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,

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is outdated and counterproductive to successful enterprise and the global sustainability imperative.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

One of Alberta’s largest builders and its quest for a greener world

In early 2009, Bijan Mannani was talking about work with his son, a Grade 3 student with a keen awareness of the physical environment around him. Bijan was working in Alberta’s oil and gas sector at the time and the controversial energy found in the northern oils sands was topical news.

His son posed the question around the dinner table: “Don’t you know that you are damaging the environment with the work that you are doing?” Bijan recalls.

At that moment, Bijan understood a change in his life was necessary and today he’s talking environmental sustainability as the chief operating officer of one of Alberta’s largest builders.

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.

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.

The Co-operators has launched a toolkit offering guidance for leading more environmentally sustainable lives.

Sustainability at Home: Decision making help for your everyday choices was released in partnership with The Natural Step Canada.

The toolkit presents Canadians with practical tips and ideas on how to "green" their homes on a room-by-room basis. It is designed as a guide for all sizes of home, and includes sustainability advice on everything from grocery shopping to landscaping to disposing of medication.

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.

Le groupe d’assurance Co-operators, en collaboration avec The Natural Step, a conçu un guide pratique destiné à aider les ménages à mieux intégrer les principes de développement durable dans leur quotidien.

Le document s’attarde notamment sur les pratiques que l’on peut adopter dans le cadre de son logement, pièce par pièce, tant dans la gestion au quotidien que dans des projets de rénovation.

An article was recently featured in Thompson's Daily Insurance News Service highlighting the recent launch of a new free sustainability toolkit, Sustainability at Home: Decision making help for your everyday choices developed by The Co-operators and The Natural Step Canada.

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The Co-operators, in partnership with The Natural Step Canada, is offering guidance to Canadians on how to lead more sustainable lifestyles.

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.

Ottawa, ON, November 1, 2011—The Board of Directors of The Natural Step Canada is pleased and proud to announce that after a nation-wide search, it has selected Chad Park as its next Executive Director. He will assume the role presently held by Kelly Hawke Baxter on January 1, 2012.

Chad is a founding member of The Natural Step Canada team and is an experienced sustainability advisor, having worked with many of The Natural Step’s partners since 2002. As Director of Programs and Strategy, Chad currently oversees strategy and delivery of the organization’s programs. His competencies and experience position him well to lead The Natural Step Canada through a new phase in its evolution.

The Board of Directors is excited to have Chad lead our next phase of growth. The organization is well positioned to leverage our strategic approach to sustainability through collaborative relationships, and Chad is an ideal steward of our vision of a sustainable Canada.

Fresh off the recent announcement of being ranked as the #1 Corporate Citizen by Corporate Knights, long time partner of The Natural Step Canada, The Cooperators, is once again making headlines for their sustainability efforts. An article in GreenBiz.com highlights how The Cooperators are succeeding in embedding sustainability throughout their organization. Please visit The Co-operators case study to read more about how The Natural Step helped The Co-operators integrate a sustainability plan.

The Co-operators and partners envision the future with future leaders

The Co-operators is fuelling the push to a more sustainable future by engaging the passion of a collective group of Canadian youth through its program, IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership.

In partnership with the Natural Step Canada, the David Suzuki Foundation, and several other organizations and Canadian universities and colleges, The Co-operators hosted its second gathering of the some of the country’s brightest young minds Sept. 15-18 in Guelph.

The Natural Step Canada teamed up with the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) to launch a forum to engage Albertan's in a discussion around what makes a sustainable neighbourhood? The initiative was recently featured in an article from CREB.com. 

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What makes a sustainable neighbourhood?

The Natural Step Canada wishes to congratulate its Director of Programs and Strategy, Chad Park, who has just been recognized as one Canada’s Clean16—the 16 individuals in Canada who have done the most to advance the cause of sustainability and clean capitalism. Chad is also honoured as one of Canada’s Clean50 by Delta Management Group and its team of expert advisors.

Chad was recognized for his leadership and accomplishments in working with dozens of leading Canadian businesses and municipalities to help them integrate sustainability into their business strategy, operations and organizational culture.

La Ville de Rivière-du-Loup, partenaire de Natural Step Canada, a été mise en avant dans un article Infodimanche.com pour son initiative de développement durable. Il s’agit d’un bon exemple de municipalité canadienne appliquant la démarche de planification stratégique de Natural Step ayant fait ses preuves.

