Filed Under Community

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

A Sustainability Vision for the Automotive Services Industry

Chas Martin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:03:22 -0400

Using The Natural Step Framework to Develop a Plan Toward Sustainability for Automotive Mechanical and Collision Repair Shops
Prepared for the Oregon DEQ

Project Overview

Automobiles have a significant impact on the environment. With the growing concern over global warming, the focus on this environmental impact will only get stronger.

In 1997 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) began development of the Automotive Eco-Logical Business Program to encourage automobile services and collision repair shops to take extra voluntary steps in protecting the environment. There was a desire in 2000 to expand this program beyond Portland and to investigate the feasibility of enhancing the program by adding a perspective of environmental sustainability based on the Natural Step framework.

Participants from fifteen automotive shops and service organizations were invited to meet in a series of six two-hour meetings in Wilsonville to create a vision of what a fully sustainable automotive service operation might look like if it met the four system conditions of The Natural Step.

With interest in environmental sustainability growing faster in Oregon than most parts of the United States, Oregon has an opportunity to be a model and play a leadership role in the movement toward sustainability.

Download complete Project Summary:

Advisory Services & Coaching

Anouk Bertner — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:52:47 -0400

Advisory Services & Coaching

Sustainability Analysis (we do the analysis)
Sustainability Analysis (we train you to do the analysis)
Coaching

Canada

Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF)

Anouk Bertner — Sat, 03 May 2008 16:00:57 -0400

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation is a non-profit group dedicated to serving the realtor community in Alberta. Their funding is generated through interest on public money from realtors’ pooled accounts and must be spent on projects that benefit the realty industry and the people of Alberta. The Natural Step Canada partnered with the foundation to provide Albertans with a tool to make sustainable household decisions. Sustainability at Home: a Toolkit provides people with a practical resource to help them access, understand, and apply sustainable development concepts to their household decision-making. The toolkit provides an overview of sustainability, what it means at the household level, and how to think strategically about the hundreds of decisions Albertans make in their homes. The toolkit was developed by The Natural Step Canada and piloted in five communities, reaching over 5,000 households so far. The toolkit is mostly distributed online free of charge with a limited print run on 100% post-consumer, FSC paper printed with chemical-free inks. The toolkit is now a finalist for the provincial Emerald Award.

Canada

Atlantic Canada Sustainability Initiative (ACSI)

Anouk Bertner — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:34:02 -0400

Atlantic Canada

Fourteen organizations across Atlantic Canada have come together to embed sustainability in the region with the Atlantic Canada Sustainability Initiative (ACSI). These partners, ranging from the major Atlantic telecom provider, a large municipal government to a local coffee shop have all taken on the challenge of modeling strategic sustainability using The Natural Step Framework. Each partner attended three intense workshops, created a sustainability plan and is showing tangible actions toward sustainability. Further, each partner has received one-on-one coaching from The Natural Step and is building their own ability to teach others about sustainability. ACSI is coordinated on the ground by the Centre for Rural Sustainability.

There have been many accomplishments. For example, the City of Bathurst adopted a Sustainability Vision for 2020 and made a commitment to work towards the vision goals by using the Natural Step Framework. The Bathurst City Council also announced that they will be adopting the first of several Sustainable Transportation Action Plan (STAP) recommendations. To learn more about the network and their next steps, visit the ACSI website.

Read the full case study here.

Canada

Axis Performance Advisors, Portland, Oregon, USA

Chas Martin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:42:36 -0400

A Natural Step Network Case Study

Background
Axis Performance Advisors was started in 1990 by Marsha Willard and Darcy Hitchcock as an organizational management consulting firm, specializing ins self-directed work teams. As of today, November 2003, about 53 percent of Axis' work is directly related to sustainability.

Inspiration
In addition to its consulting work, Axis would, on occasion, host one-day think-tank meetings. In 1996, having heard about the concept of sustainability, it hosted a meeting on the subject. At that meeting Hitchcock had an “aha” experience when she realized that Axis was showing companies how to be more efficient and effective in depleting the planet’s resources. She decided that she and Willard had to do “something.” Shortly thereafter Hitchcock was introduced to The Natural Step (TNS) at a Business for Social Responsibility meeting. She says she felt a great relief, because TNS offered the “something” that Axis should do. In 1998 she went to the TNS conference in Chicago and began doing volunteer work for the Oregon Natural Step Network as a speaker and as a contributing writer for the Tool kit.

Action
Upon learning about TNS, Axis first examined the impacts of its own business on the environment. Hitchcock and Willard quickly realized that as a service business, their greatest impact was through their consulting services and the influence they had on their clients. Since they had experience in organizational change, they could help companies become more sustainable.

Axis also examined its internal practices against the four systems conditions. It determined that its greatest impact was greenhouse emissions from energy use, especially transportation, but it was able to take action to reduce its impacts in all four system conditions.

System Condition One (Taking Substances from the Earth's Crust)

Willard and Hitchcock measured their greenhouse gas impact and purchased carbon offsets to be climate neutral with a cost of approximately $20 per year per person (see Appendix 1 for measurements, including tracking alternative transportation).
Hitchcock moved her home office from Vancouver, Washington to Portland, Oregon to reduce travel.
Both Hitchcock and Willard use bicycles and public transportation whenever possible, resulting in 43% of business travel through alternative transportation (up from 0% before 2000)
Hitchcock and Willard both work from their homes, they purchased Green Power for both work and personal consumption.
Hitchcock purchased a Toyota Prius for business and personal use.
Axis purchased Energy Star rated computers (MAC G3s and monitors) and chose not to buy a copying machine.

System Condition Two (Use of Synthetic Substances)

Switched overhead transparency markers to ones that wash off with water instead of isopropyl alcohol.
Decided not to purchase certain products (e.g., glues) that had volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

System Condition Three (Preservation of Natural Resources)

Committed to buying recycled content paper, using 100% post-consumer recycled paper for company stationary.
When copier broke, did not purchase new one. This reduced the number of copies Axis makes.
Transitioned services like its newsletter and Team Booster product to an electronic service to save paper.
Axis does small print runs of the Sustainability SeriesTM booklets so as not to build up a large inventory, which might need to be scrapped later.
Axis has also chosen ShoreBank Pacific for their banking services.

System Condition Four (Meeting Human Needs)

Offered no- or low-cost services for targeted non-profits which would otherwise not be able to afford consulting services and which had a mission related to sustainability (Housing our Families, Planned Parenthood, Oregon Environmental Council, OMSI).
Provided pro bono facilitation services for the Oregon Natural Step Network’s Climate Change Peer Learning Group.

