 4 & 6. To learn more and register visit their website.

Canada

CBSR - 10th Annual CBSR Summit: Join the Regeneration of CSR (Toronto, ON)

Josh Snider — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:27:32 -0400

Start: Nov 7 2012 - 9:00am

End: Nov 7 2012 - 5:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

The Natural Step Canada is proud to support our partner, Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) and their upcoming sustainability events.

Event: 10th Annual CBSR Summit

Where: Toronto, ON

We are thrilled to extend a warm invitation for you to join CBSR and global leaders on November 7th, at 1 King Street West, in Toronto for our 10th Annual Summit: The Regeneration of CSR: The Essential Role of Business in Building a Sustainable Future.

Each year we bring together North America’s top experts, executives and practitioners from leading companies, governments, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations.

In the last decade, the CSR discussion has evolved from mitigating risks, to the realization that strategically embedding positive environmental and social impact is good for business.

Our 10th Annual Summit will celebrate the Regeneration of CSR and define what it means to be a truly sustainable company!

For more information and to register for this event:

http://www.cvent.com/events/cbsr-10th-annual-summit-on-corporate-social-responsibility-and-ecr-awards

***Special Discount***

Register by October 23 and use this code: CBSRFR2012 to receive a $100 discount

About Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR)

Founded in 1995, CBSR is a non-profit, member-led organization that mobilizes Canadian companies to make powerful business decisions that improve performance and contribute to a better world. Learn more...

Canada

Celebrating Airdrie’s Community Vision

Anouk Bertner — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 23:37:05 -0500

Start: Nov 15 2008 - 12:00pm

End: Nov 15 2008 - 4:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT

You're invited to share in celebrating the City of Airdrie's Community Vision

Saturday, November 15th

Airdrie City Hall - 400 Main Street

Information Fair: local community groups & businesses working toward sustainability.

Entertainment: Bell’arte Strings from 2:30 – 4:00 p.m
Bell’arte is an ensemble praised for their vibrant performances, passionate style, and refined, musical interpretation.

Please RSVP to:
Tanis Houck
403.948.8800 ext. 466
tanis.houck@airdrie.ca

Canada

CEW Eco Beauty Award

Richard Blume — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 18:24:25 -0400

Eco Beauty Award

sponsored by Givaudan

The Natural Step is pleased to be providing the assessment criteria for Cosmetic Executive Women's Eco Beauty Award. Sponsored by Givaudan, the award is a new initiative intended to reward products that demonstrate best practice and progress toward sustainability.

We are excited to work with CEW on the shortlisting of entries and assessing the submissions through the lens of The Natural Step Framework.

>About CEW Beauty Awards

Rationale for the Criteria

The criteria for the Award are a direct translation of The Natural Step system conditions, which offer a credible, science-based definition of sustainability, acting as basic principles to guide actions toward the goal of a sustainable society.

Applicants are asked to demonstrate life cycle thinking and to take account of the full scope of sustainability - i.e. how does the product perform against the four sustainability principles over its lifecycle?

Using sustainability principles helps to deal with trade-offs and make strategic choices. Progress in one area of sustainability needs to be checked to ensure that it does not just transfer the problem elsewhere. For example, replacing an ingredient from a crude oil feedstock with a bio-sourced alternative may seem like a smart move. However, unless the bio-sourced alternative is sustainably sourced it merely substitutes one sustainability issue (principle 1) with another (principle 3).

News

February 2011 - CEW Announces Finalists for Eco Beauty Award
October 2010 - CEW Announces Call for 2011 Beauty Award

Resources for the Beauty Industry

Leading the change: new industry sustainability course
Take the next step toward sustainability with The Natural Step’s award winning one-hour sustainability e-learning program, by clicking here.
Learn more about The Natural Step system conditions, Framework and its application, by clicking here.
To learn how The Natural Step supports businesses with corporate sustainability and to read case studies please click here.
Tool: Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA)
Tool: Probe for Sustainable Business - Best Practice Benchmarking

Chad Park speaking at reThink Waterloo 2012: A Business Sustainability Forum (Waterloo, ON)

Neil McCallum — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:51:56 -0400

Start: May 11 2012 - 8:00am

End: May 11 2012 - 3:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

The Natural Step Canada is excited to be a Partner Organization with reThink Waterlo 2012. Join us to learn how to succeed in the new world of greener operations, climate change risk mitigation, and business sustainability. Leading experts and experienced local, national and global organizations will share their stories and answer your questions.

The conference will feature a keynote presentation by Andrew Heintzman, President and Co-founder of Investeco, as well as two interactive panel discussions.

The Natural Step Canada's Executive Director, Chad Park, will be speaking at this event and moderating a panel session: Embedding sustainability into your business strategy. This panel will focus on the “triple bottom line”, the challenge of synergistically integrating profit, planet, and people and its increasing involvement in the forefront of modern business practice.