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Rivière-du-Loup - Le mercredi 7 septembre, la Ville de Rivière-du-Loup dévoilait les lignes directrice d’une nouvelle démarche de planification stratégique innovatrice qui sera mise en application d’ici à la fin de l’année et qui s’inscrit dans l’optique d’un développement durable

Avez-vous déjà joué à « fais-moi un dessin » lors d’une formation sur le développement durable? C’est la méthode « TNS » (The Natural Step), présentée lors de l’atelier donné aux participants de la charrette de design durant le Sommet Écocité 2011 – « Comment prendre des décisions durables? ».

La formation se distingue par son aspect participatif, afin de rapprocher le développement durable du quotidien des professionnels présents. Certains participants venaient même d’aussi loin que l’Australie pour assister à ces ateliers.

In the build up to the EcoCity World Summit in Montreal (August 22-26) Laura MacPherson, Charlottetown’s Sustainability Coordinator, will speak in a panel session tomorrow (Aug 23.) MacPherson will be discussing the steps the City has taken in recent months to foster and cultivate a culture of sustainability in City operations.

MacPherson worked with a team of sustainability leaders from across the country to create a resource for municipalities. This group was led by The Natural Step Canada, John Purkis, Senior Manager of Sustainable Communities and Dr. Stephanie Bertels, of Simon Fraser University, author of Embedding Sustainability Into Organizational Culture.

Sweden's Max Hamburgers, partner of The Natural Step, was highlighted in an article in Fast Company for their inspiring efforts towards sustainability. Max is an excellent example of how applying a framework for sustainability is great for business!

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Okay, you're a burger chain. Hearing all this talk about sustainability, obesity, and the locavore movement, you hire a consulting firm to help you deal with the pressure to change. What do you do when the consulting firm comes back to you and says: "Your problem is you make hamburgers"?

The Centre for Sustainability and The Natural Step Canada launch new joint service offering

Ottawa, ON—Does your community have a common, long-term vision? Is it prepared for resilience and a changing economy? Thinking about a community sustainability plan, but don’t have the resources?

The Centre for Sustainability and The Natural Step Canada are excited to announce a new joint service offering to address these needs: the QuickStart ICSP (Integrated Community Sustainability Plan). If you’re a small- to medium-sized community, our QuickStart ICSP process is just the right thing for you!

This new approach offers an easy, cost-effective way to get your community up and running with a sustainability plan, complete with on-the-ground actions and implementation tools in 6-8 months. With a QuickStart ICSP, you can lead your process with confidence, knowing you’re building on best practices already developed and implemented across Canada.

Sign up for our next cohort before September 26 and receive a 10% discount!

Bob Willard—speaker, author of resources for sustainability champions, and a member of The Natural Step Canada's Board of Directors—was recently featured by The Globe and Mail in a series of videos as part of their commentary on leading thinkers on corporate responsibility. You can visit Bob Willard's website and blog at sustainableadvantage.com for a wealth of sustainability wisdom. 

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The business case for doing good

Bob Willard, author of The Sustainability Advantage, left IBM to become a corporate responsibility advocate. He argues corporate responsibility is no longer about doing the right thing, but rather the smart thing to drive profits and attract workers.

An interesting blog about incorporating sustainability into cycling was recently posted on the GranFondo Canada's Women in Cycling Blog. To help the GranFondo Canada team create their sustainability plan, the team used The Natural Step's four principles of sustainability.

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As a pretty new road cyclist, but a long-time sustainability advocate, my contributions to this blog will be centred more on the topic of making our cycling footprints smaller, before, during and after our rides.

On behalf of the entire Natural Step community, it is my pleasure to congratulate Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt for being inducted into the International Society of Sustainability Professionals’ (ISSP) Sustainability Hall of Fame.  I am personally thrilled that the ISSP recognized Dr.

The University of Guelph is once again showing leadership in sustainability as they've recently launched the University of Guelph Sustainable Restaurant Project. Leaders of the project Professor Bruce McAdams (right), Instructor Simon Day (middle), and Hotel and Food Administration Major Lauren Zimbalatti (left) recently attended the Sustainability for Leaders Course - Level 1: Foundations in Toronto. Lauren recently wrote a blog "Passion for the Project" sharing her experience at the course and her thoughts on sustainability in the hospitality industry. When we look at shifting the hospitality industry towards sustainability, what better place to start than with education within a leading hospitality program.