Results
Axis’s expenditures have mainly been in time, although it has paid for some training as well. It characterizes the time and training as R&D because Axis’ goal has been to transform the business to sustainability consulting.

That said, just operating its business more sustainably has saved Axis money over all. It has spent less money on parking fees, equipment not purchased, and printing and postage and has less wear and tear on its vehicles. The combined effect of its transportation efforts resulted in an annual reduction of 4,000 pounds of CO2 emissions. Axis has also learned that measurement does change behavior. It helps inform decisions and makes an immediate impact.

Challenges
One irony is that the more successful Axis becomes the more Hitchcock and Willard have to travel, which will actually increase their environmental impacts. They will address these impacts through the use of offsets.

Because sustainability is the focus of Axis’s business, the biggest challenge is creating a market to sustain all those who want to work in this field. It appears that sustainability is still at the early adopter phase in most sectors so the list of potential customers is limited. Also in tough economic times, people tend to pull back from exploring new options (even if they could save time or money) because they are already feeling stressed and stretched. That said, the challenge for consultants is always: to provide value to customers.

This case study was prepared by Regina Hauser for the Oregon Natural Step Network. For more information contact Darcy Hitchcock (503) 288-7704, darcy@axisperformance.com, or Marsha Willard (503) 284-9132, marsha@axisperformance.com, or visit the Axis Performance Advisors’ Web site, www.pacifier.com/~axis.

Appendix 1

Benefits for Communities

Anouk Bertner — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:21:52 -0400

Reaping the Rewards

The Natural Step’s integrated approach to sustainable community planning and decision-making provides communities with a number of benefits including:

Shared Community Vision – Creating a shared vision that reflects the entire community’s desired future that excites and engages citizens, aligns stakeholders and of course, brings your community strategically closer to environmental and social sustainability in an economically sound way.
Improved Decision-Making - Enhanced integration of sustainability into decision-making processes in the community by linking long-term sustainability challenges with short-term, day-to-day roles and decisions and managing the inevitable trade-offs. This allows individuals, be they elected officials or municipal staff, to understand the full cost of current decisions.
Employee Loyalty and Trust – Studies have shown that employees are more productive when they are fully engaged. Allowing staff to drive their own sustainability initiatives is an effective way of doing this.
Improved Stakeholder Alignment - Collaboration becomes possible when groups use a common language and create a shared vision of success for sustainability. Use of a common framework promotes a non-confrontational approach that quickly gets stakeholders on the same page and moving in the same direction.
Cost Savings - Redesigning energy, material flows and reduced impacts in the direction of sustainability can significantly reduce operational costs for municipalities.
Increased Citizen Engagement – The use of a simple, effective framework for communicating and working through complex issues improves community engagement through community sustainability initiatives.
Improved Reputation – Promotion of the community as a leader in sustainability enhances economic development strategies as well as community pride.
More cohesive policy decisions - Enhanced policies and programs incorporating a consistent sustainability perspective (e.g. development policies, capital investment guidelines, procurement policies, environmental management systems).

Canada

Benefits for communities

simonharvey — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:10:37 -0400

The Natural Step’s integrated approach to sustainable community planning and decision-making provides communities with a number of benefits including:

Shared Community Vision – creating a shared vision that reflects the entire community’s desired future that excites and engages citizens and of course, brings your community strategically closer towards environmental and social sustainability in an economically sound way.
Improved Decision-Making - Enhanced integration of sustainability into decision-making processes in the community by linking long-term sustainability challenges with short-term, day-to-day roles and decisions and managing the inevitable trade offs. This allows individuals to understand the full cost of current decisions.
Employee Loyalty and Trust – Studies have shown that employees are more productive when they are fully engaged. Allowing staff to drive their own sustainability initiatives is an effective way of doing this.
Improved Stakeholder Alignment - collaboration becomes possible when groups use a common language and create a shared vision of success for sustainability. Use of common framework promotes a non-confrontational approach that quickly gets stakeholders on the same page and moving in the same direction.
Cost Savings - Redesigning energy, material flows and impacts in the direction of sustainability can significantly reduce operational costs for municipalities.
Increased Citizen Engagement – The use of a simple, effective framework for communicating and working through complex issues improves community engagement through community sustainability initiatives.
Improved Reputation – Promotion of the community as a leader in sustainability
More cohesive policy decisions - Enhanced policies and programs incorporating a sustainability perspective that stimulate innovation (e.g. capital investment guidelines, procurement policies, environmental management systems).

New Zealand

Brown Bag Leadership Lunch Series - Declaring Your Intention

Chas Martin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 18:42:10 -0400

Start: Dec 12 2008 - 12:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT

Bring your lunch and join us for a series of engaging dialogues, facilitated by LionHeart Consulting, providing practical tools and insights into the real leadership that is required to implement sustainability.

While it is ideal to attend the entire series, each session will be interesting and informative as a stand alone experience.

December 12 (tentative): Declaring Your Intention – great words are at the source of great accomplishments. When you know the deepest wisdom in your heart is guiding your actions, you are no longer afraid to speak powerfully for a bold future.

These brown bag sessions are free. We will meet in the US Bank Room at the Central Library, 810 SW 10 th Ave , Portland, Oregon. We will begin at noon and end promptly at 1pm.

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.

City of Airdrie, Canada

Anouk Bertner — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:51:15 -0400

Airdrie, Alberta, Canada

The City of Airdrie, just north of Calgary, is experiencing unprecedented growth with near doubling of real-estate prices. City Council, staff and citizens are increasingly interested in sustainable growth and development which has led the City to work with The Natural Step in creating a municipal sustainability plan, as part of its Sustainable Communities Program.

Airdrie will be using the Alberta Urban Municipal Association (AUMA) Municipal Sustainability Planning Guidebook which is based on The Natural Step Framework. The Natural Step will continue to provide training and coaching to the City of Airdrie as their municipal sustainability plan is developed. Airdrie has committed to engaging its citizens, participating in peer to peer networks and sharing the outcomes of their process.

Read about Airdrie's participation in the CBC's One Million Acts of Green challenge here.

Canada

City of Santa Monica, California, USA

Chas Martin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:18:42 -0400

A Natural Step Network Case Study

Overview
The City of Santa Monica is located on the western edge of the Los Angeles Basin in southern California. It is a small city of 88,000 people within 8.3 square miles that faces Santa Monica Bay and the Pacific Ocean to the west and is surrounded by other urban areas to the north, east, and south.

The City is defined largely by its relationship to the beach and ocean. Not surprisingly, it was degradation of Santa Monica Bay in the early 1980s that first galvanized action on behalf of the environment by citizens and community leaders.

