Filed Under Awareness

Are you ready to innovate for a sustainable future?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Student Life and Experience

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

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

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

Max Hamburgers from Sweden Revolutionize Fast Food Industry: New Case Study Released

Franco Varriano — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:03:40 -0400

The Natural Step, an internally recognized non-profit organization specializing in sustainability is proud to publish our case study on Max, Sweden’s oldest and most popular hamburger chain. Max President and owner Richard Bergfors and the Director of Sustainability Pär Larshans are now on a North American tour to view over 70 fast food restaurants.

In 2007, Pär Larshans, then Director of Human Resources at Max Hamburger Restaurants, was asked to investigate what other fast food chains were doing about climate change. He discovered that there wasn’t much to discover and Max saw an opportunity to break ahead of the pack. Sustainable leadership could clearly distinguish Max from its formidable competitors such as McDonalds and Burger King and allow them to use their business to make a positive impact on the planet.

Partnering with The Natural Step, Max looked deeper into the sustainability challenges of their business. This was the beginning of an exciting and ongoing journey exploring the possibility of sustainable fast food. Today, Mr. Larshans’ title is Sustainability Director, all Max’s restaurants are wind powered, their menu is carbon labeled, Max basks in worldwide media exposure and continues to make significant strides towards sustainability.

In response, they decided to become part of the solution. As a result, in 2008 Max became the first restaurant chain in the world to analyze their food’s climate impact all the way from the farmers land to the guest’s hand. They also carbon labeled their menus so that customers could choose climate smart alternatives. Not satisfied with merely implementing energy efficiency programs in all its buildings and fully transferring over to wind powered energy, Max has made voluntary carbon offsets throughout its supply chain, from farmer to customer, supporting reforestation projects in Uganda and Mozambique. Max supports offsetting projects that strengthen local agro-forestry, entrepreneurship and ecosystem services. This work is internationally recognized and globally progressive. At the same time, Max is more profitable than ever. A Swedish independent survey reported an increase in customer loyalty by 27 % for Max between 2007 and 2009 mostly due to their sustainability efforts. This was the highest increase of 20 of the most well-known Swedish brands.

To learn more, please read the case study by clicking here.

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 at home"

Kelly Hawke Baxter — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:42:46 -0500

The Natural Step, in partnership with The David Suzuki Foundation and Light House Sustainable Building Centre, is pleased to announce the launch of our latest creation- Sustainability at home: a toolkit; for British Columbia on November 7th.

Drawing from the expertise, research, and resources of all three organizations this toolkit offers its readers a multitude of fresh, practical ways to reassess the health of their home. Sustainability at home does a room by room inspection of the average household, offering up pointers and best practices for dealing with utilities, shopping, mobility, and waste. Although this toolkit has much to offer any homeowner, the British Columbia spin on it shows B.C. homeowners how to not only talk- the- talk but also walk- the –walk by connecting them with local businesses and services and by inspiring them with B.C. specific stories of success!

If every household, started to make the changes suggested in this toolkit, Canadian communities would take a great step forward toward sustainability. The Natural Step has enjoyed great success with the Alberta Sustainability at Home Toolkit , and can’t wait to get the BC addition out to the public!

For those of you in Vancouver head over to 2060 Pine Street on November 7th to join in the celebration for both the launch of BC’s Sustainability at home: a toolkit, and the opening of doors to the new Light House Sustainable Building Centre.

Stay tuned to www.thenaturalstep.org, www.davidsuzuki.org, and www.sustainablebuildingcentre.com for more information and for access to the free download of the toolkit after November 7th.

To download more free resources from The Natural Step, click here.

Canada

10 Sustainability Themes Highlighted in Glasslands Collection Video by Mark Raynes Roberts

Neil McCallum — Wed, 18 May 2011 11:08:24 -0400

The Glasslands collection project is a new art initiative focused on communicating environmental issues and the cornerstones for sustainable living. The Natural Step Canada is thrilled to have partnered with renowned Canadian crystal artist, Mark Raynes Roberts on this unique initiative. By supporting the Glasslands collection with educational material, The Natural Step Canada helped the Glasslands project develop 10 sustainability themes, which are highlighted in the video: Interconnection, balance, limits, industry, fragility, urgency, transformation, innovation, cooperation, and harmony.

Canada

4 Foundations for Design Excellence

Franco Varriano — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:00:54 -0500

Thank you to Sarah Kear and Ecokinesis.

***

I have to admit a bias. . . by my definition, design must create some sort of sustainable value, or else it falls short of excellence.

As Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, founder of The Natural Step, pointed out at the CBSR 8th Annual Summit, Collaborating for Sustainable Change, whatever system we look at in this world, whether economic, social or environmental, we cannot deny that there is a dynamic deterioration happening. There aren’t more trees being planted than being cut down, there aren’t more things being upcycled from garbage than garbage being created, there aren’t more people making a living wage than people making less than $2 a day. We live in a world of chronic un-sustainability.

I see it as a designer’s duty to help rectify this. I’m talking about designers in a very broad sense — designers of communities, policies, infrastructure, cities and organizations, just as much as designers of buildings, interiors, and consumer goods. Why? Like Promethius from Greek mythology, who gave humankind fire and wily intelligence, but also unleashed human troubles (courtesy of Pandora), designers are responsible for giving humankind innovative new things, technology and ways of organizing. It’s a wonderful talent, but we need to mitigate our Pandora-effect as much as possible!

So, where to start? What an overwhelming question! Initial thoughts are enough to make most take the status quo route. Robert identified the sources of our inaction as either “getting lost in the leaves”, i.e. drowning in information and one-off solutions, or “drill holes” i.e. we go deeper and deeper into our specialized areas of practice that we don’t connect with others over the commonalities in our shared problem.

We need “cooperation across value chains”, but to do that we first need to have a common language based in scientific rigour. The Natural Step proposes that their four System Principles for Sustainability provide a strong foundation that can withstand any debate, and therefore be a springboard for cross-sector conversations and better design.

An action can be deemed sustainable if it is:

Not causing a systematic increase in substances extracted from the earth, such as oil or metals
Not causing a systematic increase in concentrations produced by humans, such as plastics, polyester, toxic chemicals, or waste products of all kinds
Not causing the systematic physical damage of the natural environment, such as deforestation or loss of biodiversity, and
Not undermining the ability of humans to meet their basic needs for clean water, sufficient food and clothing, safe housing, education etc.

Meeting these conditions is a tall order for sure, but at least they give us a simple, indisputable starting point! System Principles + Creativity + Action = Innovative design

In my final post, I’ll explore The Value of a Common Language some more.

This is part II of III reflections on Collaborating for Sustainable Change, the 8th annual CBSR Summit, and Smart Shift, hosted by Durham Sustain Ability in the last half of October 2010.

Canada

4 Reasons our Current Business Model is Unsustainable - A weekly blog by sustainability expert Bob Willard

Marieke — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:11:23 -0400

For the original post and to leave Bob a comment, please click here.

