Filed Under Tool

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

Lancement du livret Le développement durable à la maison

Josh Snider — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 06:55:00 -0500

Guelph et Ottawa (Ontario), le 8 novembre 2011 – Les Canadiens à l’échelle du pays font des efforts pour être plus respectueux de l’environnement au quotidien. Pour y arriver, ils ont désormais accès au livret Le développement durable à la maison, un nouvel outil mis au point par Co-operators en collaboration avec l’organisme The Natural Step Canada.

Le livret Le développement durable à la maison aidera les Canadiens à repérer des moyens de rendre leur maison plus « verte ». Ce guide conçu à l’intention de tous les types de ménage (petit ou grand) offre en effet des idées pour chaque pièce de la maison et des conseils sur tout ce que le développement durable touche, de l’épicerie à l’aménagement paysager en passant par l’élimination des médicaments.

« Grâce au nouveau livret Le développement durable à la maison, les propriétaires et les locataires canadiens sauront prendre des décisions stratégiques qui leur permettront d’accroître la durabilité écologique de leur maison, d’économiser de l’argent et de créer pour leur famille un milieu de vie plus sain », indique Kelly Hawke Baxter, directrice générale de l’organisme The Natural Step Canada. « Nous félicitons Co-operators qui, une fois de plus, a su faire preuve de leadership pour aider les Canadiens à mener une vie plus durable sur le plan environnemental. »

Le développement durable à la maison amène le lecteur à voir sa maison comme un système composé d’éléments interreliés. Ces éléments comprennent la structure physique de la maison, ses intrants (comme l’énergie et l’eau), ses extrants (comme les déchets et la chaleur), ainsi que l’activité qui s’y déroule (comme le chauffage, la cuisson et l’alimentation). En faisant des choix plus durables, les Canadiens pourront participer à la réduction de l’incidence des changements climatiques, protéger les ressources naturelles du Canada, offrir santé et résilience à leur collectivité et économiser de l’argent.

« Nous sommes décidés à réaliser notre vision, c’est-à-dire à devenir les catalyseurs d’une société durable, et ce livret est l’un des moyens par lesquels nous aidons les Canadiens à changer les choses », affirme Kathy Bardswick, présidente et chef de la direction de Co-operators. « Ce document exhaustif rassemble une mine de renseignements et offre un cadre de travail qui permet d’évaluer et d’améliorer l’incidence du mode de vie d’une famille sur le mieux-être de nos collectivités et de l’environnement naturel. »

Le livret gratuit peut être téléchargé en français ou en anglais sur les sites :

À propos de Co-operators

Le Groupe Co-operators limitée est une coopérative de propriété canadienne dont les actifs sous administration s’élèvent à plus de 41 milliards de dollars. Par l’entremise de ses filiales, Co operators offre de l’assurance habitation, automobile, vie, collective, voyage, entreprise et agricole, ainsi que des produits de placement. Co operators est réputée pour son engagement communautaire et ses efforts visant à construire un avenir plus durable. Elle se classe au premier rang du palmarès des 50 meilleures entreprises citoyennes au Canada de la revue Corporate Knights et figure dans la liste des 50 employeurs de choix au Canada. Pour en savoir davantage, visitez le site www.cooperators.ca.

À propos de l’organisme The Natural Step Canada

The Natural Step Canada est un organisme dynamique sans but lucratif qui, depuis plus d’une décennie, aide les organisations et les personnes à comprendre le développement durable et à faire des progrès importants en ce sens. Par l’entremise de programmes d’éducation primés et de ses services uniques de conseils, d’encadrement, de formation et de facilitation, The Natural Step Canada traduit les principes de base du développement durable en mesures pratiques que les entreprises et les collectivités peuvent appliquer pour réaliser des changements durables. Pour en savoir davantage, visitez le site www.thenaturalstep.org/canada.

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Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec :

Leonard Sharman
Co-operators
519-767-3937

Josh Snider
The Natural Step Canada
613-748-3001, poste 230
jsnider(at)naturalstep.ca

Visualiser et partager ce communiqué au format PDF.

English version.

Canada

NEWS RELEASE: New Report Helps Municipal Organizations Become Sustainability Leaders

Josh Snider — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:00:00 -0500

Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government

London, Ottawa, and Vancouver, November 15, 2011—A growing number of municipal governments across the country are aiming to become beacons of sustainability in their communities, but many are struggling to lead by example. A free new report released today, Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government, promises to help municipal change agents advance sustainability in their organizations and become role models for others in the community.