Sweden's Max Hamburger Restaurants chain continues to inspire the world with evidence that sustainable business pays off. In this post we're pleased to share recent media coverage from Harvard Business Review and TEDx Presidio.

Max is a great example of how use of a sustainability framework, strategic thinking, strong values, solid hard work and attention to the business case can help companies do well by doing good. Keep it up Max!

The Globe and Mail recently featured the Founder of The Natural Step, Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, in a series of videos as part of their commentary on leading thinkers on corporate responsibility. Dr. Robèrt touches on key sustainability topics such as what individuals can do to embrace sustainability? And how can our economy become sustainable?

The innovative sustainability efforts of InterfaceFLOR, long time partner of The Natural Step, were recently highlighted in an article from Guardian Sustainable Business. InterfaceFLOR has been a leader in sustainable business as they continue to work towards their ambitous target to eliminate all of their negative environmental impacts by 2020.

To read more about what inspired InterfaceFLOR and how they implemented their sustainability plan visit the InterfaceFLOR case study.

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Randomised tile design and the war on waste campaign are just two InterfaceFLOR initiatives to eliminate waste, leading to an 80% reduction in landfill and savings of $433m

The Natural Step Canada has partnered with renowend crystal artist Mark Raynes Roberts on a new art initiative with a focus on sustainability called the Glasslands Collection project. In The Hills published an article showcasing the unique initiative, which you can read below. You can also watch an inspiring video highlighting the 10 sustainability themes of the Glasslands Collection project.

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The Glasslands Collection project by Canadian artist Mark Raynes Roberts was recently covered in an article by Living Spaces. The Natural Step Canada is proud to parter with the renowned artist on the unique art initiatve uniting art with nature. A new video has also been released highlighting the 10 sustainability themes showcased in the Glasslands Collection project.

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Art can take many different forms and serve many different purposes

Thanks to Julie Urlaub of Taiga Company for helping explain the emerging buzz words sustainability and green.

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Two emerging buzz words have accompanied growing eco awareness in our society:  Sustainability and Green.  Do they mean the same thing and why are they the new buzz words?

Congratulations to The Natural Step partner Nike for being recognized as a sustainability leader! You can read our case study to learn more about Nike’s sustainability journey and how The Natural Step helped them apply the principles of sustainability to its business operations. Nike has also won an award for their Corporate Responsibility Report. Please read the following article highlighting Nike's sustainability achievements from the Environmental Leader.

The Natural Step Canada would like to congratulate our partners ISL Engineering and Land Services and The Co-operators (as well as Co-operators Life Insurance Company) for being named to Canada’s Green 30 list for the second year in a row (see our 2010 congratulations). It is wonderful to see these businesses receive the prestigious recognition they deserve for their amazing sustainability vision and leadership.

The Natural Step has been working with Givaudan to establish an overarching strategic systems approach to sustainability.

This week Givaudan launched their latest sustainability report entitled Translating Vision to Action. Read about it in the article below from FOODNavigator.com.

And learn more about how Givaudan has implemented their sustainability plan, by reading our blog, "Translating Vision to Action – Next Steps for Givaudan".

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Congratulations to The Natural Step Founder Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt and The Natural Step Canada Board Member Bob Willard for being named finalists for the International Society of Sustainability Professionals’ inaugural Pinnacle Award. We would also like to extend our congratulations to the other finalists, who are all friends of The Natural Step: Interface’s Ray Anderson, Natural Logic’s Gil Friend, and Rocky Mountain Institute’s Amory B. Lovins.

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Thank you to Bob Willard—a Member of The Natural Step Canada’s Board of Directors and a true giant among sustainability thought leaders—for this inspiring and thought provoking piece. Please read his latest blog below and visit his web site, Sustainability Advantage, to learn more. Indeed, Bob, let’s raise the bar!

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How would we recognize a sustainable enterprise if we saw one?

The Natural Step Canada is proud to be the educational partner for the GLASSLANDS Collection project. Working with renowned Canadian crystal artist, Mark Raynes Roberts, we are jointly developing an exciting new strategic sustainability education program uniting art with nature. The initial designs for the collection are being unveiled this month at an exhibition near Toronto.