Santa Monica has generally affluent citizens, high property values, and a strong economy based on high technology, entertainment, tourism, and retail. These factors mean that City government has a strong tax base with which to design and implement programs. The City government has approximately 1800 permanent employees in 13 different departments and an annual budget of $365,000,000.

Background on Santa Monica’s Sustainable City Program
Santa Monica’s Sustainable City Program (SCP) grew out of a Task Force on the Environment appointed by the City Council in 1991 to review the city’s environmental policies and programs. Seeing the concept of sustainability as a unifying theme, the Task Force recommended a program to define what sustainability means for the city, develop a plan to get there, and then implement the plan. After substantial public involvement, City Council adopted the SCP in 1994.

The Role of The Natural Step in Santa Monica’s Sustainable City Program
As part of the general land-use planning process required under California state law, Santa Monica began a review and revision of the conservation element of its general plan in 1998. The conservation element is one of seven state-required general plan elements. The city used this update as an opportunity to incorporate the systems-oriented, holistic approach of the SCP and to codify the SCP into the conservation element. This strategy would strengthen the environmental components of the City’s general plan because all elements of the plan are required by state law to be internally consistent with each other.

The company hired to help re-write the conservation element, Rincon Consulting, proposed using The Natural Step’s (TNS) system conditions as a unifying framework for the document. This was accomplished by developing four core objectives for the conservation element modeled after the TNS system conditions. Each objective is followed by a set of policies, which were taken from the SCP. The objectives in the conservation element read as follows:
Objective 1: Strive for the sustainable use of nonrenewable and limited resources such as fossil fuels, metals, minerals, and water. Related policy topics include energy, water, and others.

Objective 2: Minimize the accumulation of human-made substances in the water, air, and earth. Related policy topics include water, air, waste, and others.

Objective 3: Preserve the productivity and diversity of nature. Related policy topics include Santa Monica Bay, habitat, and others.

Objective 4: Seek to provide for the range of human needs in a fair and efficient manner, with a priority on meeting basic human needs. Related policy topics include environmental health risks to disadvantaged communities, promoting mixed use development, affordable housing, and others.

Attachment 1 is a sample page of the conservation element; showing objective 1 and specific energy policies. Finally, the conservation element charges the SCP with translating these policies into action.

During the revision of Santa Monica’s conservation element, both the City’s Planning Commission and its Task Force on the Environment received presentations about The Natural Step and discussed using it as the unifying framework. Both bodies enthusiastically approved this approach. City staff have not received any specific training in TNS framework, although the City co-sponsored, with the local Chamber of Commerce, a workshop open to the general public; several city staff attended.

TNS framework itself did not play a role in the city’s sustainability effort until after the latter was well underway. The primary role of TNS has been to provide a conceptual framework that gives clarity, elegance, and unity to what was once a complicated SCP. TNS framework is mentioned only as a footnote in the written conservation element, and there are no references to the framework per se in any SCP communications and marketing materials.

The Sustainable City Program Today
As stated above, the SCP is responsible for implementing the policies of the conservation element of the City’s general plan. It includes the following key elements:
1. Guiding principles (adopted in 1994):
    A. The concept of sustainability guides city policy.
    B. Protection, preservation, and restoration of the natural environment is a high priority for the City.
    C. Environmental quality and economic health are mutually dependent.
    D. All decisions have environmental implications.
    E. Community awareness, responsibility, involvement, and education are key
elements of successful programs/policies.
    F. Santa Monica recognizes its linkages with the regional, national, and global
community.
    G. Those environmental issues most important to the community should be
addressed first, and the most cost-effective program and policies should be selected.
    H. The City is committed to procurement decisions which minimize negative environmental and social impacts.
2. Goals in four main areas: resource conservation, transportation, pollution prevention and public health protection, and community and economic development.
3. Targets and indicators for each goal area. Eighteen targets and indicators spread among the four goal areas allow the City to measure progress. Attachment 2 is a copy of the resource conservation indicators and targets.
4. Periodic review to determine program effectiveness. A bi-annual review identifies accomplishments to-date and obstacles to future success.

Results
The SCP has achieved some impressive results:
Resource conservation
• Waste diverted from the landfill increased from 13.8% in 1990 to 55% in 2000.
• Citywide water use decreased 6.3% from 1990 to 2000.
• Greenhouse gas emissions decreased 5.2% citywide from 1990 to 2000.
• Santa Monica now purchases 100% of its energy from renewable sources, and all facilities have been retrofitted to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs.

Transportation
• Annual ridership on the City’s Big Blue Bus increased 17% from 1990 to 2000. Big Blue was ranked the number one urban transit system in the US in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000 (based on a comparative study by the University of North Carolina’s Center of Interdisciplinary Transportation Studies).
• The percentage of City fleet vehicles operating on reduced emissions (natural gas and electricity) increased from 10% in 1993 to 70% in 2000.

Pollution Prevention and Public Health Protection
• Untreated, dry-weather urban runoff entering Santa Monica Bay from City outfalls decreased by approximately 95% from 1990 to 2000.
• Citywide wastewater flows have been reduced more than 14% between 1990 and 1999.
• The City’s Urban Runoff Reclamation Facility (SMURRF) came on-line in 2001. It treats up to 500,000 gallons per day of urban runoff that can be reused for landscape irrigation and indoor toilet flushing at various sites around the City.

Community and Economic Development
• The number of publicly assisted affordable housing units in the City increased by 47% between 1990 and 1998.
• The total amount of open space in the City increased by 10% between 1990 and 2000.
• The number of trees in public spaces increased 8% between 1995 and 2000.

Lessons Learned
• Bring TNS into the discussion as early as possible. Had TNS framework been around when the SCP was developed, it would have helped Santa Monica’s sustainability effort achieve a clarity of purpose and a simpler, more coherent organizing framework sooner. Because the framework is simple and easy to understand, it helps build consensus on the vision of where a sustainability effort is trying to go. It helps people understand the problem and defines a shared goal.

• Start small. The SCP did not try to solve every problem immediately. Instead, it focused on the obvious problems and the low-hanging fruit to demonstrate early success and then used those successes to help sell the next steps. Also, the SCP often took a pilot project approach to an issue that began with a limited scope and resources. If successful, the pilot was then replicated on a larger scale, incorporating lessons learned from the pilot.