Developed as a collaboration between the Network for Business Sustainability (NBS), The Natural Step Canada, and Dr. Stephanie Bertels from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University, the report is the result of a comprehensive review of municipal sustainability practices from across Canada. Based on leading research, the guide provides practical guidance for municipal practitioners and organizations to support a culture of sustainability in municipal governments.

Available for download and distribution for free, municipal change agents are encouraged to study this new resource, share it widely with their colleagues, and incorporate it into their municipal sustainability planning. Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government is available at www.thenaturalstep.org/canada/toolkits#municipalgovernment.

This new guide builds on a cutting-edge corporate-focused report published by NBS in 2010, which presented a portfolio of practices gleaned from a systematic review of the entire body of research on sustainability and organizational culture. In order to tailor this work for the municipal sector, The Natural Step Canada—in collaboration with Dr. Bertels and municipal leaders from coast to coast—updated this work for the municipal context and teased out municipal examples of the various practices.

“Municipal governments committed to sustainability now have a practical tool to help them integrate sustainability in their culture and make a deep shift toward sustainability in their organization,” said Kelly Hawke Baxter, Executive Director of The Natural Step Canada. “We’re excited to support this growing movement for change.”

The Natural Step Canada has also planned a series of 1-day, interactive workshops across Canada to introduce municipal practitioners to this important new resource. Participants will learn how to apply the tools outlined in the report to help their municipal government embed sustainability into their culture and move their organization toward sustainability. The workshop is currently being offered in Vaughan on November 17 and Vancouver on December 7.

The report was generously funded by HB Lanarc (A Member of the Golder Group of Companies), ISL Engineering and Land Services, and Enerkem. Municipalities that participated in the research included: the City of Calgary, the City of Charlottetown, the City of Fredericton, the City of Ottawa, the City of Pickering, the City of Vaughan, the District of North Vancouver, Halifax Regional Municipality, the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Strathcona County, and the Town of Canmore.

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About Network for Business Sustainability

Network for Business Sustainability (NBS) is a powerful and growing network of international academic experts and business leaders. NBS produces free executive tools and reports based on the best academic research, and brings academic and industry leaders together to spark new ideas about sustainable business practice. Equipped with credible, comprehensive insights, business leaders can confidently make informed decisions about their sustainability programs. Learn more: http://nbs.net.

About The Natural Step Canada

The Natural Step Canada is a dynamic non-profit organization with over a decade of experience helping organizations and individuals understand and make meaningful progress toward sustainability. The organization envisions a sustainable world in which individuals, communities, and businesses thrive within nature’s limits. They strive to inspire, educate, and connect Canadian leaders to accelerate the transformation toward a sustainable world. Through award-winning learning programs and a unique suite of advisory, coaching, training, and process facilitation services, The Natural Step Canada translates the fundamentals of sustainability into practical steps businesses and communities can take to achieve lasting change. Learn more: www.thenaturalstep.org/canada.

About the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University

The Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University is a Canadian leader in research and industry impact in the areas of sustainability, business ethics, and corporate social responsibility. The school’s longstanding commitment to sustainability is underscored by being a signatory to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Management Education, a member of the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative, and consistently included in Corporate Knights Magazine's annual ranking of top business schools. The school’s prolific research environment—including its sustainability focus—has helped it emerge as one of the top 25 business schools in the world for management research, according to a University of Texas-Dallas ranking. Learn more: www.beedie.sfu.ca.

For further information and media enquiries, please contact:

Josh Snider
Manager, Communications
The Natural Step Canada
613.748.3001 x230
jsnider(at)naturalstep.ca

View and share this release as a PDF.

Canada

NEWS RELEASE: New Report Uncovers Key Features of Sustainable Neighbourhoods

John Purkis — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:25:57 -0500

Re-imagining our Neighbourhoods: A vision for the future of Alberta

Ottawa and Calgary, November 30, 2011—Neighbourhoods are the building blocks of society. They are the places we call home, where we live, work, and play. But what are the characteristics of a livable, vibrant, sustainable neighbourhood? A free new report released today by The Natural Step Canada and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF), Re-imagining our Neighbourhoods: A vision for the future of Alberta, begins to answer exactly that question.

A contribution to AREF’s 20th Anniversary Thought Leadership series, the report builds on The Natural Step Canada’s experience working with dozens of communities across the country to accelerate change toward sustainability over more than a decade.

