Filed Under Capacity building

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.

"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

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

Accelerating Profit with Sustainable Practice

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

Start: Apr 12 2013 - 8:30am

End: Apr 12 2013 - 10:00am

Timezone: Etc/GMT-4

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

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

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

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

Cost: Complimentary

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

New Zealand

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

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

Benchmarking our Progress Toward Sustainability (Webinar)

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

Start: Feb 3 2011 - 1:30pm

End: Feb 3 2011 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

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

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

Benefits for communities

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

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

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

New Zealand

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

Bullfrog Power sustainability training: What motivates you to work for sustainability?

Kara Stonehouse — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:53:19 -0400

As an Intern at The Natural Step Canada, I was thrilled to get the learning opportunity to attend the Bullfrog Power sustainability training. I really appreciate the dedication we have to learning and mentorship at The Natural Step. On the train ride to Toronoto, I read “The 5th Discipline” by Peter Senge and he says a commitment to learning is a leverage point for organizational success. So it all makes sense!

The workshop for Bullfrog was the first time we offered the sustainability learning course to an organization team all together. This was a great fit for our mission of helping organizations transition to sustainable operations and governance. When the whole team understands sustainability together, it’s easier to move forward.

I really enjoyed the workshop for two main reasons. For one, I got to see a master at work. Chad Park, the workshop facilitator from The Natural Step, was very attuned to the group, confident in his delivery and made just the right changes on the fly to make the workshop poignant for the group. For example, He noticed the group was comfortable in the open area, finishing their breakfast in the beautiful Brassaii restaurant, so he started the first learning activity there rather than at the tables and chairs in the meeting room. It was perfect because the first activity was to talk to the people around you to and discuss “What motivates you to work for sustainability?”

The second reason I really enjoyed the workshop was because of the answers to that first question. I was really impressed with the caliber of the team at Bullfrog power. They each had their own perspective to why sustainability is important from business, social good and environmental reasons.

We challenged them to really look at their value creation for their clients from a sustainability planning perspective and asked them to evaluate how a company would judge their service offering in light of three prioritizing questions:

Does this move us in the right direction, towards our goal?
Is this flexible platform moving forward in terms of technology and financial investment? Can we build on it in the future to reach our goal?
Does this initiative offer a return on investment that works for our business? This can include the social return on reputation and brand value as well as a financial return. It can also include your investment of time and the value you get back from it.

I definitely saw some (low energy consumption) light bulbs springing on over people’s heads as we looked at their offering from a fresh perspective. There were “Ah ha!” Moments as well as “Aw, that’s a downer!” realizations as we challenged assumptions about sustainability. We also shared laughs of understanding and learning. I got to facilitate one of the activities and I was the graphic scribe for others. I learned about the whole process and saw how good a learning course can be! The Bullfrog employees got a lot out of the training and now they are more unified in their understanding and values around sustainability. Watch for the Bullfrog as we leap into the sustainable future!

To learn more about how The Natural Step can help equip your team with the knowledge, skills, and tools to embed sustainability throughout your organization, visit one-day strategic sustainability training.

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

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

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

Start: Nov 5 2009 - 12:00am

End: Nov 5 2009 - 11:59pm

Timezone: Etc/GMT-4

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

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

Canada

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 Sustainabiltiy in Your Organization

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

Start: Jan 12 2010 - 1:30pm

End: Jan 12 2010 - 2:30pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

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

Canada

Chemical Industry Challenged to Step Up

Richard Blume — Fri, 22 May 2009 17:27:46 -0400

Last week our Founder, Dr Karl-Henrik Robèrt, and CEO David Cook spoke at the Vinyl 2010 industry summit in Berlin, Germany where the next steps in the industry's voluntary commitment to sustainability were discussed.

Since we released the 2000 report on PVC and Sustainability in partnership with the UK Environment Agency, The Natural Step has engaged with many leading companies in the industry helping to bring a systems and vision-oriented approach to tackle the challenge of sustainable production and management of man-made materials, such as PVC.