Example: Toxics-Use Reduction Program. Santa Monica began its Toxics-Use Reduction Program as part of its effort to reduce its use of hazardous materials. It targeted custodial cleaning supplies because there was a clear risk to both employee health and public health as well as the environment. The process relied heavily on involvement of custodial staff and testing the effectiveness of alternative products. The project resulted in 1) replacement of 15 of 17 cleaning product categories with less-toxic but equally effective alternatives; 2) reduced hazardous materials use by approximately 3200 pounds per year and saved approximately 5% in costs; 3) a set of procurement specifications for custodial cleaning products; and 4) improved morale of custodial staff. Equally important, the custodian pilot served as a successful model that has now been replicated in fleet maintenance, public facilities maintenance (painting, plumbing, and woodworking), printing, and pest management.

• Start where the issues and conflicts are in your community. Don’t try to force people to pay attention to things that are not on their radar screen, especially in the beginning. This is especially true if there is a local environmental “crisis” of some sort: use the issue at the heart of the crisis to begin the process towards sustainability.

• Set specific targets. SCP staff believes that specific targets drove policy change and accelerated action. Targets make the effort more compelling to the public and elected officials. If elected officials adopt the targets, they feel responsible for achieving them. Also, targets demand periodic performance reviews and set in motion continuous improvement.

Example: Bus ridership. The initial target was to increase ridership by 10% between 1990 and 2000. By 1995, however, ridership had dropped by almost 8%. The City Council said this was not acceptable and tasked the Transportation Department to develop a strategy to meet the target. The department started a service improvement program that included hiring a technical consulting firm to review operations and survey riders on what they liked and disliked. This led to improved safety en route and at bus stops, route changes, smaller and larger buses on specific routes, and schedule changes. These changes were implemented in 1997, and ridership started increasing shortly thereafter. By 2000, the City had surpassed its target, with ridership 17% greater than in 1990, and it had been voted the number one urban transit service in the US four years in a row.

• Support from the top matters. SM received support from the top elected and appointed officials early on. The city manager incorporated meeting SCP goals into performance criteria for department heads. This level of support gets all players on board, especially those who may resist the concept of sustainability or change in general.

• Respond to the public’s specific needs. Whenever possible, talk to public audiences about specific problems and the actions needed to fix those problems. People can relate to a polluted bay and the specific actions needed to clean it up; they cannot relate to vague terms like sustainability or The Natural Step.

The Future
City staff do not see any direct threat to the SCP because it has strong support among city leadership, and the city has a strong economic base. Also, the program only has one staff person who coordinates activities with staff in other departments. This keeps program overhead low. Finally, the staff has developed a variety of partnerships with other cities and the business community in support of the program and several other general public outreach tools. The business partnerships include annual Sustainable Quality Awards for businesses that meet certain criteria as well as a Sustainable Works program that provides free technical assistance to local businesses. General public outreach tools include an environmental directory for all city residents; a “Green Map,” which includes, not only parks and green spaces, but also electric vehicle stations, green buildings, green retailers, and other environmental resources; educational programs in schools taught by local nonprofits; a web site; and publicity around is bi-annual progress reports.

The SCP faces three challenges in the future:
1. Resource use in the City is increasing, both generally and on a per capita basis, despite the success of the SCP. This is the result of a strong local economy and a high day-time occupancy rate, which is due to the strong tourism component to the economy and the large number of people who work but do not live in the City (often because they cannot afford to do so). The high day-time occupancy rate also leads to greater regional traffic congestion and pollution.

2. Affordable housing is declining. Teachers, service sector employees, and other middle income earners often cannot afford to live in the City due to high property values and high rental rates. Also, the State of California recently passed a vacancy decontrol regulation that hampers the ability of local governments to control rent.

3. Social equity and economic development concerns should be included in the SCP.
The initial focus of the SCP was on environmental concerns; the program is just now expanding to include social and economic concerns. The City has been doing significant work related to homelessness, seniors, and children and spends more per capita in these areas than neighboring cities. But it is just now starting to formally and explicitly include these areas in the SCP by educating city staff who work on social and economic issues about their role in sustainability and involving them in development of new indicators and targets.

Attachment 1

Source
Interviews with Dean Kubani, Sustainable City Program Coordinator, City of Santa Monica, in November and December 2001.

This case study was prepared by Mike Riley of Conservation for Central Oregon (dba The Recycling Team), Bend, Oregon, for the Oregon Natural Step Network. You can reach Dean Kubani at (310)458-2227 or dean-kubani@ci.santa-monica.ca.us. The Web site for the Sustainable City Program is http://pen.ci.santa-monica.ca.us/environment/policy/. Copyright 2002 Oregon Natural Step Network City of Santa Monica
Attachment 1
Copyright 2002 Oregon Natural Step Network City of Santa Monica

City of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

Kim Mackrael — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:48:38 -0400

As part of its commitment to sustainability, the City of Saskatoon has identified the need for a decision-making culture that embraces sustainability principles and considers both long and short term impacts. In 2008, Saskatoon asked The Natural Step to review its internal decision-making and governance practices as well as the best practices of leading municipalities.

Based on these reviews, The Natural Step plans to provide a report that includes a summary of key best practices with relevant supporting examples. Excerpts from the report will be available here in the coming weeks. For more information on Integrated Community Sustainability Planning, read The Natural Step introduction to ICSPs here. For more details on best practices scans or other services offered by The Natural Step, contact info@naturalstep.ca.

A generic version of this best practise scan is available for download below.

Canada

City Shifters - How on earth should we begin greening our metropolises?

Anouk Bertner — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 10:23:05 -0400

How on earth should we begin greening our metropolises?
By asking the right questions, says The Natural Step.

Dave Cieslewicz, the Mayor of Madison, state capital of Wisconsin, US, has a favourite ‘nuts and bolts’ story about sustainability. We could start by asking the right questions.

“We have this huge converted factory, where we store all our 240 buses overnight,” he explains. “There’s a small part of the building where we fuel them up – and, for the comfort of our employees, we’d been keeping that warm.”

What the council hadn’t registered was that they were unnecessarily heating the bus storage area as well. So in 2007 they bought a door – which cost $70,000, but would pay for
itself, through energy savings, in two years.

Like many green solutions, the Madison bus garage door seems so obvious – but, according to Cieslewicz, it didn’t come about by chance. “It was such a simple answer,” he says. “But you don’t get the right answers unless you ask the right questions.”

What got Madison asking those questions in the first place was its engagement with The Natural Step (TNS) in a radical ‘change process’ to guide it towards the goal of ‘sustainability’ – and help it become one of the first Eco-Municipalities in North America.

TNS’s ‘municipal sustainability planning’ is different from your average city-level strategic plan, explains John Purkis of TNS Canada, in that it doesn’t only involve municipal officials. > download the article below to learn more.