Over the past few months, The Natural Step Canada engaged people in a dialogue about what sustainability means at the neighbourhood level. The new report provides a summary of ideas gathered from Albertans through a survey and an online forum, as well as from experts from across Canada through interviews.

This process addressed questions such as:

What are the characteristics of a sustainable, vibrant, livable neighbourhood?
What are the current barriers and obstacles to social, economic, and environmental progress?
What are the steps we might take to move toward a desired future in our neighbourhoods?

The report also incorporates research and findings from The Natural Step Canada’s Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Planning Guide, also funded by AREF and currently being piloted in a City of Calgary neighbourhood project.

Available for download and distribution for free, sustainability leaders in Alberta and across Canada are encouraged to study this new resource, share it widely, and incorporate it into their neighbourhood sustainability planning. Re-imagining our Neighbourhoods: A vision for the future of Alberta is available at www.thenaturalstep.org/canada/toolkits#re-imagining-our-neighbourhoods.

“We’re excited to contribute this leading-edge research into the sustainable neighbourhoods of the future,” said Kelly Hawke Baxter, Executive Director of The Natural Step Canada. “We extend our deep gratitude to everyone who contributed to this enlightening project, as well as to the Alberta Real Estate Foundation for its support and leadership in bringing conversations that matter to Albertans.”

“The Thought Leaders series engages Albertans in conversations around making their communities better places to live,” said Cheryl De Paoli, Executive Director of AREF. “We are proud to support the work of The Natural Step Canada in implementing sustainable and systemic solutions to Alberta neighbourhoods.”

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About the Alberta Real Estate Foundation

The Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) supports and originates initiatives that enhance the real estate industry and benefit the people of Alberta. Created in 1991, AREF is the result of industry leaders and Provincial government officials coming together to establish the beginnings of a fund that focuses upon the achievement of real estate excellence in Alberta. The early years of the Foundation focused upon funding initiatives related to education and training for professionals in the real estate industry. Over the years, the Foundation has evolved and expanded its focus to benefit the industry and people of Alberta. Learn more: www.aref.ab.ca.

About The Natural Step Canada

For further information and media enquiries, please contact:

Josh Snider
Manager, Communications
The Natural Step Canada
613.748.3001 x230
jsnider(at)naturalstep.ca

View and share this release as a PDF.

Canada

SLCA Provides Competitive Advantage to Manufacturers

Anouk Bertner — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:42:55 -0400

A Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) gives product manufacturers a broad, strategic overview of a product’s sustainability strengthsandchallenges using The Natural Step four system conditions. The SLCA has helped four TNS partners develop new products that reduce impacts on natural and social systems:

Rohm and Haas recently introduced Advapak™ NEO products, a new range of highperforming, organic based and heavy metal-free technology stabilizers. The SLCA tool has been used to evaluate the product by TNS advisors and has resulted in important improvements in product development. This product has helped the company increase the usage of renewable raw materials and reduce energy consumption and emissions by simplifying the manufacturing process and enabling easier recycling. Advapak ™ NEO is just one outcome of Rohm and Haas engagement in a PVC value chain collaboration in Europe striving to develop sustainable PVC solutions.

Paint manufacturer AkzoNobel has used an SLCA to assess the impacts of its products and then launch projects to improve their sustainability impacts. Their Ecosure product is a totally new range of paints that has significantly lower carbon and embedded water footprints.

Chemicals specialists at Johnson Matthey have been using the SLCA to evaluate the whole lifecycle of their products, including the catalysts they make. While these products have always helped reduce car emissions, the company was keen to find ways to further improve their product line. Following a successful pilot, the tool is now being used with other products and business units.

The SLCA has further helped Unilever to identify the sustainability impacts of its laundry products, and has spurred the creation of innovative new methods of product delivery. This work helped Unilever win a large technology grant to help make their sustainable vision a reality.

Sustainability at Home: New Toolkit Offers Guidance for Leading More Sustainable Lifestyles

Neil McCallum — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 07:00:00 -0500

Guelph and Ottawa, ON, November 8, 2011—Canadians across the country are making efforts to be more environmentally friendly in their day-to-day lives. Now they have access to a new information resource in Sustainability at Home: Decision making help for your everyday choices, a toolkit released today by The Co-operators in partnership with The Natural Step Canada.

Sustainability at Home helps Canadians identify opportunities to “green” their homes in a way that works within the capacity of nature to sustain us over the long term. It presents practical tips and ideas on a room-by-room basis. The toolkit is designed as a guide for every kind of household, large and small, and includes sustainability advice on everything from grocery shopping to landscaping to disposing of medication.

