Cascadia Green Building Council Acquires The Natural Step USA

 

(Portland, OR) January 11, 2011 – Cascadia Green Building Council and The Natural Step USA announced today that they have merged and will work together in pursuit of their closely aligned missions. Both Cascadia and The Natural Step will continue their existing operations and will retain their current public identities under a unified leadership and infrastructure.

 

“This is an exciting moment for both organizations and for the broader movement we serve.” remarked Jason F. McLennan, CEO of Cascadia, the International Living Building Institute and now The Natural Step USA. “Cascadia has a track record of fighting hard for true sustainability in the building industry and the built environment as a whole. The Natural Step has been waging a parallel battle, helping organizations re-imagine the way they do business. By sharing resources and collaborating on initiatives, Cascadia and The Natural Step are primed to make a big impact in 2011 and beyond.”

 

Regina Hauser, who will continue to serve as the Director of The Natural Step USA, responded with equal enthusiasm: “I’m a huge fan of Cascadia’s mission, and I’ve been impressed with Cascadia’s ability to continue to grow and innovate in an extremely difficult economy. This merger opens up huge opportunities for us in the coming year. I think it will greatly enhance our ability to help businesses completely redirect their standard operating practices toward deep sustainability.”

 

In one of the first outward signs of this new relationship, The Natural Step will play a prominent role in Cascadia’s signature event, the upcoming Living Future 2011 unConference (April 27 – 29 in Vancouver, BC). While Living Future will continue to focus on providing cutting-edge education for the green building

movement’s leading thinkers and practitioners, conference goers will also have the opportunity to explore how sustainability can be incorporated into their business practices. Cascadia will also be exploring sustainable business practices in upcoming issues of Trim Tab, its free quarterly magazine.

 

This is not the first time Cascadia has formally connected itself to another NGO. In 2009, Cascadia formed the International Living Building Institute, which it continues to house. The Institute is dedicated to encouraging the creation of Living Buildings, Sites and Communities around the world while inspiring and educating a global audience. McLennan noted: “Just as with the Institute, Cascadia staff will provide critical support to ensure that The Natural Step USA has what it needs to fulfill its mission. It will take some time to identify all of the synergies created by this powerful new relationship, but we’re very excited about what the

future holds.”

 

The Cascadia Green Building Council is a 501(c) (3) non-profit in the US and is incorporated as a nonprofit in British Columbia. Cascadia’s mission is to lead a transformation toward a built environment that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. Cascadia is one of three original chapters of the US Green Building Council and, as a chapter of the Canada Green Building Council as well, is the only international chapter in North America. It is the originator of the Living Building Challenge, authored by Jason F. McLennan, and it is the creator of the International Living Building Institute. www.cascadiagbc.org

 

The Natural Step Network – USA (TNS) is a non-profit organization that has been active since 1997 in helping businesses of all sizes and communities take meaningful steps toward sustainability. TNS helps organizations translate sustainability into action and value through the use of a strategic framework for practical implementation of sustainability. In addition, it promotes learning and inspiration from a network of leaders from the private and public sector. It is a licensee of The Natural Step, an international NGO inspired by the work of Dr. Karl Henrik-Robert over 20 years ago. www.thenaturalstep.org/en/usa

 

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