The Sustainability Journey with The Natural Step: Next Stop Toronto

Submitted by Wasseem Emam on November 29, 2009 - 6:12 pm

I was fortunate enough to share in the learning experience provided by The Natural
Step in their 'Sustainability for Leaders Level 1 Training Course' held in Toronto on
November 25 & 26. Over the two days, 15 or so participants were introduced to the TNS
Sustainability Framework and were given the opportunity to apply it in practical ways to
their work. This largely participant-led, hands-on workshop featured an eclectic group of
attendees from the Toronto area, with representation from non-governmental
organizations and community groups to businesses, government and universities.

Many participants had already been involved in implementing sustainability initiatives in
their workplaces and were already quite familiar with sustainability concepts which
allowed the session to advance quickly and allowed us to delve deeper into
sustainability issues. As facilitator Sarah Brooks put it, "this isn't preaching to the choir,
this is choir practice". From my conversations with various attendees over the two days,
it became evident that many felt that the TNS Framework was just what they had been
looking for, that they had been sort of working along similar lines but that this
Framework would give them a solid, science-based guideline which they can refer to
and apply in their everyday work. Moreover, some participants had already heard of this
Framework and had been using it in their organizations with much noted success.
 

The session was very much geared towards facilitating the growth of role models who
would advance their organizations and communities towards sustainability. The
attending leaders and leaders-to-be were introduced to the core concepts of the TNS
Framework including 'Backcasting', the 'Four Principles of Sustainability' and the 'ABCD
planning process'. Through artistic exercises and interactive discussions, participants
became familiar with fundamental concepts such as the need for a common language
when discussing sustainability, and the importance of setting both stretch goals and
interim targets. Over the two days, the benefits to organizations of responding to
societal pressure to operate in a more sustainable fashion became very clear to see;
these benefits include the ability to attract the most talented (and conscientious)
members of the workforce and the innovative changes that a desire for sustainability
can bring about.
 

It was a mentally-stimulating and demanding two days which left participants exhausted
yet inspired and ready to effect real change towards sustainability in their workplaces
and communities. It was clear from the look on participants’ faces as they were leaving
the venue that they felt ready to take up the challenging yet endlessly rewarding task of
acting as sustainability change agents in their respective environments. I can say with
confidence that we all left the workshop ready to embark, or in some cases, re-embark
on the sustainability journey, or as Ray Anderson - founder and chairman of Interface,
the world’s largest sustainable carpet manufacturing company and a world leader in sustainable
operations - puts it, "climb Mount Sustainability".