It’s been quite a couple of weeks for the sustainability movement in Canada, since Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver’s comments about “environmental and other radical groups” and their opposition to the Northern Gateway pipeline project.

The unfortunate result of the government and media’s framing of the pipeline issue is that we are presented with a false choice: save the economy or save the environment. It is an age-old myth that many people have been working hard for years to overcome by promoting the idea of sustainable development. We should not have to choose between jobs and the environment. As a native Albertan with many personal and professional connections to the energy industry, an academic background in commerce from the University of Alberta, and now a role leading what some might call an “environmental NGO” based in Ottawa, you would think by this framing that I would be very conflicted: Am I on the side of the economy or the side of the environment? But I am not conflicted.

Over the past year, The Natural Step Canada has been examining our internal organizational structure to improve efficiency in program development and delivery. Reporting to the Director of Operations and Development, the Business Development and Internal Support Intern will help to expand The Natural Step Canada’s business development efforts, map internal systems to identify areas of inefficiency, and support the office administrative and finance team with administrative tasks.

La fin de semaine dernière, mon collègue Alexandre Magnin et moi avons animé un atelier pour la démarche de plan intégré pour la durabilité de la collectivité de Rivière-du-Loup. Cet atelier avait pour but principal de former des ciotyens bénévoles à la démarche Natural Step de sorte qu'ils puissent se l'approprier et l'appliquer lors des années à venir. Nous y avons rencontré des citoyens engagés et motivés à préparer leur collectivité dans la transition vers la durabilité, ce qui est une priorité comme l'indique la plaque dans la salle du conseil municipal (photo ci-contre).

Nous avons entamé l’atelier du vendredi soir par un rapide tour de table permettant à chacun d’échanger avec un partenaire sur ses motivations à participer à la démarche,

Are you:

• Between the ages of 18 and 25?
• Passionate about the fate of our planet and its people?
• Ready to do more to champion sustainability in your community?

Then you are an Emerging Leader, and invited to apply to be part of the Sustainability Champions Program!

This innovative program is designed to provide tools, coaching, and support to participants as they lead change toward sustainability in their networks and communities. Grounded in The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, participants are provided with a two-day in-person workshop, as well as ongoing coaching and mentoring as they champion sustainability. (Sample past agenda.)

Our goal is to unleash the power of young sustainability leaders to catalyze change toward sustainability. Through this program you will improve your confidence in being a sustainability champion in your community.

Reflecting on 2011, we at The Natural Step Canada are struck by the year's events that illustrate the global sustainability challenge and the growing sentiment that systemic change is required. To name but a few…

The Arab Spring saw revolution and widespread protest across the Middle East in an effort to combat dictatorship, concentration of wealth and power in few hands, corruption, human rights violations, economic decline, unemployment, and rising food prices.

The United States experienced a record of more than $12 billion of weather disaster-related damage, showing the real and immediate costs of extreme weather related to our changing global climate.

The earthquake, tsunami, and resulting nuclear meltdown in Japan prompted worldwide debate about whether nuclear power should be part of our energy mix in a sustainable future.

And, of course, the Occupy Movement demonstrated a democratic awakening that addresses corporate greed, a growing disparity of wealth, inadequate financial regulation, and corporate influence on politics.

The circumstances that preceded each of these events may seem disparate, but the responses show a growing awareness that a systemic approach will be required to achieve the desired social changes. For example, to develop solutions to the climate change issue, democracy, human rights, and energy issues will all be implicated. In other words, everything is interrelated.

The following editorial by Chad Park, Executive Director of The Natural Step Canada, appeared in the Corporate Citizens Mediaplanet Special Report in the National Post on December 28, 2011.

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is outdated and counterproductive to successful enterprise and the global sustainability imperative.

CSR encourages us to incorporate environmental and social considerations into a business-as-usual scenario. This is the triple-bottom-line approach and is often depicted with three overlapping circles representing economy, society, and environment.

This is a flawed paradigm.