At the event Karl-Henrik gave an overview of The Natural Step Framework. In 20 years of dialogue between the scientific community and engagement with industry TNS has developed a robust and proven approach that has rewarded industry pioneers with unparalleled pay-back – the result of strategic choices informed by a systems perspective of sustainability.

David Cook challenged the industry to step up: “Innovation for un-sustainable products is a complete waste of time, and a tragedy”, he said. He highlighted the need to focus on sustainable satisfaction of needs, end-use, a broader ‘plastics’ industry perspective, a global outlook to any new industry initiatives and rigorous assessment using sustainability principles, as critical to the industry’s next step.

Deep industry transformation through collaboration and a much broader commitment to sustainability education within the sector were also key points to follow-up on the great progress made by Vinyl 2010.

In line with this challenge The Natural Step, in partnership with Blekinge Institute of Technology, is pleased to invite chemistry industry professionals to join the second intake of an innovative distance learning programme. The course will bring together individuals and organizations committed to the creation of sustainable value chains as a means of competitive advantage.

You can read more about the course Leading Change for a Sustainable Chemical Industry on our website and you can contact me for the course brochure and further enquiries.

The Vinyl2010 Webcast is available at the following links:

Vinyl2010 Webcast - http://www.vinyl2010berlin2009.org/ - select the Chapters tab to go to the TNS presentation “Creating a strategic framework for sustainable development that can meet industry’s needs”
TNS Slide Presentation - Karl-Henrik Robert / David Cook

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clearing the Air in Leeds

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Climate and Insurance, The Co-operators

Anouk Bertner — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:59:50 -0500

climateandinsurance.org took five minutes to interview Barbara Turley-McIntyre, Director, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, The Co-operators Group Limited and Mark Feeney, Vice President, Personal Lines and Packaged Commercial, The Co-operators General Insurance and HB/Coseco Insurance about their work on sustainability at The Co-operators.

Barbara and Mark describe The Co-operators' journey to sustainability, the imputus for their organization's actions and some of the benefits: "Every part of our organization – distribution, claims, facilities management, corporate donations, and government relations – is working sustainability into their strategic plans for 2009 and beyond. Many of these are focused on the environment, but they also involve ways that we can contribute to enhancing the economic and social well-being of our communities and our planet."

Click here to read the interview.

Canada

College Campuses Become Climate Neutral Learning-Laboratories

Jennifer Reid — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:37:55 -0400

Georges Dyer, Senior Fellow, Second Nature, and Michelle Dyer, Vice President, Second Nature.

“We may only have 3% of the carbon footprint, but we have 100% of the education footprint.” These are the words of Michael Crow, Presidents of Arizona State University and co-chair of the steering committee of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). Over 650 schools, which educate more than 5.5 million students, have made a pledge to integrate sustainability into the educational experience of all students, and eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions from campus operations.

On September 15th, nearly 100 of the participating institutions submitted plans detailing how they intend to achieve the goals of the ACUPCC. To review any of the hundreds of greenhouse gas inventories and climate action plans publicly reported by ACUPCC institutions, visit the ACUPCC Online Reporting System for examples of campuses investing $70 million in comprehensive energy efficiency retrofits, installing solar arrays over all buildings and parking lots, and launching a School of Sustainability (Arizona State University), reducing energy demand 50% and generating 20% of their energy onsite from renewable sources (Portland Community College), and developing mid-western wind power (University of Minnesota, Morris).

The ACUPCC network held its annual Climate Leadership Summit in college Chicago in August, where presidents and other senior leaders heard from Former President Bill Clinton about the urgent need to ramp up efforts on energy efficiency in our building stock. Other speakers included Janine Benyus of the Biomimcry Institute, Peter Senge of the Society for Organizational Learning, and Rick Fedrizzi, President of the US Green Building Council.