“By using the new Sustainability at Home toolkit, Canadian homeowners and tenants can make strategic decisions to advance sustainability in their homes, save money, and create a healthier living space for their families,” said Kelly Hawke Baxter, Executive Director of The Natural Step Canada. “We applaud The Co-operators for once again demonstrating their leadership and commitment to helping Canadians lead more sustainable lives.”

Sustainability at Home encourages readers to consider their homes as a system of interconnected parts. These include the physical structure of the home; its inputs such as energy and water; outputs such as waste and heat; and activity inside the home including such things as heating, cooking, and eating. By making more sustainable choices, Canadians can help reduce the effects of climate change, protect Canada’s natural resources, create healthy and resilient communities, and save money.

“We’re committed to our vision of being a catalyst for a sustainable society, and this toolkit is one of the ways we’re helping Canadians make a difference,” said Kathy Bardswick, President and CEO of The Co-operators. “It’s a very comprehensive document that brings together a wealth of information and provides a framework for evaluating and improving the impact of your family’s lifestyle on the well-being of our communities and the natural environment.”

Available in French and in English, the toolkit is a free resource available for download:

About The Co-operators:

The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian-owned co-operative with more than $41 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is ranked #1 among the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights, and listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.

About The Natural Step Canada:

The Natural Step Canada is a dynamic non-profit organization with over a decade of experience helping organizations and individuals understand and make meaningful progress toward sustainability. Through award-winning learning programs and a unique suite of advisory, coaching, training, and process facilitation services, The Natural Step Canada translates the fundamentals of sustainability into practical steps businesses and communities can take to achieve lasting change. Learn more at www.thenaturalstep.org/canada.

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For further information, please contact:

Leonard Sharman
The Co-operators
519-767-3937

Josh Snider
The Natural Step Canada
613-748-3001 x230
jsnider(at)naturalstep.ca

View and share this release as a PDF.

Version française.

Canada

Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA)

Anouk Bertner — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:51:34 -0400

Assessing the sustainability of products

The Natural Step's Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) approach helps organisations define, assess and communicate product sustainability. SLCA can be described as an assessment tool and an accompanying process that gives you a strategic overview of the full scope of social and ecological sustainability at the product level. It results in an analysis – using colours instead of numbers – that allows a company to see the major impacts of today’s product through the whole lifecycle in relation to principle requirements of sustainability. The process then helps you so to create plans for how to successfully bridge the sustainability gap.

The SLCA process and generic tools are based on the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development with its system conditions for sustainability set against the life cycle stages of a product.

On this page you will find information about:

Become an SLCA user now!

Register your interest for training opportunities so that we can alert you when the next seminar will take place. Training will give you access to SLCA tools, a method guide and useful insights into how it is best used.

• what the SLCA method is used for

• how it works

• the Ten Steps to Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment

• benefits of this approach

• learning opportunities and how you can get access to the tool

• how to request a customised expert assessment

• case studies

“The partnership developed an SLCA tool that has proved to be a powerful medium to convey the impact of products or services. This tool is now being rolled out through Carillion’s supply chain to help map out the sustainable impacts of materials and services used within Carillion.” Jas Dhami (Design Manager, Carillion)

What is it used for?

The SLCA allows for rapid yet rigorous assessment, capacity building and communication around product sustainability.

The Ten Step SLCA process identifies the major issues in relation to a product or process in a qualitative manner, allowing key aspects to be strategically explored in greater quantified detail if necessary (e.g. by LCA studies or other methods).After identifying sustainability challenges, the process helps with creative thinking about how to overcome the challenges.

By bringing together a cross-functional working group together for the assessment, the SLCA process also helps to build a shared understanding of sustainability challenges across the company, supporting the development of sustainable innovation agendas and road maps.

In other words, Strategic Life Cycle Assessment helps achieve quicker and more strategic decision-making when it comes to product innovation for sustainability.

How does it work?

The process uses an SLCA tool containing carefully directed questions underpinning each life cycle stage to help product teams identify and think innovatively about sustainability challenges. The answers result in a qualitative colour-coded matrix that communicates sustainability impacts to non-experts and benchmarks progress. The insights from the analysis allow for identifying development pathways towards full sustainability.