Thank you to the Daily Exchange Magazine for broadcasting the following announcement.

Back in 2008, The Natural Step Canada worked with Ziptrek Ecotours in stunning Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, to help embed sustainability into their high-flying operations. Tour guides are educated in The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development and use the organization's science-based understanding of sustainability to educate guests. Please read our case study to learn more about Ziptrek's sustainability achievements in Whistler.

We are excited to see that Ziptrek has expanded their sustainability commitment to their global operations, including in New Zealand. Please see the following article from e-Global Travel Media announcing Ziptrek's sustainability award in New Zealand.

Sustainability is not skin deep. Several members of The Natural Step team around the world have been working with CEW and Givaudan to help develop the criteria for the new CEW Eco Beauty Award, and has been involved in ranking the nominees based on science-based sustainability principles.

Please read the following article from Global Cosmetic Industry Magazine announcing the CEW Beauty Award finalists.

GLASSLANDS COLLECTION - Mark Raynes Roberts and The Natural Step Canada focus the lens and bring clarity to strategic sustainability education at the Green Living Show

April 13, 2011, Toronto, Canada--Renowned Canadian crystal artist, Mark Raynes Roberts, and one of the world's leaders in sustainability education, The Natural Step Canada, are jointly developing an exciting new strategic sustainability education program uniting art with nature.

The Natural Step Canada would like to congratulate our friends at the Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley in Canmore for their recent award:

The Biosphere Institute of the Bow Valley (BIBV) just won the Green Communities Canada (GCC) 2011 Innovation Award for designing and implementing a suite of programs that demonstrate cutting edge approaches, incorporate the principles of social marketing, and result in high and diverse community engagement. The programs include Sustainable Action Canmore - a sustainability initiative that reached over 50% of Canmore's population: Mountain Air, a program that engaged Bow Valley youth in creating videos about local air quality and how to maintain it; WildSmart, a multi-stakeholder cooperative managed by the Biosphere Institute that runs education and outreach programs to reduce human-wildlife encounters; and the EcoTeam program, which uses social marketing principles to help individual households develop and implement sustainability plans.

Recently, The Natural Step Canada’s Karen Miller sat down with Jamie of Steppin’ off the Edge to record a podcast on sustainability.

To listen to the podcast in full, please click here.

Jamie wanted to understand more about the areas of environmentalism and sustainability, so he took the opportunity to step off the edge with Karen Miller, Junior Advisor for The Natural Step Canada. The podcast explored some critical philosophies like backcasting, cradle-to-cradle design, and what types of questions to ask yourself when making decisions–either as an individual or part of an organization–in order to approach living a truly sustainable existence.

Thank you to John Horn for writing a fantastic article based on The Natural Step's ABCD process. The Most Sustainable Balcony in Vancouver article is featured on The Daily Gumboot.  

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The Most Sustainable Balcony in Vancouver

John Horn

Part 1 – Preamble

While attending Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt's presentation to RBC’s financial professionals in Toronto, Justin Yan, a financial journalist for TSX/CP Equities News, saw a correlation between finance and sustainability. He interviewed Dr. Robèrt for the article “Mating Finance with Sustainability?”. For images from the event, click here.

The American Chronicle reports on InterfaceFLOR's winning environmental managment programme, Mission Zero, in partnership with The Natural Step.

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Hundreds of organisations have adopted environmentally friendly strategies and programmes in recent years, but when it comes to measuring ambition few if any could compete with flooring manufacturer InterfaceFLOR.

In 1994, inspired by a philosophy called the Natural Step, the company's chairman, Ray Anderson, launched a bold mission: to become the first company anywhere to be fully sustainable, with no negative impacts on the environment from its people, process or products. The goal became known as Mission Zero, and the rimescale for achieving it was set at 2 02 0.

Sure, it may be a cliche, but if Nike wants the fashion industry to just do it, who are we to argue?

In 1998, The Natural Step began to work with Nike to help it apply the principles of sustainability to its business operations, and the company formalized its commitment to sustainable commerce with an official policy statement later that year. Hundreds of Nike employees were trained to use The Natural Step Framework between 1998 and 2001, leading to numerous innovative programs to further its sustainability goals. In 2008, Nike partnered with The Natural Step again to help assess and further develop its approach to product innovation by defining a long-term vision for sustainable products.