The ACUPCC is supported by Second Nature, a non-profit based in Boston that works with colleges and universities to promote education for sustainability. Second Nature has strong ties to The Natural Step, as its Founder and President, Tony Cortese, helped bring TNS to the US. Three staff members - Michelle Dyer, Georges Dyer, and Stephen Muzzy - are graduates of the Master’s in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability Program, a close TNS partner, and Barbara Koneval, a former staffer for the TNS Oregon Network runs their education and training programs.

To stay updated on the progress of the ACUPCC, sign-up for its free monthly newsletter and follow ACUPCC on Twitter.

Commitment to Sustainability Drives Rapid Change at ISL

Jennifer Reid — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 14:27:10 -0400

ISL Engineering and Land Services (ISL) roared into 2010 like a lion. In January of this year, the organization partnered with The Natural Step Canada to complete an organizational readiness assessment and develop a draft vision for a ‘Sustainable ISL’. This was coupled with the development of a road map to engage internal and external stakeholders to develop and implement strategies to reach the vision. Three months later, the work is complete and tentative targets have been set. This rapid action is driven by a corporate desire to take a leadership role in sustainability and enable clients of ISL to take significant steps toward sustainability.
The Natural Step Canada advisors Pong Leung and Sarah Brooks were brought on board to help the organization build in-house ‘sustainability capacity’ and facilitate the development of the vision and roadmap. In early January, 43 senior-level decision-makers, including the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Operating Officer, took part in a 2-day workshop that focused on: building a shared understanding of sustainability among participants, articulating strategic objectives that describe a ‘sustainable ISL,’ and accumulating information important for building a road map.
“We covered a lot of ground and set a course for continued success along our sustainability journey” explained President and CEO Rodney Peacock in reference to the workshop. “As we noted during the wrap up [of the workshop], we have built up considerable steam and are charged with keeping the momentum going.”
Information accumulated over the two-day session was used to draft a sustainability roadmap, outlining suggested steps to be taken by ISL over the next 24 months. This was based on workshop output, best practices in sustainability planning, and informed by The Natural Step Framework.
“With this roadmap the organization will have a process for operationalizing their corporate level commitment to sustainability,” said Sarah.
“ISL’s commitment to sustainability will be formalized externally by visibly integrating our sustainability journey into our brand,” says Terry Myles, Senior Urban Designer and Sustainability Coordinator at ISL. “Our client research tells us clients care about sustainability innovation in their projects and see value in looking at current practices with sustainability in mind. By sharing our place on the journey with clients and partners, we hope to create an environment of inclusiveness and innovation—one where learning and practices are shared, and new ideas are always considered.”
In March, ISL launched its sustainability thrust. Nearly all 260 employees completed The Natural Step’s Sustainability 101 eLearning course and attended a half-day workshop focused on The Natural Step Framework and ISL’s sustainability road map. The event included an opportunity for all staff to provide feedback and explore their role in the process.
Looking forward, ISL plans continued engagement with The Natural Step Canada in the second phase of its sustainability journey. The organization will be building localized strategies to integrate sustainable practices, informed by The Natural Step sustainability principles, at the both the operational and service-sector level. The Natural Step Canada congratulates ISL on its commitment and progress to date. Watch our website for more developments from ISL!

Canada

Community Sustainability Planning

Anouk Bertner — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:06:07 -0400

by Kelly Hawke Baxter and Mike Purcell

Sustainability is the greatest challenge of our time. Human activity is now putting such a strain on social and ecological systems that the ability to sustain future generations can no longer be taken for granted. Sustainable literally means lasting, or standing the test of time. Sustainability means making sure that we live within the ability of the planet to support us so that future generations have the same opportunities as we do.

Communities are on the front-line of the sustainability challenge. It’s where the impacts of poor air and water quality,
climate change and diminishing natural resources are felt. It’s where people live, work and play. It’s where quality of life and health improves or declines. It’s where social fabric, art and culture are created and nurtured.