Click the image below to open a separate document where you can explore the structure of the questions used in the SLCA process and how it helps to identify appropriate strategies for handling various issues. (PDF, 245 kb)

The Ten Steps of the SLCA process

The SLCA process is carried out in ten steps that combine the requirements of the ISO standard for Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 1404X) with the strategic planning methodology of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development.

Steps:

Setting goal and scope
Creating a shared definition of the sustainable product system
Define the system boundaries and life cycle scenario for the sustainability assessment
Conduct an inventory analysis of the life cycle
Sustainability assessment – Use the sustainability principles to assess sustainability strengths and weaknesses
Analysis & synthesis of results – Identifying key impact areas
Brainstorm possible solutions
Prioritise solutions
Create an innovation roadmap
Measure and report progress (ongoing)

Benefits of SLCA

The SLCA has been developed with a focus on ‘designing out’ unsustainable aspects throughout the whole life cycle. This is a more strategic and systematic approach than focusing on simply identifying and minimising known negative impacts. It reduces the chance that creating a ‘solution’ in one part of the system transfers problems elsewhere or creates new ones.

Quicker and cheaper than a full life cycle analysis (LCA)
Reveals hot-spots over the complete life cycle of any product.
Helps product teams to think systemically about a product and provides a way to judge whether or not an innovation is truly more sustainable or not.
Communicates sustainability impacts to non-experts.
Depth of assessment can be adjusted, allowing the process to be designed to suit your budget and timeframes.
Underpinned by researched and well-tested methods.

The SLCA in practice

The SLCA has been used, tested and developed through our work with a number of different organisations – from speciality chemicals companies like Rohm and Haas, to consumer-oriented companies like Nike and construction companies such as Carillion. The SLCA was used to develop strategies to improve the sustainability of paint for ICI, and won the ICI Chief Executive's Leadership Award for Sustainability for Product Stewardship. The SLCA tool helped to identify 25 key sustainability aspects across the life cycle of paint, which helped choose the core innovation projects throughout a three year program. It has also become a filter that will be built into ICI Paints innovation stage-gate process.

"To underpin our drive for sustainable development we are using the SLCA to help us understand the issues we face in moving towards more sustainable products." Dr Phil Taylor, Paints Research Associate.

The SLCA matrix has also been used as a structured framework to identify sustainability issues for key ingredients with the food team at Prêt A Manger. The process aimed to show areas of concern across the lifecycle and identify knowledge gaps.

“We found using the SLCA tool invaluable. It was an easy to use and informative method by which to determine the sustainability pitfalls along the food supply chain. It has helped clarify provenance issues, as well as making the decision making much more informed - a great tool.” Nicki Fisher, Sustainability Manager, Prêt A Manger

You can read more in the case studies indicated below.

Get access

Request an SLCA process from our experienced facilitators

We have facilitators experienced in the SLCA process in our teams around the world. Contact your local office or make contact with Richard Blume at The Natural Step International to learn more.

Get training - Sign up for an SLCA seminar

On October 29th 2011 we delivered a seminar aimed at introducing the methods of SLCA, the associated tools and useful tips and tricks based on our experiences. Attending seminars such as that one gives access to a SLCA process guide, generic SLCA tools to help with the assessment, and the right to use these freely within your or your client’s operations.

Carry through an SLCA process yourself and request a third party review

If you are familiar with the FSSD and LCA-methodology, you may wish to carry out your own assessment process and screen your product's life cycle against the four sustainability principles. If so, you may also be interested in having us review and comment on your work. Please contact Richard Blume if you are interested in this option.

Case studies

SLCA approach underpins Cosmetic Executive Women's EcoBeauty Award
SLCA Provides Competitive Advantage to Manufacturers (2009)
Rohm and Haas- overall program
Rohm and Haas: A strategic approach toward sustainability for Vinyl Additives - SLCA on PVC heat stabilisers
ICI Paints
Paint the Town Green (visit Forum for the Future)
Nike
Background research: Ny, H., MacDonald, J.P., Broman, G., Ryoichi, Y., and Robert, K-H, 2006, "Sustainability Constraints as System Boundaries: An Approach to Making Life-Cycle Management Strategic", Journal of Industrial Ecology, Volume 10, Issue 1-2.