Have a look at SNAP Ottawa Downtown's article about our 1st Annual Sustainabili-TEA event! Thanks to SNAP Ottawa Downtown for the article.

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The Natural Step hosted its Sustainabili-TEA fundraiser in mid-November. The event was a rare opportunity to hear from sustainability expert Bob Willard, author of The Sustainability Champions Guidebook and other best-selling sustainability books, among many other inspiring speakers.

Corporate Knights Magazine's latest issue features health-related articles. "The Killer Kernel: The skinny on what's expanding our waistlines and crippling our health system", by Toby A.A. Heaps, features a section on Sweden's Max Hamburger, a partner of The Natural Step.

Thanks to Corporate Knights Magazine and Toby A.A. Heaps.

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How Max Hamburger took The Natural Step

Since 2003 Max Hamburger, Sweden's oldest and most popular hamburger chain, has tripled its size, quadrupled its revenue, and quintupled its profits.

Thank you to Brendan Seale for writing this blog about his experience at Sustainability for Leaders - Level 1: Foundations, in Toronto, ON.

To see pictures from the course please click here to visit our Flickr.

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"I've worked 28 years in the environmental field, and I've seen first hand the decline of our natural systems because of unsustainable practices", says Rod Bilz. "Frankly, I'm shocked by how quickly I've seen it happen."

As a consultant at 3Seven Solutions who works to evaluate and minimize the ecological footprint of travel,  Rod understands the economic benefits of working toward sustainability, but his motivation comes from a deeper place. "I'm here because I want my children and grandchildren to have the same opportunities that I’ve had."

Gathered around more than two dozen tables in the hall of Ottawa’s St. Joseph’s church this past Sunday, sat activist, friends, families, and curious community members. The reason? The Natural Step Canada’s 1st Annual Sustainabili-TEA: Helping Leaders Create a Better Tomorrow, Today. The event aimed to raise awareness about the global sustainability challenges and opportunities we all face, the work The Natural Step Canada undertakes to help create sustainability leaders across the country, and to generate financial and in-kind support to expand our important programs.

Without question, Sustainabili-TEA was a huge success!

In March of 2010, The Natural Step Canada was awarded the 2010 Environmental Employer of the Year, for Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs).

The applications for the 2011 award have now been extended to November 26, 2010. Please click here to submit your application.

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Modular carpet maker Interface will complete Environmental Product Declarations — detailed documents explaining the life cycle impacts of items — for all of its products by 2012 and challenged other companies to set goals similar to its Mission Zero program.

Interface became the first North American carpet maker to develop an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) last March, and earlier this year it completed EPDs for three more carpet tile lines. EPDs are based on life cycle analyses that look at products from their raw material stage to disposal and are third party certified.

In 2009, ISL partnered with The Natural Step Canada to develop and implement a comprehensive approach to sustainability that would—over time—enable ISL to develop into a full‐service consulting firm that leads the marketplace in sustainable solutions, while proving the business model for such an approach.

Today, ISL  Engineering and Land Services (ISL) is now pleased to be named fifth among the Top 50 Best Small and Medium Employers in Canada. This is the third consecutive year ISL has placed within the top 5 of the list.

Thank you to Sarah Kear and Ecokinesis.

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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!

Thank you to Sarah Kear and Ecokinesis.

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“We are all on the Titanic”, but it’s not hopeless! This encouragement came from Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, founder of The Natural Step, and keynote speaker at the CBSR 8th Annual Summit, Collaborating for Sustainable Change. This some how did not make me feel better! But by the time he finished his analogy, my eager attention had returned.

If we’re on the Titanic, then our Iceberg is society’s collapse from chronic un-sustainability.  If business waits below deck with the majority until the Iceberg is looming large on the horizon to change its ways, we are clearly doomed. We’ll all clamour and climb over each other to get the ear of the captain. Not only are we all pleading with him at once, but none of us can agree on which course of action is best either. We haven’t taken the time to discuss it. Now it’s too late.

Read about Cathy's "eurika" moment as she learned more about The Nautral Step and our work after taking part in a presentation given by Dr.Karl-Henrik Robèrt, in the article she published for BEC Green.

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A few weeks ago, a friend invited me to an event at The Toronto French School for an organization called The Natural Step (TNS). I admit that I didn’t know a lot about this group other than they were an environmental organization.  After hearing their founder speak, and doing some more extensive research on the organization I can declare, “Eureka! Here is the answer to my environmental pet peeves!”