“Sustainability is good business for municipal government,” says Ken Melamed, Mayor of Whistler, BC. “Applied to growth and development today, it will help protect tomorrow’s generations to manage financial impacts of climate change, health risks, environmental remediation, infrastructure replacement, energy security and food security,” he says.

So how do we continue to make economic, social and cultural progress without continuing to undermine the systems upon which our quality of life depends? How do municipal leaders plan for the future in a way that stands the test of time?

These are tough questions for municipal leaders to grapple with, and yet they are impossible to ignore. One way that communities are tackling these challenging questions is through the development of community sustainability plans.

Canada

Community Sustainability Planning Course in Toronto, Ontario

Youth Storyteller — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 09:46:28 -0500

Submitted by Laur Fisher

www.flickr.com

As you walked into the Hilton Garden Inn conference room on December 8th, you could hear the energy pulsing around the room. In fact, it was difficult to quiet it. Here, council members, NGO and government staff, students, independent consultants, and unofficial-yet-passionate community leaders were sharing experiences from their communities. >See pictures here.

The first person I met was Barb Ryan, who had flown in from Fox Creek, Alberta, her town of 2,200 a couple hours north of Edmonton. A reporter by profession but activist by necessity, she is her community’s self-proclaimed director of sustainability. And in this mission, she’s alone. “People in my town just don’t get it. They’re in denial,” she said, exasperated. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve hit a wall.” This is why she is here today – “this is my challenge.”

Dayle Eshelby was invigorated. Fourteen months ago she was appointed the Sustainability Coordinator for her island town of Lockport, Nova Scotia. A small community of only 650, she had to start from scratch, as Lockport had no official stance on sustainability and climate change before. “I only wish I knew about The Natural Step fourteen months ago!” she laughed, “I now have somewhere to begin. How can I bring the four TNS principles down to a language that my community will understand? How can I turn this into a community plan?”

This is why they, among twenty-five others, enrolled in the Community Sustainability Planning Course, a five-month online program hosted by The Natural Step. The goal of the course is to guide community leaders through the creation and activation of their own Integrated Community Sustainability Plan (ICSP). This was the first of two in-person workshops; the rest of the course is conducted through file sharing sessions and webinars held once a month. So while the participants had known each other since October, this was the first time many of them were able to meet each other face-to-face. And there was much to discuss:

How do we understand the complexity of a community’s unsustainability? What are the traits of a successful society? And how do we get gain town-wide consensus to move toward a collective vision?

The purpose of the workshop was to address this “sustainability gap” – the space that lies between where we are today and where we want to be in a successful, sustainable future. Throughout the day, they dissected issues such as how to choose between engagement approaches, turn “emotional” into “creative” tension, define current sustainability challenges, and create a progressive vision for the future that everyone in the community can support. Personally, my favorite part was a fun, though challenging, backcasting exercise which guided us through the process of closing the sustainability gap:

First, we described the community systems – what do they look like now? And how are they failing us? We broke into teams and scribbled our ideas on post-it notes, sticking them on the wall, discussing, debating, returning back to the four system conditions for guidance. The more we brainstormed, the more our community’s main challenges and problem areas became obvious to us.

Then we imagined what these systems would look like if they were flourishing, and more post-it notes went up on the wall. Through this exercise, we were able to, even for a moment, speak as though we were living in this successful, sustainable world. It suddenly became tangible, possible. We then created system objectives to capture and symbolize this image.

Last, there was the step we had all been waiting for. We knew what the challenges facing our communities were, we know the kind of world we want to create – now we could brainstorm how to get there. This is where we let creativity loose. A flurry of post-its celebrated the power of possibility -- all that we can do as citizens and members of our community to create this world that we have envisioned.

It was a small group of 25 attending this workshop. But as Margaret Mead once said, “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” I saw the energy and empowerment in the room that day. Barb and Dayle might have their work cut out for them, but they are now equipped with tools to use to move forward. Stay tuned, because while politicians stall in Parliament and in Copenhagen, these thoughtful, committed citizens are the ones already taking action to change the world.