This feature was written by Green Futures - a partntner of The Natural Step. Sign up for free online updates from Green Futures.

Green Futures is the leading source of information, opinion and debate on progress towards sustainable development. It is published online and in print for senior decision makers in business, the public sector, environmental organisations and the media. In Green Futures, positive visions of a low-carbon, opportunity-rich future sit alongside a practical 'can-do' approach that is grounded in today's business reality.

Clearing the Air in Leeds

Anouk Bertner — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:58:14 -0400

Leeds City Council (UK) is leaving other municipalities in the dust by using a clearer, more strategic approach to reducing their air pollution.

The Natural Step in the UK (under the banner of Forum for the Future), in collaboration with consultants from the London-based engineering firm of Arup, recently delivered workshops to study the City’s new Air Quality Action Plan. While national regulations only require cities to reduce local levels of 7 common types of air pollution, this review presented a huge opportunity to broaden the conversation and take a more comprehensive approach.

The workshop brought together stakeholders from Council departments such as Transport and Spatial Planning, as well as the Environment Agency, Leeds University, two major supermarkets, and a local campaign group representing Stop Climate Chaos. The day was structured around how air quality can be addressed using each of the five levels of The Natural Step Framework.

Participants first mapped the pollutants, causes of pollutants, pathways and receptors in society and ecosystems, stakeholders, regulations, and so forth. The single biggest problem was identified as Nitrous Oxide (NOx) emissions from transport, although many other substances and sources were found to contribute to the City’s poor air quality. The workshop leaders also helped to highlight how the City’s air emissions affect soils in surrounding national parks and the international health implications of air pollution.

This more holistic view of air pollution enabled participants to develop a vision of success that was far more comprehensive than simply the regulation of seven particular substances. “Workshop participants developed a vision for future success that would go beyond transport and NOx and beyond the idea of ‘safe limits’ or acceptable levels of air pollution,” noted Tom Chambers of Forum for the Future.

“Overall the workshop was a success,” said Chambers. “Whilst national standards remain important, they can become part of a more holistic vision of working towards clean air in, and beyond, the city.” For more on Forum’s work, visit their website at http://www.forumforthefuture.org/.

Collingwood Region, Canada

Anouk Bertner — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:49:28 -0400

Collingwood, Ontario, Canada

The local Environment Network hosted The Natural Step Canada in training a group of 15 people from local businesses, organizations and the municipality of Collingwood, Ontario.

The intent was to provide participants with a shared understanding and common language of sustainability so they could identify initiatives to overcome current and future sustainability challenges in a collaborative, strategic and systematic way.

With a common understanding and language of sustainability, participants will apply a systematic approach to evaluate programs, operations and policies using sustainability principles. The Natural Step Framework provides a context for making decisions and prioritizing the most strategic actions are in the short, medium and long-term.

One outcome of this project has been a proposed “Georgian Basin Sustainability Plan,” as well as a Carbon plan for The Town of Blue Mountain.

Canada

Communities in Newfoundland Planning Strategically

Jennifer Reid — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:53:36 -0400

Communities in Newfoundland are very interested in creating integrated community sustainability plans (ICSPs), but have found the challenge of putting them together and the cost of training prohibitive in meeting that goal. These communities care deeply about sustainability, but have not been able to pursue that interest–until now.

In early March, representatives from eight communities were introduced to the concept of backcasting, developing descriptions and scenarios of success using sustainability principles. The intent of the workshops was to focus specifically on “Energy and Climate Change” in the context of their Region’s ICSP and informed by The Natural Step Framework. To that end, workshop participants envisioned a desirable and sustainable future where their region has successfully anticipated, mitigated, and adapted to the impacts of climate change, while at the same time significantly reduced their region’s direct and indirect contributions of climate changing greenhouse gas emissions. Actions and strategies to support the region’s transition towards that desirable and sustainable future for energy and climate change were brainstormed and prioritized. Prior to the workshop, participants completed a current reality survey to help establish a baseline to assist with tracking progress over time.

The workshops had representatives from several communities including: Bauline, Flatrock, and Pouch Cove located on the east coast of Newfoundland; and Forteau, L’Anse au Clair, L’Anse au Loup, Red Bay, and West St. Modeste located on the Straits of Labrador. The workshops were hosted by the Conservation Corps of Newfoundland and Labrador, with financial support from the Newfoundland and Labrador Green Fund. They were facilitated by Mike Purcell from The Natural Step Canada.

Information collected from the one day workshop was synthesized into a chapter on “Energy and Climate Change” (comprising a “Description of Success,” “Description of Current Reality,” and “Strategies and Actions”) that will be included in each region’s ICSP document.

“For me, this workshop demonstrated that a one-day session is sufficient for participants to gain enough capacity around the Framework to be able to explore their community’s current reality and then create desirable and sustainable goals, objectives, and actions for a particular aspect of their community or region,” said Mike. “Further, the participants can use that same approach to focus on other aspects of their regions (i.e. transportation, food, water, arts and culture, etc.).”

Canada

Corporate Knights: Environmental Smorgasbord

Anouk Bertner — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 15:46:04 -0400

Sweden’s policies: a menu for Canada’s low-carbon diet?
by Melissa Shin

Corporate Knights explores Sweden's solutions for a changing world and compares their policies, actions and attitudes to those currently found in Canada. Shin interviewed Natural Step Founder, Karl-Henrik Robert while in Stockholm.

Canada

Courses and Workshops

Chas Martin — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:59:34 -0400

The Natural Step Network offers expanded live and online educational options. This list will be growing throughout 2009. Check again for updates or subscribe to our newsletter. Tell a colleague

NEW COURSE!

SUSTAINABILITY FOR LEADERS:
A transformative approach to sustainability thinking, strategy and execution

It’s time to accelerate the approach to sustainability within your organization.
It’s time for you to take a leadership role.
Learn to assess opportunities and communicate the business case for sustainability. See how companies and communities integrate sustainability for strategic advantage. Enhance your effectiveness with The Natural Step framework.

Download brochure

March 30th -April 1st 2009
Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center
721 NW Ninth Avenue
Portland, Oregon

This course is presented live. Space is limited. Please register before March 23rd.

Prerequisite: You will be provided with a pass to our 1-hour eLearning course when your registration is received.

SUSTAINABILITY USING THE NATURAL STEP FRAMEWORK

This course is offered six times per year. It is a one-day program which introduces business, government, and community leaders to sustainability and The Natural Step framework. This is a required foundation for advanced courses.