Panel Moderator:
Chad Park, Executive Director, The Natural Step Canada

Panelists:
Dr. Blair Feltmate, Professor, University of Waterloo
Barbara Turley-McIntyre, Director, Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship, The Cooperators Group

For more information on the event and to register, please visit http://rethinkwaterloo.org/.

Canada

Championing Sustainability in your Organization, with Special Guest Bob Willard (Webinar)

Franco Varriano — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 08:37:15 -0400

Start: Apr 14 2011 - 1:30pm

End: Apr 14 2011 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Bob Willard, author of The Sustainability Advantage and other books, will explain how you can champion sustainability in your organization. Learn how to be credible and stay credible, and to advance transformational and lasting change.

Sustainability Practitioners Series
This event is part of The Natural Step Canada’s monthly webinars for sustainability practitioners that explore various aspects of The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development. Presented by The Natural Step Canada’s experienced Sustainability Advisors and special guests.

Cost:

$30 for the public
FREE for all Members of The Natural Step Exchange (Join the Exchange now)

Canada

Championing Sustainabiltiy in Your Organization

Kimberley Larocque — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 10:10:58 -0400

Start: Jan 12 2010 - 1:30pm

End: Jan 12 2010 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

Bob Willard, (http://sustainabilityadvantage.com/) author of the Sustainability Advantage and other books, will explain how you can champion sustainability in your organization. Learn how to be credible and stay credible, to advance transformational and lasting change.

Canada

Change@INGDirect with The Natural Step

Franco Varriano — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:08:11 -0400

Start: Nov 2 2010 - 5:00pm

End: Nov 2 2010 - 7:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Pacific

Join The Natural Step Canada’s Senior Advisor, Sarah Brooks, for a presentation on how to bring transformational change to into your organization while maximizing short term and long term economic sustainability, presented by Board of Change.

"An Economically Prosperous Approach for Enabling Transformational Change toward Sustainability into your Organization".

Long-term value creation requires both satisfying short-term economic profit needs and laying the foundations for future success. Sustainability challenges – including climate change, resource shortages and the world’s rapidly growing population – are driving the business constraints in which companies have to create value. Sustainability challenges are already affecting short-term financial performance.

Successful companies can see beyond these challenges and recognize a leadership opportunity. They actively lay the foundations for a sustainable business by aligning the drivers of business success with the needs of society and our changing planet. In this way they can create more ‘win-wins’ where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand.

Learn how these principles apply to your business and dialogue with Sarah about the realities of making transformational change in a real life business situation.

To learn more about the event, or to resgister, please click here or visit Board of Change by clicking here.

***

Sarah Brooks
Senior Advisor & Senior Manager, Sustainable Business

As a senior advisor with The Natural Step Canada, Sarah supports communities, businesses and other organizations with integrated sustainability planning and education and delivers hundreds of presentations and training workshops on The Natural Step Framework. In her role as Senior Manager, Sustainable Business, she is responsible for developing The Natural Step’s service offering for business and managing the team of Natural Step advisors who work with businesses across Canada.

To read more about Sarah Brooks, please click here.

Canada

Citizen & Planner Leaders for Local Sustainability, Eco-municipality Leadership Training

Anouk Bertner — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:38:30 -0400

Start: Jun 6 2008 - 12:00am

End: Jun 11 2008 - 11:59pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT

In June, 2008, a 5-day national training session will take place at Tufts University to increase citizen and planner leadership capacity in communities and their local governments to initiate and lead a change process to become a sustainable community. This sustainable communities approach has a substantial track record of successful implementation – possibly the most extensive in the world - in over 100 municipalities in Sweden, U.S., and around the world. The objective of the training is to prepare potential local leaders – including citizens, local officials, planners, or municipal staff – to be able to lead a process involving sustainability education, communication, and a strategic implementation process. Click here for more.

CO-CREATE THE FUTURE - STORIES OF SUCCESS IN SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE

Simon Harvey — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 06:58:42 -0400

Start: Nov 29 2010 - 2:00pm

End: Nov 29 2010 - 7:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT+12

The best little conference, with the biggest ideas. And it's FREE.

Learn and be inspired by leaders in business, local government and education as they tell their success stories on integrating sustainable practice into the heart of what they do.

PLUS have the opportunity to network with others who share a passion for collaborating on the challenge of designing a sustainable and prosperous future.

Be inspired, Be innovative, Lead the way forward

For further details and to register click here or click on the link to the brochure below.

New Zealand

Co-creating The Future - TNS NZ's mini-summit 2010

Simon Harvey — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 04:24:57 -0400

The best little conference you'll attend this year!

This year The Natural Step NZ is hosting a free mini-summit with a series of punchy TED-style presentations from leaders in the business, government and tertiary education sectors. The event takes place at the Auckland Viaduct's Floating Pavillion venue on 29th November 2010, 2pm - 5pm with drinks and networking to follow. TNS NZ's Executive Director Simon Harvey is excited about the calibre of presenters the event has attracted and warmly encourages anyone with a working interest in sustainable practice to come along.