Canada

CONVERGE - Rethinking globalisation in the light of Contraction and CONVERGEnce

Richard Blume — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:42:05 -0400

"How, given the current situation, do we manage and allocate, today, the Earth’s resources for the survival of a projected global population of 9 to 10 billion people in 2050 - and for their offspring indefinitely?"

So states the over-riding research question for a new and exciting project involving 9 organisations from the European Union old and new, from the developing world and from neighboring Iceland. Rethinking globalisation in the light of Contraction and CONVERGEnce is the full project title for this interdisciplinary research project, which is the first EU FP7 funded research to extend the concept of contraction and convergence beyond emissions trading.

Awarded close to 1.4 million Euros for 4 years research, CONVERGE aims to re-think globalisation by developing our understanding of convergence beyond emissions-trading across wider social, economic and ecological dimensions of sustainability. The principle of Contraction and Convergence (C&C) (Meyer, 2002) developed in the early 1990’s currently provides a framework for a smooth transition to a low level of greenhouse gas emissions from anthropogenic activity. As originally conceived C&C is based on the principle that every global citizen has the right to emit an equal per-capita share of ‘carbon’. It suggests that those levels of global emissions that are acceptable to the Earth be estimated, and that this be used to determine how much each country needs to cut back its emissions.

Taken out of the frame of greenhouse gas emissions, C&C unites a simple ethical principle of basic human equality with the need for sustainability and suggests the broad outlines of a programme to guide positive future change. CONVERGE proposes to extend the concept of C&C and its political applications to embrace the sustainability of trade, economics, society, the natural environment, energy, food, governance, wellbeing and consciousness – a new visionary concept for Sustainable Globalisation in the 21st century. To differentiate between meanings of C&C, this project’s extended version of C&C will be referred to as ‘convergence’.

CONVERGE has a significant role to play in achieving the strategic objective of the EU’s global partnership:

"to promote sustainable development actively worldwide and ensure that the European Union's internal and external policies are consistent with global sustainable development and its international commitments."

Key to the success of this study is the interdisciplinary approach and working with stakeholders from civil society, government and business. CONVERGE seeks to explore convergent sustainability relationships across different scales from local, national, global-regional to global.

Partners in the project include: The University of Bristol, The Schumacher Society and the Schumacher Centre from the UK; from Sweden comes the University of Lund and the Natural Step International; from Hungary GreenDependent and Szent Istvan University; from Tamil Nadu, India comes regional development agency SCAD and from Iceland, the University of Iceland.

The Natural Step is proud to participate in this exciting project and looks forward to keeping you informed of its progress over the coming years.

Visit the CONVERGE Project webpage to stay up to date with the latest project news: http://www.convergeproject.org/

For more information on The Natural Step’s involvement, contact: Karin Schulz

Sweden

Distance Learning

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

Think Globally, Learn Locally

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

The course focus includes:

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

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

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

For more information contact: sustainabilitydistancelearning@bth.se

Dr. Robèrt at TEDxMälaren, June 15th

Anouk Bertner — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 10:08:12 -0400

We’re pleased to announce that the Founder of The Natural Step Founder, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, will be participating in TEDxMälaren, in Stockholm, Sweden on June 15th, 1-5 pm. TEDxMälaren is a Swedish conference that brings people together to share a TED-like experience. The name Malaren comes from Lake Mälaren, the third largest lake in Sweden. Just like Lake Mälaren that connects towns across Sweden, TEDxMälaren will connect topics in featuring a holistic perspective of inter-linked global issues through the audience, the organizers and speakers of diverse backgrounds, with different forms of media.

TEDxMälaren aims to reach beyond the Scandinavian seas and explore the influence of cultural, political and socio-economic diversity on the way we think, and ought to think for a better future. To register or learn more, click here.