Sooner or later, there is a tough message that sustainability champions need to deliver to harried business leaders—the business game they are playing can’t continue. It’s been fun, but if they keep playing the game the way they are, everyone will lose. The rules need to be updated— quickly. That contention is probably not the best conversation-opener with a senior business leader. But, at some point along the line, sustainability champions should be ready to gently help them see that their current model of doing business is not sustainable.

In my July 27, 2010, blog , I described the 5-stage journey that a business follows as it moves from being an unsustainable enterprise in Stages 1, 2 and 3, to being a sustainable enterprise in Stages 4 or 5 (see the above slide). Labeling companies in the first three stages as “unsustainable” deserves further explanation, especially for Stage 3 companies. We will use the 3-nested-dependencies model of sustainability, described in my July 20 blog , to show four reasons why today’s take-make-waste model of commerce is unsustainable.

1. Nature is depleted

Today’s business model encourages companies to relentlessly deplete our natural capital, which companies and communities require for their food, water, energy, and materials. Today’s business rules contribute directly or indirectly to systematic over-extraction and degradation of nature by physical means, such as deforestation, over-harvesting of fish stocks, and depletion of farm lands. Nature cannot regenerate itself fast enough to recover from this abuse. This corporate behavior is unsustainable economically and environmentally.

2. Excessive waste accumulates from the things we dig up

Extractive companies like mining and oil-and-gas companies notoriously leave “tailings” and other waste behind. Business schools use case studies from around the world that highlight the destructive effects of mining and drilling operations on the environment and communities. Refineries and smelters create more air, water and soil pollution. When we use / burn these natural resources for fuel, further waste is produced. So, most companies contribute—directly or indirectly through their supply chains—to the systematic increase in concentrations of waste from substances extracted from the earth’s crust. This is especially alarming when the concentrations of heavy metals, fossil fuels and byproducts get too high. These days, companies can acquire permits to pollute so that their actions comply with regulations (Stage 2). But, these legal actions are still not sustainable. Sooner or later, we are in danger of drowning in our own waste, poisoning ourselves to death, and upsetting long-standing, essential natural equilibriums, like our climate.

3. We create excessive waste from things we make

Similarly, the current rules of the business game allow companies to pollute the air, water, and soil as they make things. Through the production and use of chemicals and toxic synthetics, companies directly or indirectly contribute to the relentless increase in concentrations of hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Today, there are over 70,000 chemicals, dioxins, and PCBs. A century ago, this wasn’t a problem because we didn’t have these man-made pollutants. Now, there are thousands of these health threats. We need to change the rules that allow companies and consumers to externalize the environmental and social costs of this pollution. Such excessive and dangerous polluting is simply unsustainable.

4. Peoples’ needs are prevented from being met

Many business models today contribute—directly or indirectly—to abuses of political or economic power, resulting in unmet human needs for clean air, potable water, nutritious food, adequate shelter, and quality of life. According to Metrics 2.0, the richest 1% owned 40% of global assets in the year 2000, and the richest 10% accounted for 85% of the world’s total assets. In contrast, the bottom 50% of the world’s adult population owned barely 1% of the total global wealth. This chasm has grown in the last ten years and is continuing to widen. Such disparities create social unrest and violent desperation as basic living needs become harder and harder to meet. Something’s got to give. The business models that encourage over-consumption by the haves at the expense of the have-nots is unsustainable.

To recap, today’s take-make-waste business model is no longer feasible. It violates all four of The Natural Step’s systems conditions for a sustainable society.

The old business model was created during the Industrial Revolution. As described by William McDonough and Michael Braungart in their 2002 book, Cradle to Cradle, companies with this system of production are designed to do the following:

“Put billions of pounds of toxic material into the air, water, and soil every year.
“Produce some materials so dangerous that they will require constant vigilance by future generations.
“Result in a gigantic amount of waste.
“Put valuable materials in holes all over the planet where they can never be retrieved.
“Require thousands of complex regulations—not to keep people and natural systems safe, but rather to keep them from being poisoned too quickly.
“Measure productivity by how few people are working.
“Create prosperity by digging up or cutting down natural resources and then burying or burning them.
“Erode the diversity of species and cultural practices.”

Those practices and consequences are what companies were designed to do for the last 150 years. Perhaps, for a minority, that business model worked fine at first, but it’s no longer sustainable. The Earth’s ecosystem is in crisis. It threatens 100% of us. Over-consumption and poor management have resulted in unsustainable use of natural and social capital. Climate change will add further pressure on the natural systems—upon which all of our social systems and economies depend. Our time is limited to prevent a global “tipping point” that could impact all of humankind, including future generations, adversely and permanently.

Stage 3.0 companies slow down their degradation by releasing fewer pounds of toxic wastes into the air, soil, and water every year and producing smaller amounts of useless waste. Stage 3.0 companies are better—“less bad”—than Stage 1 and 2 companies; but, they are still locked in an unsustainable economic paradigm that causes too much collateral damage in the environmental and social spheres. We need a more responsible game plan.

Next week, we will propose a more sustainable business model.

Canada

5 Criteria for a Sustainable Business Model - A weekly blog by sustainability expert Bob Willard

Marieke — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:25:06 -0400

For the original post and to leave Bob a comment, please click here

It’s one thing to critically assess how today’s dominant business model is not sustainable; it’s another thing to design one that is. As sustainability champions, we need to have a positive vision of the pot of gold at end of the sustainability rainbow. We need to be able to respond to a “put up or shut up” challenge with a description of a sustainable business model that is better for the environment, society, and the company.

In my August 3, 2010 blog, I described four critical attributes of today’s way of doing business that make it unsustainable. We are facing serious constraints as we experience a rising demand from an exploding world population for increasingly scarce resources. Today’s linear take-make-waste business model is not designed to handle this reality. In fact, it is culpable for contributing to its unsustainability.

When guiding companies on their 5-stage sustainability journeys, we need to know where we are going—what a sustainable company in Stage 4 or 5 looks like. It behooves us to have a blueprint for a sustainable business, one that is simple enough that it is a handy guide to knowing when we’ve arrived at our destination.Here are five characteristics of a sustainable, cyclical, borrow-use-return business paradigm, overlaid on the 3-nested-dependencies model of a sustainable society, described in my July 20 blog.

1. Radical resource productivity

Companies stretch natural resources by increasing productivity for a given amount of a resource by factors of 5, 10, or even 100. They work to eliminate dependencies on materials and energy from resources dug from the earth’s crust. This commitment addresses issues of overharvesting and depletion of natural capital.

2. Investment in natural capital

Companies restore, maintain, and expand ecosystems to sustain society and business needs.

3. Ecological redesign

Companies use closed-loop production systems in which waste from production and end-of-life disposal is treated as a resource and reused, rather than sent to a landfill. Companies acknowledge they can’t throw things away because there is no “away.” They also work to eliminate man-made toxic chemicals from their production processes.