April 2, 2009, Portland, Oregon

May 19, 2009, Portland, Oregon

AVAILABLE NOW ONLINE:

These award winning courses have been developed by TNS Canada. They provide practical sustainability education. These innovative courses are being used by thousands of people in leading organizations around the world such as Interface Carpets, Rohm and Haas, Nissan, Levi Strauss, Nestlé Waters and others.

Sustainability 101

Sustainability: Step by Natural Step

December Breakfast - Implementing Lasting Change in Taipei - Portland, Oregon USA

Chas Martin — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 12:47:49 -0400

Start: Dec 10 2009 - 7:30am

End: Dec 10 2009 - 9:00am

Timezone: US/Pacific

Doubletree Hotel Portland
1000 NE Multnomah St
Portland, OR 97232

Transformation in any organization is difficult to achieve. How can true and lasting transformation to sustainability be achieved in one of the world’s most densely populated cities?

Bob Wise, of Cogans Owens Cogan and Team Oregon will explain how the city of Taipei is approaching sustainability and how the Natural Step Framework, the UN Urban Environmental Accords, and natural system principles are being used to create a new vision of what a city can be in the 21st century.

SPEAKER: Bob Wise specializes in visionary and practical approaches to sustainable development, strategic planning and public policy development and management as Senior Project Manager at Cogans Owens Cogans. He was planning director or policy development advisor to four U.S. Governors (New York, Idaho, Arizona and Oregon) and served for seven years as the Executive Director of the Council of State Planning Agencies/National Governors Association, the think-tank for U.S. Governors. Bob received a Masters degree in Public Administration from the State University of New York at Albany and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Idaho.

Distance Learning

Anouk Bertner — Fri, 01 May 2009 11:20:27 -0400

Think Globally, Learn Locally

The Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH) and TNS collaborated to launch a new graduate distance learning course entitled Introduction to Strategic Sustainable Development in 2008. Since then, the course has run several times and attracted students from around the world, from Colombia to Canada to New Zealand to Kenya. The purpose of this graduate-level course is to learn about core concepts in Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD), including a thorough understanding of a structured planning and decision making model for application to real world issues.

The course focus includes:

Sustainability challenges facing today's society, including some of the causes of both environmental and societal problems
The major components of a framework for strategic sustainable development
Independent application of a strategic planning tool (the “ABCD” analysis) in an organization
Foundational concepts of sustainable development, including basic science, economics, organizational learning and strategic management.
Different tools and concepts relevant to sustainable development – participants will apply the SSD framework to describe how these tools and concepts are best utilised.

The course is delivered through pre-recorded online lectures, readings, 2 group assignments, live class webinars, an individual presentation and final exam.

This is a part-time study course worth 7.5 ECTS Credits at the Masters Level. Students should expect to commit approximately 4 hours per week to view online materials and participate in online sessions. Additional worktime is required for assignments and readings.

For more information contact: sustainabilitydistancelearning@bth.se

District of North Vancouver, Canada

Anouk Bertner — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:42:19 -0400

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

The District of North Vancouver (DNV) wants to be recognized as one of the most sustainable communities in the world by 2020 and it has adopted The Natural Step Framework to help get there. The DNV has partnered with The Natural Step Canada to build staff capacity around the use of the Framework and to conduct a sustainability analysis of its own operations.

Staff from various departments and levels took part in the training with a smaller core team taking responsibility for doing the full sustainability analysis. Subsequent workshops allowed DNV to develop a draft action plan for sustainability, which can be accessed here. The plan has not yet been formalized, but several of the actions listed have already been implemented.

The DNV says the biggest change has been integrating sustainability into the corporate culture. Susan Haid, Manager for Sustainable Community Development, says “The Natural Step has allowed us to do work that we’ve been meaning to do for years and has made our approach systematic."

Click on the link below to read the complete case study.

Canada

Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt Speaks at the Heschel Conference

Kim Mackrael — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:26:10 -0500

On December 17, 2008, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt provided this introductory speech for the 10th annual Heschel Conference, "10 Years of The Heschel Center-Building a Movement for a Sustainable Israel."

Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt's speech for the 10th annual Heschel Conference

A letter from conference organizer Michal Bitterman:

My name is Michal Bitterman. I am a graduate of the 2006-7 Masters program in "Strategic Leadership Towards Sustainability" at BTH University, Sweden. During my studies I have focused, with my colleagues - Viviana Lopez and Fiona Wright - on the conjunction of the two approaches of Strategic Sustainable Development and Conflict Resolution in ongoing long term intractable conflicts with intermittent violence. Our thesis, under the supervision of Prof. Karl-Henrik Robèrt and Mr. Pong Leung, explored ways in which core concepts of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development provide new alternatives that fill gaps in the process and outcome of conflict resolution, while bringing lasting benefits for sustainability. In essence, the idea is that working towards mutual sustainability goals (of environmental and social aspect) with conflicting parties, outside the realm of the conflict (issues which inherently require cooperation in order to achieve long term solutions), can build trust between conflicting parties and provide mechanisms for working together. Thus, it could be further used to approach topics of the core conflict. Living in Israel, this subject is close to my heart, and since my return I am trying to employ the knowledge I have gained and continue exploring these issues in my PhD studies.

Outside academia, I am working with Heschel Center for Environmental Learning and Leadership. It is a non-aligned, non-profit "think and do" organization devoted to promote sustainability in Israel and the Middle East. My involvement has been with the national campaign of local authorities the Heschel Center launched (partnered with Forum 15), for climate protection and air quality. Mayors of 18 major cities in Israel signed a convention for reducing GHG and air pollution, with a target of 20% reduction by the year of 2020 and joined the Cities for Climate Protection campaign of ICLEI.

The following video has been taken as part of the 10 years anniversary conference of the Heschel Center Conference entitled: "10 Years of The Heschel Center-Building a Movement for a Sustainable Israel" held December 17, 2008. The meeting was devoted to highlighting the significant achievements of the last decade, addressing the challenges that lie ahead and promoting the public notion of sustainability as a guiding vision. We are extremely honored that Prof. Karl-Henrik Robèrt issued us this interview, focusing on the challenges facing sustainability during the next decade, broadcast at the conference grand opening event. His enlightening message has been a most powerful way to start the stimulating conference.

Together with more than 900 sustainability leaders from all fields in Israel that participated in the event, I would like to thank Prof. Karl-Henrik Robèrt for his major contribution to the conference and for honoring us with his ideas and inspiring words, and wish you all a Happy, Sustainable and Peaceful New Year,

Michal Bitterman

Dr. Robèrt speaking in the United States

Anouk Bertner — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:29:57 -0400

Start: Apr 21 2008 - 12:00am

End: Apr 25 2008 - 11:59pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT

The Natural Step founder, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, will be in the U.S. delivering presentations to the University of Wisconsin's Pathways to Health and Healing Conference on April 14th and Distinguished Lecture Series on April 15th. Dr. Robèrt will also be delivering a keynote address to the US National Academy of Sciences on April 25th.