Sweden

Edmonton Airports Authority Adopts Sustainability

Jennifer Reid — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:43:28 -0400

www.flickr.com

Edmonton Airports Authority recently adopted “Sustainability” as one of its core values and the organization is committed to translating this into on-the-ground actions and results. To support this commitment, Edmonton Airports has begun working with The Natural Step to develop its sustainability vision and build a roadmap that outlines the journey ahead.

The first steps in the collaboration with TNS include internal capacity building around sustainability and an organizational sustainability review. Some of the steps include interviews with senior managers, a survey distributed to all staff, a look at key sustainability trends for the industry and a scan of best practices. This information will be used to inform work with organizational leaders, outlining their vision for a sustainable airport authority and will inform actions in integrating sustainability across the organization.

We will continue to report progress on this project as it unfolds and look forward to sharing some of the exciting developments.

>Visit our blog for updates

Canada

eLearning Benefits

Anouk Bertner — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:24:43 -0400

Benefits of eLearning with The Natural Step

The Natural Step’s courses are rich multimedia experiences designed by professional educators for maximum accessibility and learning. They offer a number of benefits compared to conventional training approaches:

Lifelong learning for all learning styles. eLearning is a key means of delivering lifelong learning, cultivating a culture of innovation and expanding productivity. eLearning environments allow learners to move at their own pace and can be more effective for learners who are shy, reflective, or require more time to absorb information.

Quality control and consistency. eLearning provides a consistent delivery of material and builds a shared language and understanding in the workplace; it also allows employers to customize content and monitor employee’s progress. With long-term licenses, employees can also review material at their convenience thereby ensuring uptake.

Increased productivity and decreased expenditures. eLearning can be completed at the time and place that is most convenient for the employer and employee. This saves time and reduces or eliminates travel and printing costs. eLearning is the most cost effective means for training large numbers of employees and allows follow-up training to be more focused and effective.

A 2008 evaluation concluded that the key outcomes of TNS’s eLearning program are:

Shared Understanding - A better and more holistic understanding of sustainability and its root causes and solutions. This provides a shared language for staff and encourages dialogue and innovation.
Engagement - A greater sense of the collective and individual responsibility for taking action on sustainability, particularly the importance of integrating sustainability into business decision-making and the positive impact that individuals can make by changing their behaviour.
Transformation - A catalyst for action and change within individuals and organizations that use it.

Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government (FREE Webinar)

John Purkis — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:48:43 -0400

Start: Nov 3 2011 - 1:00pm

End: Nov 3 2011 - 2:00pm

Timezone: Canada/Eastern

A culture of sustainability is one in which organizational members hold shared assumptions and beliefs about what sustainability means for their organization, where they are in relation to that, and what they are doing to bridge that gap.

Join us on November 3 to learn more about Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government.

Over the past year The Natural Step Canada, in collaboration with Dr. Stephanie Bertels of Simon Fraser University, conducted research on the activities municipal governments are working on to embed sustainability into their organizational culture. Our team has worked with municipalities from across the country to tailor the approach to the municipal context and distil lessons learned about implementation on the ground in municipalities from across the country.

We’ve worked hard to create a useful resource for municipal governments and practitioners who are supporting them. Our aim is to provide practical guidance for municipal practitioners and organizations, based on leading research, to support a culture of sustainability in municipalities across the country. Download a Summary of Key Findings to date here.

During the webinar you will receive a brief overview of the portfolio approach to embedding sustainability into the culture of municipal government and hear some of the innovative “Best” and “Next” practices municipal governments are working on. Participants will receive an advance copy of our report and we will also provide a brief overview of our newest training offering on this topic.

We are also offering a series of 1-day workshops across Canada for those who wish to add this resource to their sustainability tool belt. Learn more and register today!

Toronto, ON (November 17)
Vancouver, BC (December 7)
Ottawa, ON (February 2012, details TBA)

If you would like to learn more about this webinar, the project, the final report, and/or the workshops, please contact John Purkis at jpurkis(at)naturalstep.ca or 613.748.3001 x227.