4. Service and flow economy

Companies replace their goods with services. They lease products and their solutions instead of selling them. When the product becomes obsolete or is unable to produce its service, the company takes it back and recycles or remanufactures the returned product.

5. Responsible consumption

Although it sounds like an oxymoron, responsible consumption reduces the demand for stuff and its associated pollution and waste, as graphically explained in The Story of Stuff. The company promotes responsible consumption by educating consumers so they can make more informed decisions about their purchases based on products’ location of origin, the labor conditions under which they were made, their ingredients, their packaging, their life-cycle ecological footprints, and other sustainability-related criteria. New forms of company ownership and profit sharing ensure company success is more equitably shared among employees and other stakeholders. The company avoids any inadvertent interference with people’s ability to meet their basic needs.

The sustainable borrow-use-return model enables companies to perform as described by William Donough and Michael Braungart in Cradle to Cradle.

“Buildings that, like trees, produce more energy than they consume and purify their own waste water.
“Factories that produce effluents that are drinking water.
“Products that, when their useful life is over, do not become useless waste but can be tossed onto the ground to decompose and become food for plants and animals and nutrients for the soil; or, alternately, they can return to industrial cycles to supply high-quality raw materials for new products.
“Billions, even trillions, of dollars’ worth of materials accrued for human and natural purposes each year.
“Transportation that improve the quality of life while delivering goods and services.
“A world of abundance, not one of limits, pollution, and waste.”

Isn’t that an exciting business model? You bet. And it is achievable. It is a win-win-win for the environment, society, and the company. Next week, we’ll look at four stepping stones that take companies from an unsustainable business model to this sustainable one.

Canada

A New strategic direction for The Natural Step

Kelly Hawke Baxter — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 11:28:50 -0500

Over the past few years The Natural Step International (TNSI) has been undergoing an extensive organizational transition, in order to trade in its license model for a more open and inclusive membership structure, and to reinvent itself and its role in the world for greater impact.

That transition period is now complete and The Natural Step International has relaunched as a new international secretariat, based in London England, with a bold new strategic plan with a new purpose and core strategies, and a new secretariat team. At the centre of all our efforts is a mission to accelerate collective impact for change towards a thriving, vibrant society that operates within nature’s limits.

Our new strategic priorities fall into two main clusters:

Looking Outward:

Launching a campaign to diffuse the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) and to enable a new community of practice.

This is central to our core purpose, and something TNS International has never done. We will clarify that the FSSD (often referred to as The Natural Step Framework) is, and always has been, firmly in the public domain. We will work to widely disseminate it, as well as related educational tools, materials, case studies, and other resources to leaders, change agents and decision-makers in all corners of the world.

Our ultimate goal is to support practitioners so that they can be successful change agents, and to engage the “sustainability curious” to learn more.

Our first step towards clarifying that the FSSD is in the public domain is to formally decouple it from the Natural Step brand, referring to it by its academic name, the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (or ideally a new name, to be determined).

Our diffusion campaign will also include a new FFSD website, the development of new tools, and the co-creation, in partnership with other like-minded organizations and individuals, of a new global learning community of sustainability leaders and practitioners around the application of the FSSD.

Looking Inward:

Creating a healthy and robust Natural Step global network capable of achieving its mission.

We will continue to build the strength of the TNS network to achieve its mission in the world by clarifying and strengthening the TNS brand, and establishing a communications and marketing strategy to promote the brand, as well as TNS programs and services.

We will also create a growth, accreditation and training strategy for TNS offices and associates and increase the number of TNS offices and associates in the world, aiming to have a strong presence on all continents.

We will foster a strong TNS global team and encourage knowledge sharing, innovation and collaboration within an international structure that works.

We will strive to create a new viable business model for TNSI, our global secretariat, to secure reliable revenue streams, to establish strong, independent governance, clear decision-making structures and to strengthen the resilience and capacity of the local offices.

A new team

In order to carry out the new mandate of TNSI, we have put together a new team.

Isabella Oriani is our just-hired Secretariat Director. Isabella will take responsibility for stewarding the inward-looking part of the mission. That is, her primary focus will be on operationalizing the new strategic direction of The Natural Step International and mobilizing our global network of Natural Step offices and associates to achieve collective impact in pursuit of our shared mission.

Scott Perret, our new Director of FSSD Diffusion and Network Relations, is taking responsibility for the outward-looking part of the mission. He is working to establish and implement a strategy to broadly disseminate the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development and to work creatively with partners to co-establish and enable a thriving learning community of FSSD practitioners and like-minded change agents.

April Knudsen is our new TNSI Coordinator. She will serve as the main point of contact for TNS members as well as the broader international community. She will be responsible for coordinating TNS member activities and events, delivering communications and marketing efforts, coordinating training and expansion efforts, and responding to requests about getting involved with The Natural Step network.

All of us at The Natural Step want to thank Peter Price-Thomas, our outgoing CEO, for his tireless two years of service in helping us to complete our rather complicated transition to get our new structure, governance and strategic plan in place. We are grateful for his strategic guidance, patience, determination, and his good humour.

How to get involved

If you have been waiting to hear from us, please get in touch. While we don’t quite yet have our systems in place to take you through what the “joining TNS” process will look like, we are getting very close, and we’d love to put you on our contact list so we can share this information with you as soon as it’s available. You can reach April Knudsen at april.knudsen(at)thenaturalstep.org.

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:

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.

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

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
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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

Alberta Sustainability Champions Gear up for Success

Brendan Seale — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:06:02 -0400

On October 13 and 14, nineteen professionals gathered in Edmonton to build their capacity as sustainability practitioners by participating in The Natural Step Canada’s Sustainability for Leaders Course - Level 1: Foundations (join us at the next session coming up in Vancouver).

Participants included professionals from Enermodal Engineering, Worley Parsons, Edmonton Airports, Stantec, Bullfrog Power, AIMCO, Landmark Group of Builders, EIDOS Consultants, Servus Credit Union and Earth Legacy, municipal leaders from the City of Red Deer and the Town of Stony Plain, and educators from Bow Valley College, Grant McEwan University, and NAIT. I had the pleasure of facilitating the course with my colleagues Sarah Brooks and Colin Baril.

The University of Alberta’s downtown location Enterprise Square offered a central location that was easy for participants to reach using city and regional transit options. Fantasia Caffé, housed in the facility, provided delicious, locally sourced catering with no packaging or waste destined for landfill.

Our two days together began with a discussion of what motivates each of us to work for sustainability, a recap of the core concepts of sustainability that were covered in the e-learning pre-work, and some concrete examples of how The Natural Step has worked with its clients. A key component of the discussion explored the fundamental difference between incremental improvement and working towards a vision of achieving sustainability. Many in the room were touched by a video about the late Ray Anderson, who led Interface - the company he founded - on its journey up “Mount Sustainability”.