Eugene Water and Electric Board, Eugene, Oregon, USA

Chas Martin — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 18:56:58 -0400

Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB)
A Natural Step Network Case Study

Overview
The Eugene Water and Electric Board, the largest public utility in Oregon, serves over 75,000 business and residential customers for electricity and over 40,000 for water in Eugene and parts of the surrounding southern Willamette Valley. It also provides steam for the heating and hot water needs of approximately 100 commercial customers in downtown Eugene. Electrical generation facilities, providing about 20 percent of its supply, include small-to-medium-scale hydroelectric plants, industrial cogeneration facilities, and part of a wind generation facility in Wyoming. The rest of its energy supply is purchased under contract from the Bonneville Power Administration and from the wholesale energy market. EWEB also owns an electrical distribution system, a steam generation plant, and water treatment, storage, and distribution facilities. Operating its facilities valued at nearly $450,000,000 is a major activity. In 2000 EWEB had revenues of over $140 million and employed about 470 people.

Background
An outbreak of typhoid in 1906 traced to the water supply led to a loss of community confidence in the private water company. The City of Eugene responded by purchasing the water treatment plant after a bond authorization was approved by public vote. In 1911 the new municipal utility built a small-scale hydroelectric plant to reliably power the water system. The excess electricity was sold to the community, giving the utility a start in the electric-supply business. In 1916, the local private power company was purchased, and the utility became a full-service supplier of both water and electricity. At this point the name was changed to Eugene Water & Electric Board.

EWEB has a long tradition of promoting and rewarding sustainable activity in all aspects of its operation. In the 1970s, this was heightened as the controversy over nuclear power came into focus in Oregon. EWEB was a 30-percent owner in the Trojan Nuclear Plant, but public sentiment led to a decision to withdraw its support of nuclear power in general and its ownership of the Trojan facility in particular. An increased emphasis on renewable sources, conservation, and environmentally sensitive operations was established. In 1990 EWEB was cited for non-compliant air emissions from the steam generation plant. The organization was motivated to avoid that kind of problem in the future. It created an environmental manager position and shifted from compliance to prevention, self-regulation, and avoidance of regulatory costs. Eventually, the Environmental Department grew to five staff members.

Programs encouraging and rewarding conservation were put into place and have continued since. EWEB views conservation of energy as a viable and cost-effective alternative to electricity generation. In 2000, for instance, it is estimated that conservation and efficiency improvements provided the equivalent of about 10 percent of Eugene’s power needs, resulting in a savings of over $9 million in wholesale power costs.

In 1996 the board developed a set of operating principles with sustainability as one of three overarching principles to guide operations (the other two being community leadership and business success). These principles led to the development of an environmental policy that was adopted by the Board of Commissioners in November of 1997. The effort to develop this policy involved people throughout the organization, not just executives.

Also during this time, EWEB was searching for management tools to help the organization on its path toward sustainability. It explored and evaluated several systems to help with decisionmaking, such as ISO 14001, and studied other concepts such as the CERES Principles. It selected items or approaches from all to develop an eclectic approach that best fits its organization and situation.

The Introduction of The Natural Step
Historically then, EWEB’s mission, culture, and internal policies were all aligned to reinforce and enhance EWEB’s efforts at doing business in a sustainable fashion. The environmental policy provided direction for the organization’s activities in accomplishing its mission. What still was needed was a framework that would tie all the different efforts together and provide a language and model for everyone in the organization.

In 1997 the first TNS training was held in Portland, and a few EWEB employees attended. The next year, training was offered in Eugene, and more employees got exposure to TNS. In 1999 when the national conference for TNS was held in Portland, EWEB attendees could see the extent to which many organizations around the world had adopted the framework. As Environmental Manager Laurie Power states, TNS clearly “seemed to hold promise, and we were inspired by the support for it. It seemed to provide the missing element in EWEB’s approach – a framework to bridge the gap between vision and application of the sustainability mission.”

Power’s environmental group determined that the system conditions could be used by anyone in the organization as an aid to making decisions. They provided a scientifically based foundation that all could understand. A Sustainability Working Group of senior staff and mid-level managers was formed with the support of Power’s executive manager. This manager willingly took the message to the Executive Management Team. At the time, the Team was building six strategic goals for the utility as a whole, one of which was sustainability. The Executive Team agreed that The Natural Step’s system conditions had a role in EWEB’s strategy for sustainability. The Team also endorsed a questionnaire developed by the Working Group that
incorporated the system conditions and other questions to foster sustainability in decisionmaking. (See Exhibit 1). The questionnaire was to be used by work groups and managers to evaluate alternatives when making decisions about projects.

Training Power’s team developed a half-day training program to bring employees up to a common level of understanding about sustainability and how it could be considered in each job function. Work groups of up to ten people in areas such as landscape, shop, water, construction, and electrical distribution have received the training, which includes the environmental policy, TNS framework, and the questionnaire. One of Power’s staff was made responsible for the training, and attended several “train the trainer” sessions conducted by the Oregon Natural Step Network. At the end of 2001, approximately 150 employees had been trained.

After the training, a project group was planning a new transmission line to outlying areas west of Eugene and observed that the route extended through wetlands. The group discussed routing and materials in the light of the system conditions and made recommendations that were far different from traditional approaches. The routing was planned to minimize impact on the wetlands, and the recommended material for the transmission towers was recycled steel instead of the customary treated wood. Steel has a longer life and does not have to be handled as “special waste” at the end of its life like treated wood does. It addition, the costs over the long term would be lower.

Benefits and Results
Each year the Executive Management Team selects strategies to carry out the utilities’ six goals.
Following are some of the results:

• Paper usage. EWEB set a goal of 10% reduction of paper by year-end 2000. This program achieved a 28% reduction in the first four months -- nearly triple the original goal. Further, the employee group that had been given the charter for this project found an office paper manufactured by Georgia Pacific that had 30% post-consumer fiber and did not compromise appearance or printing performance. By utilizing a state purchasing agreement, EWEB paid no more for this paper than that which it replaced.

• Energy conservation at EWEB headquarters. With its strong history of support for conservation, EWEB looked for further reduction of energy at its headquarters site. In the 90-day period May through July 2001, consumption was reduced by nearly 19% over the same period in the previous year.