Presentations include:

the latest Colmar Brunton Better Business; Better World consumer research data outlined by the firm's GM, Jacqueline Ireland, to set the context
a video interview on sustainability and the financial sector with Charles Anderson, CEO of Sovereign - NZ's largest life insurer
Gerry Oates of UK firm Comparison International on how its PROBE for Sustainable Business programme is merging business excellence benchmarking with genuine sustainable performance
Jerome Partington of Jasmax, Auckland's leading architectural practice and winner of SBN's northern region Trailblazer award, talking about the integration of sustainable practice into major construction projects
Dr Maggie Lawton, Manager of Strategy and Policy at Manukau City Council talking about the innovative Towards 2060 Design the Future community engagement project
Steve Henry, Manager of Otago Polytechnic's Centre for Sustainable Practice, on the first-of-its-kind graduate diploma in sustainable practice. A web-supported distance learning graduate diploma that uses your work projects to complete the course assignments.

"The event aims to give people a snapshot of real success stories about transformative change, where sustainable practice has been woven in at a strategic level to deliver good results for the planet, people and profits. It's about showing how it can be done, encouraging and motivating others to be bold and transform in readiness for a changing future."

Simon is quick to add that the event is as much about inspiring conversation and connections, as it is about learning from the experience of others. "This is an awesome opportunity to learn, and hear some wonderful speakers. We want to inspire some exciting conversations about what's possible; and about what can be done to accelerate change and collaborate to create a stronger economy and a more prosperous future for our communities.

Registration details will be announced shortly, and places will be limited. "Thanks to some generous sponsorship from North Shore City Council, Sovereign and Cawthron Institute we're able to offer this opportunity as a complimentary event," explains Simon. "It's so wonderful to see strong support for TNS NZ in it's efforts to get these inspiring stories out there."

Contact Simon for further details at natstep@naturalstep.org.nz.

New Zealand

Collaborative Community Sustainability Strategies, with special guest Amelia Clarke (Sustainability Dialogue)

Emily Briggs — Wed, 04 May 2011 09:56:42 -0400

Start: May 26 2011 - 1:00pm

End: May 26 2011 - 2:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

The Natural Step Canada Exchange's May instalment of the Sustainability Dialogue Series features guest speaker Dr. Amelia Clarke from the University of Waterloo.

In the last two years in Canada over 100 municipalities have formulated or are formulating Integrated Community Sustainability Plans (ICSPs). While there has been significant support for their formulation, there is little guidance available for their implementation.

This presentation offers original findings about options for implementing collaborative sustainability plans with multiple partners. This information is highly relevant for any local government undertaking an Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), a Local Agenda 21, or other collaborative sustainability strategy. It is also relevant for businesses interested in stakeholder relations and community engagement.

The presentation will detail the key results of Dr. Clarke's PhD research. The study examined the governance structures put in place for implementation and the findings showed four models being used in Canada:

Implementing through Joint Projects;
Implementing through Partner Organizations;
Implementing through a Focal Organization; and
Informal Implementation.

The presentation will offer a focused look at four cases, each representing one of the models: Montreal’s Collective Sustainable Development Strategy, Hamilton’s Vision 2020, Vancouver’s citiesPLUS, and Whistler 2020. By considering how these initiatives were structured (i.e., which organizations were involved, what processes were put in place, what committee (or other) structure did they use, how was progress monitored, etc.), and by considering what was achieved, lessons are offered on what approaches are most effective for achieving desired results, and what motivates partners to engage. In addition, five criteria for evaluating an implementation governance structure will be explained.

Speaker Biography

Dr. Amelia Clarke, University of Waterloo
Amelia Clarke has been working on environment and sustainability issues since 1989, and was recognized as one of 50 Canadian environmental leaders in the spring 2008 issue of magazine Green Living. She is now a faculty member in the School of Environment, Enterprise and Development (SEED) at the University of Waterloo and is Director of the Master of Environment and Business (MEB) executive-education program. She holds a PhD in Management from McGill University. Her research has been published in international journals and she has presented at over 100 events, both in Canada and abroad.

Dr. Clarke was also the President of Sierra Club of Canada from 2003 to 2006. She has served on numerous committees and boards, including: the Canadian Earth Summit Coalition Committee (ongoing); The Natural Step’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Committee (ongoing); the Atlantic Canada Sustainability Initiative’s Governance Committee (2007-2010); the Sierra Club Canada’s National Board (2000-2010); the Program Committee for the International Forum on Applied Sustainable Development (2007); the Canadian Advisory Committee to the World Peace Forum (2006); the federal government’s National Advisory Committee to the U.N. Habitat’s World Urban Forum III (2006); and the Canadian delegation during the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg) negotiations (2002). In 1996, she founded the Sierra Youth Coalition, and is proud of having launched their sustainable campus program which is now active on more than 70 university campuses.

Originally from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Amelia Clarke currently lives with her family in Kitchener, Ontario.

Canada