From this point on, participants applied the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development to a case study of a mountain resort. Working in small groups, we began by identifying key sustainability challenges and drafting strategic goals. Noting the internal and external forces that would help or hinder sustainability progress, we then developed action plans for selected strategic goals. “It made me realize there is a lot of planning involved in sustainability and it needs to be very well thought-out in order to be successfully implemented”, observed Laryssa Warne of Bullfrog Power.

Over the two days, we often returned to the question: “In service of what?” This question helped us maintain our focus on achieving success – sustainability. We select “key performance indicators” in service of measuring progress toward our short and mid-term targets. Those targets are established in service of moving us toward the achievement of our strategic goals. And finally, our strategic goals together describe an outcome that aligns with principles for sustainability.

Participants also delivered a presentation about the core concepts of sustainability to a small group, reinforcing the learning by communicating the material to others.

“The benefits of a system of thought around sustainability in business were top drawer”, said Trevor McIvor of Bow Valley College. “Also, the networking opportunities were so relevant to going concerns in my own work.”

The course concluded with participants discussing the challenges of leading change toward sustainability, and sharing how they can deploy what they’ve learned in their organizations. All agreed that path to sustainability is undoubtedly both long and complex, and a commitment to ongoing learning and innovation is required.

Want to advance your sustainability learning, too? Join us for our next Sustainability for Leaders Course - Level 1: Foundations in Vancouver from December 8-9. Register by November 21 to take advantage of our early bird discount.

Visit The Natural Step's sustainability learning opportunities for more information on our sustainability courses, workshops, webinars, eLearning courses, and free resources.

Canada

Alcan: Clean solutions for today and tomorrow

Kirstin Piirtoniemi — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 11:15:05 -0500

(DISCLAIMER: The work portrayed in this document was undertaken with the former Alcan, prior to its acquisition by Rio Tinto in 2007. Rio Tinto Alcan remains committed to sustainable development. As such, the work begun with The Natural Step as described below was folded into larger efforts centrally directed by Rio Tinto in London, UK. The specific partnership between The Natural Step and the former Alcan’s Bauxite & Alumina division was halted in 2007 within the above-mentioned context.)

The Opportunity

Committed to sustainability and increasingly reliant on projects based in lesser-industrialized countries, Alcan’s Bauxite & Alumina (B&A) division saw an opportunity to develop a sustainability vision that brought social and environmental concerns even more into focus for the business.

The Response

In 2007, The Natural Step principles and process were put into action at Alcan’s B&A sites in the Pacific Region to help reduce risks and increase the company’s competitive advantage in alignment with their sustainability vision.

The Process

In 2007, The Natural Step Canada advisors Chad Park and Joe Herbertson held a workshop with the Alcan management team in Montreal, Canada. The workshop had two main goals:

To develop a sustainability vision that would guide Alcan’s B&A sustainability strategy moving forward.
To align the management team with a shared definition and understanding of sustainability, and to build buy-in for the sustainability vision.

Early in the workshop, participants identified Alcan’s top sustainability challenges, two of which were viewed as critical: meeting company growth expectations and addressing the issue of emissions associated with bauxite mining and alumina production. To address these challenges, the participants proceeded to develop a sustainability vision facilitated by The Natural Step’s science-based approach to sustainability and developed through backcasting from sustainability principles.

After the success of the Montreal workshop, a second session was held in Brisbane, Australia, not only to create the space for a cross-functional sustainability conversation, but more pragmatically to operationalize the vision in Alcan’s largest bauxite mining and alumina refining operation in Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula in the Northern Territory of Australia.

With Gove in mind, workshop participants were asked to brainstorm potential social, environmental, and management innovations that might lead them toward their envisioned future. Ideas were then discussed and divided into prospective long-term and short-term measures, some of which led to outcomes. These included: the use of sustainability metrics in monthly and quarterly reporting, research and development explicitly using sustainability to guide innovation, the integration of sustainability objectives and approaches within greenfield projects, and a cross-functional working group quantifying the business value of Alcan’s sustainability investments.

Although the specific work described in this case was halted, sustainability principles remain embedded in Rio Tinto Alcan’s current business systems and processes, ensuring that economic, social, and environmental considerations are considered in its day-to-day operations as it drives toward its vision of a sustainable future.

The Feedback

“The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development is useful because it provides a shared mental model and vocabulary. Sustainability doesn’t seem overwhelming and incomprehensible any more—everybody gets it!”

-Kariann Aarup, Alcan B&A Social Sustainability Team

View full case study

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

Written by Talithea McInnis

Canada

An Alberta Toolkit Symphony

Alaya Boisvert — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:08:41 -0400

What do a symphony orchestra and two exciting new toolkits from The Natural Step Canada have in common?

Both require a collection of diverse talents, a tremendous amount of preliminary practice, and are meant to move their audiences so that they leave forever changed.

Over the past eight months, I have helped develop two new resources for Alberta organizations. To me, the Sustainability Primer and Planning for Sustainability: A Starter Guide represent an extraordinary collective achievement that has drawn on the expertise of TNS’ sustainability advisors, communications team, top management, administrative staff, as well as that of an external editorial committee.

I liken the process of creating these resources to that of a group of classical musicians coming together to perform at their very best. It was as if each person who contributed to these toolkits in smaller and greater ways brought their own musical specialty – based on their background experience working with communities and businesses on strategic sustainable development. Each one offered unique sounds from his or her instrument, and added to the melody of creative ideas that have made these resources not only useful products, but also a testament to what’s possible when co-creation is practiced.

It is my hope that these toolkits will inspire Alberta organizations to embrace a vision of a sustainable future, and equip them with the tools they need to begin that journey today.

With the toolkits launching this week at the Pathways 2 Sustainability Conference, the orchestra is ready to deliver its best. Let the music begin!

Click here to download the toolkits.

Canada

An Interview with our Founder on Think Globally Radio

Richard Blume — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:55:58 -0400

Brought to you by Think Globally Radio: A unifying framework for social and ecological sustainability: with Professor Karl-Henrik Robèrt, MD, PhD, Founder of The Natural Step.

Recorded in March 2010, you can now listen to our Founder discuss the history, development and future of The Natural Step and the movement uniting around the framework for strategic sustainable development.

Stream online from the episode archive on www.thinkgloballyradio.org.
Download and Listen

Background to the Interview:

Recently elected as one of Sweden’s first two Ashoka Fellows - leading social entrepreneurs with innovative solutions to social problems and the potential to change patterns across society – Karl-Henrik Robèrt is the founder of the international NGO The Natural Step, professor of sustainability at Blekinge Institute of Technology (BTH), Chairman of the international research program Real Change and recipient of the Blue Planet Prize, the ‘Nobel prize’ for ecological sustainability.

In launching The Natural Step, he has facilitated the outgrowth of a unifying framework for strategic sustainable development, and built a global institutional platform that unites with a coalition of universities, companies, industrial groups, municipalities and larger government entities to pioneer new ways to achieve a world that is socially and ecologically sustainable. This movement includes some of the world’s leading institutions, corporations and communities advancing sustainability, including the host ski resort of the Vancouver / Whistler 2010 Winter Olympics.