The Generic SLCA Tool

Richard Blume — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:01:39 -0400

There is a generic e-version of the SLCA questionnaire (for Step 5 & 6 of the SLCA process) that has been created as an excel file. The questionnaire consists of seven questions for each cell of the SLCA matrix; 140 questions in total. The questions deal with both:

Current status with respect to sustainability principles; and
Actions to make progress

The questions are designed to be answered in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ manner and are categorized three ways:

by life cycle stage – to provide a life cycle view of product impacts
by system condition – to assess how products are unsustainable from a full systems perspective
by ‘current status’ and ‘progress’ – to provide a full measure of where we are today by recognizing both sustainability impacts and activities already initiated to address them.

The image below gives an example of one set of questions.

As you go through the “yes” and “no” answer questions, the tool automatically assigns colours to help identify key impact areas. This is done through a set algorithm that simplifies the analysis process to quickly give an overview of the main sustainability challenges of your product.

Get access to this generic SLCA tool

You can get access to and the right to use this tool in your organization and commercially if you undergo SLCA-training. Please read here for more information around training opportunities.

The Natural Step Toolkits for Sustainability

Kim Mackrael — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:50:41 -0400

The Natural Step has developed a series of toolkits to help individuals and organizations with strategic planning for a sustainable future.

The Natural Step Sustainability Primer provides an explanation of the root causes of unsustainability and describes the strategic planning framework that has helped hundreds of organizations in their journeys toward a sustainable future.
The primer is also available in French: Planifier vers des sociétés durable: un guide pour débuter.
Planning for Sustainability: A Starter Guide is a toolkit to assist organizations on the first steps of their sustainability journeys - to assess their current reality, develop innovation goals for the future, and take early steps to bridge the gap.
The starter guide is also available in French: Le guide élémentaire de durabilité.
Sustainability at Home is a toolkit that helps homeowners understand how to apply sustainable development concepts to everyday household decisions. Also available is a special Sustainability at Home for B.C. toolkit.
Integrated Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP): A Guide.

All toolkits are available for download here.

For more information on these and other TNS toolkits, click here.

Canada

The Standardised SLCA Questionnaire and Ready Reckoner

Richard Blume — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:01:39 -0400

There are two generic tools available to aid with SLCA assessments - the Standardised SLCA Questionnaire and the Ready Reckoner.

The Standardised SLCA questionnaire (for Step 5 of the SLCA process) contains carefully directed questions that help with the assessment of the product life cycle. The questionnaire consists of seven questions for each cell of the SLCA matrix; 140 questions in total. The questions deal with both:

Current status with respect to sustainability principles; and
Actions to make progress

The questions are designed to be answered in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ manner and are categorized three ways:

by life cycle stage – to provide a life cycle view of product impacts
by system condition – to assess how products are unsustainable from a full systems perspective
by ‘current status’ and ‘progress’ – to provide a full measure of where we are today by recognizing both sustainability impacts and activities already initiated to address them.

The image below gives an example of one set of questions.

The Ready Reckoner is a quick tool for helping with the analysis (Step 6 of the SLCA process) of the answers to the SLCA questionnaire. In practical terms it is an excel based tool into which you enter the responses into a tally sheet. The tool then automatically assigns coulours to help with the identification of key impact areas. This is done through a set algorithm that simplifies the analysis process to quickly give an overview of the main sustainability challenges of your product.

Get access to these tools

You can get access to and the right to use these tools in your organization and commercially if you undergo SLCA-training.

Please read here for more information around the SLCA process and how to register for training opportunities.

Filed Under Tool

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

Lancement du livret Le développement durable à la maison

NEWS RELEASE: New Report Helps Municipal Organizations Become Sustainability Leaders

Embedding Sustainability into the Culture of Municipal Government

About Network for Business Sustainability

About The Natural Step Canada

About the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University

For further information and media enquiries, please contact:

NEWS RELEASE: New Report Uncovers Key Features of Sustainable Neighbourhoods

Re-imagining our Neighbourhoods: A vision for the future of Alberta

About the Alberta Real Estate Foundation

About The Natural Step Canada

For further information and media enquiries, please contact:

SLCA Provides Competitive Advantage to Manufacturers

Sustainability at Home: New Toolkit Offers Guidance for Leading More Sustainable Lifestyles

Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA)

Assessing the sustainability of products

What is it used for?

How does it work?

The Ten Steps of the SLCA process

Benefits of SLCA

The SLCA in practice

Get access

Request an SLCA process from our experienced facilitators

Get training - Sign up for an SLCA seminar

Carry through an SLCA process yourself and request a third party review

Case studies

The Generic SLCA Tool

The Natural Step Toolkits for Sustainability

The Standardised SLCA Questionnaire and Ready Reckoner