We’d like to extend our gratitude to our generous funders, HB Lanarc (A Member of the Golder Group of Companies), ISL Engineering and Land Services and Enerkem, and to all of the participating municipalities for their contributions to this project. Thank you, as well, to the Network for Business Sustainability for their support of practical research to advance the sustainability field.

Canada

Everyone can be a change-maker – round-up from Ashoka Globalizer Summit

Richard Blume — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 04:15:57 -0400

Last week I had the privilege of attending Ashoka’s Social Entrepreneurship Forum in Stockholm where The Natural Step Founder was officially welcomed into Ashoka’s fellowship. The event topped off what was, by all accounts, a fantastic weekend for Ashoka’s Globalizer programme.

Selected from more than 2500 individuals in over 70 countries, Dr Karl-Henrik Robèrt is one of 16 social entrepreneurs participating in the 2011 Globalizer programme, which aims to match “ready to globalize” innovations - like the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development promoted by The Natural Step - with the resources needed to rapidly and effectively achieve global scale.

When asked about what becoming an Ashoka fellow means to him, Karl-Henrik said:

“Institutionalizing an innovation is not the same as developing it. Ashoka really want to help us scale up. We try to help business executives who are suffering because they don’t know what to do on sustainability and it can be exhausting after a while, so when somebody wants to help you, it almost brings tears to your eyes. Bill Drayton and his team are really there to help. It has been an amazing journey.”

So what insights did the assembled panel of business leaders and experts provide Karl-Henrik and The Natural Step? Here follows a round-up of lessons we are taking from the event:

Speak up! – The panel was impressed by the achievements connected to The Natural Step, the wider network of collaborators and the Framework we promote and recommended enhanced communications and greater brand visibility to increase our impact.
Show the pathway – In order to demonstrate the extent of our work and more meaningfully engage people, we must be clearer about describing learning pathways and providing recognition for competence in the methods we promote.
Work through others to achieve scale – far from sending us back to the drawing board with our transition plans, this advice reinforced our resolve to build a global sustainability network of change agents and gave tangible insights into how to empower some of our closest supporters. Stay tuned…
Emerging markets – We have long seen the need from a sustainability perspective to engage in rapidly growing markets like China, but we have not had the ability to realize this. We are extremely grateful to Ashoka’s network for connecting us with the right people and hope to share more news in due course.

A personal highlight from the award ceremony was hearing a panel of Ashoka fellows present their inspiring stories – from Jerry White, landmine victim and Founder of Survivor Corps (USA) distilling the essence of ‘survivor-hood’, to Mary Gordon’s work fostering empathy in children (Roots of Empathy, Canada), to Jack Sim’s socialization of toilets (World Toilet Organization, Singapore) and to Johan Koss’s work overcoming social barriers that prevent children from developing life-long skills through play (Right to Play, Canada).

Along with Dr Robèrt, the following social entrepreneurs were then acknowledged as Ashoka’s first Scandinavian fellows:

Anders Wilhelmson, Founder of Peepoople (Sweden)
Sofie Applegren, Founder, Mitt Liv (Sweden)
Thorkil Sonne, Founder, Specialist People Foundation (Denmark)
Hanne Finstad, Founder, Forskerfabrikken (Norway)
Orri Vigfusson, Founder, The North Atlantic Salmon Fund (Iceland).

Capping it all off was Bill Drayton, Founder of Ashoka, outlining his vision for a world where everyone is a change maker.

After being in the company of such inspiring people, I left the event feeling that with courage and commitment to follow your convictions, everyone can be a change-maker.

Richard Blume, Senior Advisor, The Natural Step International.

The Natural Step congratulates all the Ashoka fellows for their important work and would like to extend a special thanks to the Ashoka team and network for all their support.

For feedback on The Natural Step’s transition plans, our collaboration with Ashoka or to lend your support, you can contact us at transition@thenaturalstep.org.

More information:

Canada