Think Globally Radio is heard every Sunday evening at 19:00 on THS Radio 95.3 MHz in Stockholm, and on K103.1 in Gothenburg at 16:00. An extensive archive of past programs can be listened to on demand on the completely redesigned www.thinkgloballyradio.org. Podcasts can also be downloaded via iTunes.

Feel free to join the “Think Globally Radio” group on Facebook.

For more information, contact Eric Paglia eric@rocket.fm or Dave Trouba dtrouba@gmail.com.

Please forward this to anyone who might be interested in issues of the environment or sustainability!

An Introduction to the Natural Step for the Meetings Industry - WEBINAR

Chas Martin — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:19:07 -0400

Start: Oct 13 2010 - 9:00am

End: Oct 13 2010 - 10:19am

Timezone: Etc/GMT-4

This webinar will introduce professionals in the meetings industry to a proven strategic sustainability planning method. The presentation will describe the core components of the Natural Step Framework: Systems thinking, Sustainability Principles and backcasting methodology. You’ll learn how these components are used to coordinate actions and continuously move your organization closer to achieving its vision. Participants will see an example, have the opportunity to ask questions and learn about additional resources available to their organizations.

Presenters: Heidi Speight, Training Director for TNS-USA and
Tamara Kennedy, Director of Green Meetings Industry Council

For more information and to register, see here.

Are you the next sustainability leader?

Kelly Hawke Baxter — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 10:20:34 -0400

Swedish Masters in Strategic Leadership for Sustainability accepting applicants as of December 1st

The Blekinge Institute of Technology’s Sustainability Masters program is taking applications for the 2012 year starting December 1. Located in Karlskrona, a beautiful town on the south eastern coast of Sweden, BTH’s Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) one-year Masters program teaches future leaders using innovative learning and leadership practices combined with the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (developed by The Natural Step).

This groundbreaking program recognizes that the global challenge of achieving a sustainable society requires cooperation across borders and disciplines and through its students brings together a rich diversity of perspectives and experiences to explore in the stimulating environment.

The program is organized around two main themes:

Strategic Sustainable Development- a science based, strategic approach toward planning for sustainability; and
Organizational Learning and Leadership-practicing leadership to effectively create change needed for sustainability.

To date more than 300 students, conversant in more than 30 languages and representing over 50 countries have graduated from the 1 year program which is taught in English.

"I am amazed at the depth of learning I experienced, especially around the theories and practices of strategic leadership. Such a rich environment to create your own learning journey and accelerate your skills in guiding clients through the change process toward sustainability. I don't know where in the 'outside world' I could have had access to the top practitioners in the fields of sustainability, leadership and organizational change than those offered through MSLS. My clients will certainly benefit from this deeper level of understanding, consciousness and knowledge I can now bring to our shared work." -Tracy Meisterheim, Blue Heron Sustainability Associates

The feedback from students illustrates not only the strength of the programme, it also reinforces another important element that of co-creation, co-learning and the sharing of experiences. Many people say their year in Sweden changed their lives, providing a valuable learning environment where strong and lasting friendships are created where there is space to explore the beautiful surroundings and conversations to explore what we can positively do to help build a more sustainable world.

Using a solid scientific foundation, the program begins by assessing and understanding society’s current sustainability challenges. Building on this foundation, the curriculum introduces complementary skills in strategic management, organizational learning and change, economics, engineering, and effective collaboration. Through both their internal expertise and partnerships with external organizations, the MSLS program draws on the latest research and expertise from world-leading sustainability practitioners and guest lecturers, including Natural Step Founder Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert and Canadian sustainability expert Bob Willard.

This program is exceptional and a once in a lifetime opportunity. To find out more visit the website at www.bth.se/MSLS and download the brochure. Applications open December 1, 2011 and close January 15th, 2012.

If you’d like to talk to an alumni about the program, please feel free to contact Dana Pearlman (Class of 2011) at danapearlman@gmail.com.

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

Ashforth Pacific, Inc., Portland, Oregon, USA

Chas Martin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:07:31 -0400

A Natural Step Network Case Study

Overview
Ashforth Pacific, Inc. (API), is an investor, owner, and operator providing third-party property management, construction, and parking management services in West-Coast markets. An affiliate of The Ashforth Company, a Connecticut-based firm, API was established in Portland, Oregon, in 1995 and currently has 55 employees. The Ashforth Company presently owns and manages upwards of 15 million square feet of office space, of which 1.5 million square feet is in Portland. In May 1999, API launched an environmental initiative based on its newly created environmental statement and the four system conditions of The Natural Step.

Background
The Ashforth Company was founded as a family owned real estate company in New York in 1896. Throughout the next century, it expanded its services and coverage areas. The creation of the API office extended The Ashforth Company’s services beyond the Northeast to include the rapidly growing Northwest real estate market.

The company strives to bring social and economic benefits to the communities in which it operates. The opening page of its centennial celebration book states, “We owe it to our ancestors to preserve entire the rights they have delivered to us; we owe it to our posterity not to suffer their dearest inheritance to be destroyed.”

Ashforth is dedicated to serving its customers by adhering to its four operating principles: Commitment—to create enduring business relationships that will enhance the value of the company, Quality— to be dedicated to providing the highest level of service with speed and professionalism, People—to foster teamwork, personal growth, creativity and leadership and to encourage respect for the individual, communication, optimism, and a sense of humor, and Practices—to act with integrity and fairness to customers, employees, and community.

Introduction to The Natural Step: the Passion of a CEO
Hank Ashforth, CEO of API and the great-grandson of The Ashforth Company’s founder, learned about The Natural Step (TNS) through his involvement with the environmental community in Portland. Convinced that the business community must be part of the solution of pressing environmental issues, he attended an Oregon Natural Step Network breakfast meeting and quickly saw a good match between API’s principles and the framework TNS provided. In March 1999, he invited Duke Castle to give a briefing for members of the API executive team in charge of property management, construction, leasing, and finance.

The executive team met with Castle again to conduct a visioning exercise and brainstorm potential ideas. The team came up with a list of “low hanging fruit” and sent several employees to the National TNS conference in Portland in April 1999. Its purpose was to gain insight on ways to implement TNS framework, recruit a summer intern to focus on environmental issues, and train employees.

Launching the Environmental Initiative
In May 1999, the executive team hired Wendy Faubert as an intern and worked with her on a strategy for implementing an environmental initiative. They developed an approach that was both top-down and grassroots oriented. This strategy was designed to take advantage of the strong support of the executive team, the small and personal nature of the company, and the existing interest and passion of some employees.

The primary function of the grassroots approach was to develop awareness and interest among office employees in a fun and non-threatening manner. Meanwhile, the top-down strategy involved the executive team formulating an environmental policy statement and the formation of two sustainability teams. The teams’ mandate was to focus on ways that office operations and building-management practices could support the environmental initiative. The two groups, OSCAR (Office, Sustainability, Conservation, and Recycling) and BEAT (Buildings Environmental Action Team), would each be staffed by six employees handpicked by the CEO.