• Conservation and renewable energy for EWEB customers. EWEB implemented a threetiered rate structure for electricity in November 2001. Rates are higher for customers with higher usage, providing an economic incentive for greater conservation. Additionally, residential and commercial customers are given the option of buying wind power for the equivalent of 10%, 25%, 50%, or 100% of their usage. Customers are charged a higher rate for wind power, reflecting the higher costs. This program provides a way for customers to support EWEB’s shift to renewable energy.

• Future electricity generation. EWEB has developed strong policies to guide investments in future power generation capacity. These are (1) to continue with its efforts to reduce demand through education, incentives, and other programs, (2) to provide superior environmental performance for non-renewable generation during the transition to a sustainable energy future, and (3) to seek out and invest in renewable sources in a way consistent with other business goals. EWEB will exceed Oregon law in mitigating emissions from natural gas plants, it will make further investments in wind and hydro capacity, and it is beginning pilot applications of solar photovoltaics, fuel cells, and other technologies.

• Vehicles. EWEB set a goal to convert its fleet of sedans to fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles. One sedan will be bought in 2002, and 12 will be in place by 2006.

Sources:

1. Discussions with Laurie Power, Environmental Manager; Deb Brewer, Public Affairs Manager; Jim Maloney, Energy Resources Project Manager; and Mark Wall, Environmental Specialist in May and August 2001.
2. EWEB Web site: WWW.EWEB.ORG.

This case study was prepared by Rick Baker of Rick Baker Consulting, Eugene, Oregon in
November 2001 for The Oregon Natural Step Network.

Exhibit 1

EWEB QUESTIONNAIRE

Building Sustainability into EWEB’s Business Decisions (2/26/01)
Introduction: This list of questions is designed to help you make decisions that foster sustainability*. The intent is to prompt thorough and lively discussion among decisionmakers
and work groups, prompting deeper understanding of the issues that underlie sustainability. This process is, by its very nature, holistic, creative, and perhaps a bit
messy as you explore ways to ground sustainability into your work.
Name of Project:
Participants:
1. What is the objective or need?
2. What are the options to address the objective/need?
3. What are the impacts on the community?
4. What are the economic impacts?
5. What are the impacts on the environment?
6. Is it consistent with our Board principles?
7. Who needs to be involved in this decision?
8. What are the impacts on EWEB?
9. How are we generating waste? What could we do to reduce waste and encourage recycling or reuse?
10. Is there another way to meet the business objective or need? (Replay of question #2)
11. Test solutions on the 4 system conditions of The Natural Step:

a. Does this activity foster or support a systematic reduction over time in the extraction of materials from the earth’s crust?
b. Does this activity foster or support a systematic reduction over time in the accumulation of synthetic chemicals/substances into the biosphere?
c. Does this activity foster or support the health of nature’s life-sustaining ecosystems and ecosystem services?
d. Does this activity foster or support the fair and efficient use of resources to meet present and future human needs?

12. How can progress be monitored?
13. Does this foster sustainability? Does it move us in the direction of sustainability?
14. If not, what should we do?
Other Comments: __________________________________________________________

Executive Briefing, USA

Chas Martin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:58:33 -0500

Start: Feb 18 2009 - 12:00pm

End: Feb 18 2009 - 1:00pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT

Executive Briefing for individual Network Members with Regina Hauser and Holly Brunk. An discussion among new and seasoned members to identify how TNS can provide focused support for sustainable development.

Get Involved

Chas Martin — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:55:15 -0400

Subscribe to The Natural Step Network - USA Newsletter to stay informed of events and news of current activities within the organization. You may also subscribe the our International Newsletter.

Become a Member of The Natural Step Network to gain access to TransformAgents, our online community of leaders transforming the world to prosper within the limits of nature.

A great way to understand our network is to participate in one of our frequent breakfast meetings. These are excellent opportunities to meet and network with others, see excellent presentations and enjoy a sustainably-prepared breakfast.

Introductory presentations and workshops are the next level of involvement. These full day events provide a general overview of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development.

Our newest course, Sustainability for Leaders - A transformative approach to sustainability thinking is available now.

Or, become a member and become an active participant in our network of motivated, committed people who are working to bring sustainability to organizations and communities around the world.

Hastings District Council, New Zealand

simonharvey — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:23:16 -0500

Hastings District Council is looking to commit to an approach that will adopt the Natural Step framework as its key decision-making framework to plan for a sustainable future. Accredited TNS advisor Simon Harvey and Colin Bass of BusinessLAB have been working with both officers and councillors in Hastings to help the council understand how the Natural Step framework can be used by the local authority as a high-level decision making tool that ensures a systems-thinking approach for sustainable outcomes. “The Natural Step Framework provided us with a really powerful and simple tool to assist our decision-making processes”, explains council CEO Ross McLeod. Hastings District is currently consulting its community about “What should the future of Hastings look like?” in readiness for its next Long Term Council Community Plan (LTCCP).

The LTCCP consultation document puts forward a comprehensive case for why Hastings needs to focus on creating a sustainable future and lists a number of strategic objectives that have been formed through initial thinking using TNS. Transparency and effective community consultation means Hastings is expressly asking its community whether the council should adopt TNS as its sustainability framework and a key strategic decision-making tool.

With much of its economic activity resting on agriculture, horticulture, viticulture, related manufacturing and tourism; Hastings could well lead the way to show how the Natural Step framework can help communities in New Zealand achieve genuine progress and sustainable outcomes through a sound strategic planning process. For further information about this work, visit the video interview with council CEO Ross McLeod.

New Zealand

Information Session: Hosting a Natural Step-UWO Coop Student for Summer 2011

Anouk Bertner — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 15:55:48 -0500

Start: Dec 16 2010 - 10:00am

End: Dec 16 2010 - 11:00am

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

The Natural Step and the UWO’s Master's in Environment and Sustainability are again partnering to provide employers with high caliber students to create sustainability plans over the summer of 2011. Are you interested in hiring an MES student from May 1st to August 19th, 2011? We will be holding an information session online on December 16th to discuss this exciting opportunity.

>Click here to register

>Read the brochure here

Canada

Integrated Community Sustainability Plan

Kim Mackrael — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:47:04 -0400

An Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP), or Municipal Sustainability Plan (MSP), helps communities find innovative solutions to address social, economic, cultural and environmental challenges today and leave a positive legacy for our children and their children.

An ICSP is as much a process as it is a plan. The end result is more than a document: it is an on-going process of engaging community stakeholders to create a vision of a sustainable future and linking that vision to realistic planning and collaborative action today. ICSPs emphasize long-term thinking, collaboration between departments and between sectors, engaging community stakeholders, creating partnerships, and continuous monitoring and evaluation.

Canada