In July 1999, API officially launched its Environmental Initiative at an all-hands meeting—a debriefing meeting attended by all members of the office. The initiative was based on the company’s new environmental statement, “We will be stewards of our environment by taking responsible actions within our business and our communities,” and the four system conditions of The Natural Step. During the meeting, Duke Castle presented TNS framework, Hank Ashforth spoke, and a brainstorming activity allowed employees to write down their ideas for practices that could be implemented within the company.

By the fall it was apparent the Faubert was needed fulltime, and she accepted the job of sustainability coordinator.

Building Employee Support for the Environmental Initiative
From the beginning, building employee interest, awareness, and support for the Environmental Initiative was a top priority. The initial strategy was to keep the activities voluntary and fun. Several different methods were used to educate employees about sustainability and concepts surrounding TNS framework.

A brown bag lunch series served as the primary means of engaging employees. Employees learned about other environmentally conscious businesses organizations such as The Collins Companies, the Sustainable Chef’s Collaborative, Nike, PGE, The Rebuilding Center, and Carsharing Portland.

Other education methods included field trips and a bulletin board displaying relevant articles and information on sustainability and TNS framework. Office games and activities for each system condition kept the initiative and the concept of environmental responsibility in front of employees in a fun and interactive way. One popular activity was the “cookies-for-trash-cans” trade where employees voluntarily gave up their individual trash can and agreed to throw away all of their garbage in a central area. This activity was easy for employees to participate in, succeeded in raising employee awareness about what they were throwing away, and saved API 9,000 plastic trash can liners a year.

Finally, each API office employee attended a two-and-one-half-hour TNS framework training. The sustainability coordinator, office manager, and assistant controller conducted the training in groups of six to ten people during August and September 2000. All office employees attended the training as well as several outside vendors and other organizations interested in The Natural Step. The training focused on understanding the four system conditions through a combination of games, videos, visual aids, and discussions exploring how our actions and purchases affect the environment. The employees also completed a questionnaire that polled their perceptions related to the initiative and their interest in participating in other environmental events.

Results, Results, Results
API’s Environmental Initiative is a vision shared by the entire company, but it is rooted in producing results, results that can be measured and managed. Hank Ashforth has emphasized quantifiable results, believing that “if we know where we are, it is easier to go where we want to.”

Energy. Many of API’s initial projects focused on energy conservation measures. Between 1997 and 2001, the company reduced energy consumption by 18% through lighting and heating/cooling changes in the four commercial properties it owns, saving $654,000 over five years. T-8 lights, compact fluorescents, and LED lights replaced less efficient products; and automatic controls sweep all lights off during evenings and weekends. Thermostats were adjusted by two degrees. As a conservation incentive, sub-meters were installed so that tenants pay for any extra use of electricity above a standard amount. In addition, API has invested 6% of total electricity usage in wind power through Pacific Power’s Blue Sky program. The company is one of Pacific Power’s largest supporters of Blue Sky.

Water. API reduced water consumption in its portfolio properties by 6% by not using air conditioning after hours and not watering lawn areas, saving $43,000 annually. To handle storm water on site, the Liberty Center Parking Garage was retro-fitted with bioswales that filter the runoff and allow it to seep into the ground.

Waste. Through electronic communication and double-sided copying, API reduced paper purchases by 39% between 1998 and 2001. As a further commitment to saving trees, the company switched to 100% post-consumer recycled copy paper and 100% (40% post-consumer) recycled, chlorine-free toilet paper, saving over $15,000 annually. In 1999, when PacifiCorp’s office space was renovated, API’s construction arm made an extraordinary effort to recycle not only metal and wood, but also ceiling tile, window glass, drywall, and carpet. The company is now working to expand recycling options available to tenants to include batteries and packing peanuts and to create a better mechanism for tracking waste and recycling outputs. The centralized trash collection system for the office is on its way to becoming standard operating procedure for all tenant spaces.

Toxics. The company worked with ABM Janitorial Services (ABM) to switch to non-toxic cleaning products in the maintenance of its buildings. First testing the citrus-based Bi-O-Kleen on an outside curtain wall and finding it effective, ABM found it could replace over 20 standard cleaners, from scouring powder to carpet spotter, degreaser to disinfectant, with the same solution in different concentrations. As a result, 25 hazardous chemicals have been eliminated. ABM now promotes Bi-O-Kleen with its other commercial clients.

To reduce landscaping impacts, chemical herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers are now prohibited in API’s maintenance specifications. Gasoline-powered maintenance equipment has been replaced by propane, electric, or manual equipment wherever possible, and the most polluting two-stroke engines are no longer allowed. Leaf blowers, because of their air and noise pollution, are allowed only at the height of fall season.

Transportation. Not only does API provide free transit passes to all employees, but it also actively supports alternative transportation throughout the Lloyd District. For example, it played an instrumental role in the expansion of Tri-Met’s Fareless Square to the District. That means that workers can travel from downtown to the Lloyd District free of charge. For those who don’t drive to work, API has loaned two parking spaces and purchased a membership in Flexcar, a service that makes a car available when needed during the workday. To encourage bicycle commuting, it provides 34 bicycle lockers in addition to racks and included showers in its newest building. To further encourage employees to use alternatives to single-occupant auto commutes, it offers a special benefit on a trial basis. Those who use alternative transportation 80 percent of the time each month get a half-day of personal time.

Green building. When API remodeled its office space, it installed Interface carpet tiles, allowing worn tiles in high-traffic areas to be sent back to the company without replacing the entire carpet. Low VOC paints were specified for the walls. Environ Biocomposite, a particle board manufactured from agricultural wastes, was chosen for desk surfaces.

Operating from the belief that people want to do their best, API has been pleased by employee ideas that have been generated through the Environmental Initiative. In fact, many of the projects API has worked on or is currently working on came from employees’ suggestions. A sampling of other employee ideas include double-siding fax cover sheets; using glasses, plates and silverware in the office instead of disposables; using envelopes provided by vendors in their invoices instead of API envelopes; and standardizing office supplies with choices based on TNS principles along with efficiency and cost.

Lessons Learned
• Invest time in training workers so they are knowledgeable and excited about the company’s new direction.
• Take small steps. The challenges, changes, and ideas can be overwhelming at times. Look for the easy things to do first, as accomplishments breed success.
• Encourage workers to come up with ideas to support the initiative.
• Set up a structure to make employees’ ideas a reality.
• Communicate environmental goals and policies to vendors to help expand your company’s impact.

API feels that the most important element in launching an initiative is enlisting the support of people working in the company. As Wendy Faubert, API’s first sustainability coordinator put it, “I strongly believe that having taken the time to get people on board, to make it fun, to increase the energy around the initiative before we start [more] projects. . . is going to pay dividends in the long run.” According to the office manager and assistant controller, benefits of involving employees in the Environmental Initiative include improving the cohesiveness of the company, challenging employees to think of new ways to improve existing processes, and better communications among departments.

Challenges
API spent the first 18 months of its environmental initiative pursuing “low-hanging fruit,” primarily in the property management division. The projects were fairly easy to accomplish because they did not radically change business operations (e.g., shifting to a more environmentally friendly cleaner) and demonstrated short-term economic justification (e.g., the energy savings). The company’s next challenge will be changes that alter fundamental practices and are harder to justify economically. Greener construction, for example, often requires a large investment in materials and, initially, more employee involvement and time. In the “time-is-money” world of construction, such challenges can seem daunting. However, API is quick to point out that while construction will be more challenging, there is ample opportunity for significant environmental benefits.

Beginning September 2001, API was selected as property manager for the Vollum Natural Capital Center, a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) gold-rated green building located in Portland’s Pearl District. Involvement with this high-profile project has raised the bar for API to continue to develop innovative and environmentally friendly approaches to property management.

In 2002 API accepted a new challenge—participation in a pilot project of the U.S. Green Building Council to test its new LEED-EB (Existing Buildings) rating system. To date, the Council’s LEED certification system for green buildings has applied largely to new construction. Over the course of the coming year, Ashforth Pacific staff will document Liberty Center’s performance and policies in the areas of cleaning and maintenance, indoor air quality, energy efficiency, recycling and facilities, and landscape maintenance. Where necessary, building systems may be upgraded to bring the building into compliance with LEED criteria.

The Future
The company is now developing a more in-depth approach to sustainability involving all office staff. Smaller teams will focus on revising specific areas of corporate and building operations and working to balance sustainability goals with the needs of tenants, profit expectations, and the constraints of the company’s existing buildings. Each group will conduct a thorough analysis of its area of operations, identify and implement necessary improvements, and track indicators that will help the company measure environmental performance. The four system conditions of the Natural Step will serve as a compass for these groups as they redefine organizational processes and operations.

Many organizations and individuals have contributed knowledge and inspiration to the company’s sustainability efforts. As the work of the Environmental Initiative further unfolds, API will strive to share information and lessons learned with clients, suppliers, and the community at large. While recognizing that much work lies ahead in the company’s quest for
sustainability, Ashforth Pacific intends to continue stepping forward to increase service to clients while improving the environmental and economic bottom line.

Sources
1. Interview with Wendy Faubert, Sustainability Coordinator, Ashforth Pacific, Inc., December 15, 2000
2. Master Recycler News, October 2000, “Profile: Sustainability in Real Estate Management,” Mendola, Kathleen Finn
3. The BEAT Bulletin, November 2000, March 2000, October 1999

This case study was prepared in April 2001 by Vanessa Margolis for The Natural Step Network and updated in October 2002 by the Network.

Australian Alpine Resorts Sustainability Conference

Scott Grierson — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:37:55 -0500

Scott Grierson from The Natural Step in Australia was recently invited to participate in a challenging 'hypothetical', chaired by Rob Gel, at the Alpine Resorts Sustainability Forum 2008. Issues considered included the plight of the endangered Pygmy Possum, the future of snow cover in Australian resorts and the likelihood of an expansion of existing infrastructure and human population.

The 2008 Sustainability Forum brought together 130 of the key players involved in alpine resorts from across Australia. The theme this year was "Creating Sustainable Alpine Communities". The Forum was again held at the Olympic Room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground which proved convenient to those coming from various parts of regional Victoria and interstate. The delegates again included a strong contingent from alpine resort land managers and lift companies, but also attracted delegates from a number of the smaller on-mountain businesses and a range of umbrella groups and organisations.

> Read more about the event here

Australia

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

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

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!

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BOORA Archietcts, Portland, Oregon, USA

Chas Martin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:47:08 -0400

A Natural Step Network Case Study

TNS gave us a banner to march behind. It enhanced the spirit that was already here and gave us order and direction. —Eric Miller, BOORA employee Overview BOORA Architects provides architecture, planning, and interior design services to clients throughout the United States and abroad. With one office in Portland, Oregon, BOORA currently has 85 employees and annual gross revenues in excess of $13 million. The firm’s projects include schools, theaters, museums, libraries, office buildings, and recreation facilities.

· LEED implementation: Assisting in the registration and certification of BOORA projects. Currently, four of BOORA’s buildings are LEEDä registered.

· Products library classification: “Greening” BOORA’s interiors and products library so that teams can use the best and most responsible materials available; developing product classifications which describe what makes various products green; and developing a classification form that product representatives can use to provide detailed information
about their product’s sustainability features.

Lessons Learned and Challenges Ahead
· Provide leadership from the top. BOORA management communicated to the staff its commitment to the firm’s sustainability efforts through specific goals and objectives
outlined in the annual business plans.

· Commit to education and training. Strongly encouraging all staff to attend a half-day TNS training session at an early date gave everyone the same knowledge base and vocabulary.

· Take calculated risks. Believing that too much analysis can cause paralysis, BOORA did not get bogged down with elaborate cost-benefit examination or require concrete evidence of assured success before moving forward. It continues to implement ideas that intuitively seem like the “right thing to do.”

· Little successes add up. Having some tangible achievements, especially if they are recognized publicly, inspires staff to take them to the next level. BOORA has received a PGE EarthSmart Innovator Award for the design of George Fox University’s Stevens Center, and two BOORA-designed buildings were selected for the Ten Plus Northwest exhibition organized by Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development, showcasing the
latest and best in sustainable practices and technologies in the Pacific Northwest.

· Share the responsibility. BOORA created a Sustainability Coordinator position, but the position was eventually eliminated. Because the TNS framework touches every aspect of
BOORA’s practice, from architecture and interiors to specifications, marketing, and technology, the responsibility for integrating TNS was too large and undefined for one individual.

· Find quantifiable industry standards . In the United States, The LEEDä rating system of the U.S. Green Building Council is the standard for assessing sustainability in commercial and institutional buildings. Many local governments, higher education institutions, architects, and engineers are already using this standard to assess the “shades of green” of their construction and renovation projects.

BOORA’s efforts over the past several years have focused on “building” a green BOORA—its people, place, and practice. The biggest challenge BOORA will face in the future will be “marketing” green BOORA. This shift from a more “internalized” focus to an “externalized” approach will advance the practice and business of sustainable design and build BOORA’s
reputation for knowing how to do this work.

Developing marketing communications materials that reflect BOORA’s accomplishments and perspectives, presenting seminars on sustainable design, and promoting recent innovative sustainable design approaches and technical systems in trade newspapers and journals all contribute to BOORA’s reputation as one of the most knowledgeable in this specialty. Resources need to be allocated toward these efforts so they don’t take a back seat when other “billable” efforts are pressing.

Learning to become effective advocates of sustainable design will result in better buildings, more satisfied clients, and a strong referral base for future work. Clients may be wary of the benefits of sustainable design, either because they don't understand it, they think it's too expensive, and/or they don't want to take a risk on unproven technology and equipment. Design professionals need to better learn the language of the building owner, facility manager, and CFO in terms owners can understand--first-cost savings, return on investment, and enhanced productivity--to effectively champion the benefits and value of sustainable design.

This case study was prepared by Mary Van Domelen and Julie Wallis of BOORA for the The Natural Step Network.

Building Toward Sustainability, Literally

Jennifer Reid — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:18:53 -0400

The Landmark Group of Builders is a residential construction company further comprised of seven individual companies with offices in Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary. In the fall of 2008, in collaboration with The Natural Step, Landmark embarked on a journey to identify their key sustainability challenges, key innovation goals to overcome those challenges, and to develop a road map for embedding sustainability into their business. TNS advisor Sarah Brooks commends Landmark for “taking a long term perspective in their strategic planning for sustainability.” She points out that by “benchmarking progress from full sustainability rather than compliance regulations, [The Landmark Group] are taking an approach that is rigorous enough to answer the question “how will we know when we’ve arrived there [at sustainability]?””

To date, TNS has been involved in facilitating the Awareness, Baseline, and Visioning phases of TNS ABCD process. This has been accomplished through a series of workshops and webinars held with various members of senior management and members of Landmark’s Green Team. With support from TNS advisors, Landmark Group of Builders has prepared a baseline analysis of their company. This baseline analysis, along with a governance report drafted by TNS representatives, provided a means for the critical review of the company’s business practices which is integral for strategic planning. In preparation for sustainable action, a draft of a sustainability vision has been created by the company’s internal “Green Team”.

This partnership with TNS is only one of many initiatives making Landmark a strong corporate leader in Alberta. Dave Nasseri, the director and coordinator of the “Landmark Sustainability Initiative”, along with a group of dedicated visionaries, have a number of systems and assets in place from which to build. These programs, such as Landmark’s culture of learning, have greatly contributed to the progress made with TNS.

“Landmark is setting a solid foundation to move towards sustainability in a robust, efficient, and comprehensive way while staying viable in the market”, commented Sarah Brooks; “This is a foundation that will help to shed light on the sustainability journey and provide ‘proof of possibility’ for other construction companies interested in taking a similar path.”

Canada

Business News Network Interview with Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt

Franco Varriano — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 09:47:54 -0400

Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, the founder of The Natural Step and an international thought leader on sustainable development, joins BNN to talk about the sustainability imperative and the opportunities it presents for companies.

Thank you to Martin Baccardax and the Business News Network (BNN) for filming the interview. Watch the entire interview by clicking here.

About Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt

A doctor and oncologist by training, Dr. Robèrt founded The Natural Step in 1989 to promote a unifying framework for social and ecological sustainability based on a scientific consensus. An Ashoka Fellow and winner of many prestigious awards, he has made a global impact in promoting and implementing sustainability.

Dr. Robèrt is also a co-founder of Real Change, a movement The Natural Step is a partner in that is uniting businesses, communities, academics, and other leaders around the world in creating, refining, and implementing sustainability solutions.

The author of several books and dozens of scientific articles, Dr. Robèrt is a world-class speaker, teacher, scientist, social entrepreneur, and leading thinker on the root causes of the global sustainability challenges we face today. Read his biography here.

Canada

Calgary Level One Pilot Takes Off

Sarah Brooks — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:04:56 -0500

www.flickr.com

Last week, I, along with my colleague Pong Leung, had the privilege of joining 24 people in Calgary, Alberta, to spend two days unpacking and playing with application of The Natural Step Framework.This was the first of our Level 1 Learning Programs and as such, really the pilot of our pilot program.

Participants came from a range of backgrounds both public and private and included people experienced in using the Framework and also some that were brand new to it. There were participants who had excellent working knowledge of building and delivering sustainability initiatives, but who were not familiar with the Framework, and there were those that were new to sustainability in general. We had representatives from municipalities, small business and large corporations... Fertile ground in which to play! Click here to see the photos.

As facilitators, the challenge was to make the content relevant for a diverse audience, something that is always interesting, both as facilitator and participant-observer. What was clear, however, particularly once we dove into application of the content, was that the generic nature of the Framework – its ‘scalability’ over place and space appropriate to context – really shone. We had an opportunity to explore how the sustainability challenge and concurrent opportunities may impact organizations – everything from an energy company, to a café, to a small municipality. We explored how to use fundamental principles of sustainability to create innovation goals (a desired future) for an organization or community; confirm these goals against key sustainability challenges (identified through analysis by the sustainability principles); and how to translate that into day-to-day actions over the short- and medium- term so that the goals become operational in practice. The goal of the workshop was to add value to the great work that participants are already doing or considering doing, and to provide tools, techniques, lessons learned and advice to enable use of the Framework in their own context.

There was some excellent output from the session, and we are looking forward to seeing how participants put the Framework to use for themselves and the organizations that they represent. We’re also anticipating our upcoming sessions in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Ottawa. Stay tuned!

Canada

Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC)

Jennifer Reid — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:32:48 -0500

Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) is a private non-profit housing organization that owns and operates 48 buildings around Ottawa providing over 2,000 residents with affordable housing. Their mission is to create, maintain and promote housing for low and moderate income people. In 2008, CCOC received a grant to undertake an education campaign on behaviour change to promote sustainability and achieve measurable greenhouse gas emissions reductions. As a tenant and volunteer led organization it was natural for CCOC to include the day-to-day decisions their tenants were making into their overall sustainability efforts.

PACE Consulting, EnviroEconomics and The Natural Step were all enlisted to help CCOC in creating a more holistic approach through the Go Green Initiative. EnviroEconomics delivered a detailed quantitative and qualitative footprint survey for tenants, and PACE Consulting used the results to develop targeted behaviour change strategies through contests, events and promotions.

In order to ensure that staff and tenants had a clear and common understanding of sustainability and the ways in which current practices are unsustainable, The Natural Step was contracted to conduct introductory workshops with several groups of tenants. Additionally, all CCOC staff partook in two days of training in The Natural Step Framework. By engaging tenants and staff directly, The Natural Step empowered participants to understand and respond to sustainability challenges, to take personal action and to develop capacity to change organizational practices.

“As an organization focused on the social sector, CCOC is in an exemplary position to build the capacity of their organization and tenants to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by sustainability in an accessible, results-oriented way. Their Go Green Initiative did exactly this”, said Senior Natural Step Advisor Sarah Brooks.

In 2009, CCOC signed up as one of the 25 organizations that participated in the pilot project for TNS’s “Greening Ottawa’s NGOs” project. Through this initiative they gained a valuable network of companions with which they were able to problem-solve, learn, and engage to discuss the trials and tribulations of going-green/sustainable.

Congratulations are extended to CCOC who, in November, was awarded the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association’s “Going Green award”, for their “Go Green” initiative. On the ONPHA website, this award is described as an honour to be bestowed on “a non-profit housing provider who has taken innovative steps to reduce their impact on the environment” – an award for which CCOC is certainly deserving.

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