On October 18, 2010, Sheridan College hosted Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, Founder of The Natural Step for a presentation entitled: Leading Change: The Role of Applied Colleges in Sustainable Development.  This presentation kicked off Sheridan's own sustainability journey.

Please click here to see a video of the event.

Thanks to the Sheridan College: Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt is one of the world's foremost thinkers on sustainability. The founder of The Natural Step and a cancer doctor by training, Dr. Robèrt has developed a systems approach to sustainability. When he was in Toronto in October, he spoke to Managing Editor Melissa Shin about leadership and sustainability.

To listen to the interview/podcast please click here.

On October 21st, 2010, 3BL Media caught up with Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, Founder at The Natural Step while attending the Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) conference, "Collaborating for Sustainable Change" in Toronto.

Thank you to Chris Jarvis from 3BL Media and Realized Worth for filming the interview. Watch the full video here.

About Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt

A doctor and oncologist by training, Dr. Robèrt founded The Natural Step in 1989 to promote a unifying framework for social and ecological sustainability based on a scientific consensus. An Ashoka Fellow and winner of many prestigious awards, he has made a global impact in promoting and implementing sustainability.

Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, the founder of The Natural Step and an international thought leader on sustainable development, joins BNN to talk about the sustainability imperative and the opportunities it presents for companies.

Thank you to Martin Baccardax and the Business News Network (BNN) for filming the interview. Watch the entire interview by clicking here.

About Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt

A doctor and oncologist by training, Dr. Robèrt founded The Natural Step in 1989 to promote a unifying framework for social and ecological sustainability based on a scientific consensus. An Ashoka Fellow and winner of many prestigious awards, he has made a global impact in promoting and implementing sustainability.

Thanks to North Oakville Today and Ian Holroyd for the article.

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The solution of sustainability is not an easy one but Sheridan College may be able to help.

Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, a world leader in sustainable development, told the audience at Macdonald Heaslip Hall at the Trafalgar Campus that there is a particular emission from post-secondary institutions that jeopardizes sustainability.

“It’s not from bad chemicals and detergents and green gases and wastewater,” said Robèrt. “The worst emission is ignorant students.”

Colleges and universities can help the sustainability process by incorporating sustainability in their curriculum, said Robert.

Dominik Kurek, reporter for The Oakville Beaver, attended Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt's talk at Sheridan College on Monday October 18, 2010. Thank you to Dominik Kurek and The Oakville Beaver for this article.

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The path to global sustainability is like a funnel, said Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, founder of The Natural Step. That is because the deeper down the path of destruction we go, the narrower the funnel will become where it is more difficult for us to save the planet and eventually it will become impossible.

Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt-Founder of The Natural Step and Ashoka Fellow-on Speaking Tour in Canada

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt, the Founder of The Natural Step and an internationally recognized thought leader on sustainable development, is coming from Sweden for an exclusive speaking tour in Canada. He will be in London and Oakville on October 18, and in Toronto from October 19-21.

Apparue tout récemment dans Gaϊa Presse : l’environnement au quotidien, Andrée Mathieu, enseignante à la Maîtrise de Gestion et développement durable à l'Université de Sherbrooke, discute de la réalité du développement durable au Québec en lien avec la question des gazes de schiste et le cadre The Natural Step.

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The communities of Whistler, BC and Mayor Ken Melamed have worked closely with The Natural Step Canada over the past few years to achieve their community sustainability plan: Whistler 2020.

Jim Godfrey, the former chief administrative officer of the municipality and a Board of Directors member of VANOC, helped Whistler secure a part in the recently passed Olympics, in part due to his adoption of The Natural Step Framework as Stephen Smysnuik reports for Pique magazine.

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We are proud to announce that Kelly Hawke Baxter has been nominated for The Globe and Mail's 25 Transformational Canadians.

The Globe and Mail has partnered with CTV and Cyberpresse to celebrate Canadians who have sought to make a difference – not just by doing what they do, but through the demonstrable impact they've made on the world around them, whether in Canada or beyond. Driving the program as the exclusive sponsor is Cisco Canada.

Early Adopters in Duluth are leading the way to a more sustainable future. Read about Duluth’s Canal Park, one of the participants in Sustainable Twin Ports’ Early Adopters program based on The Natural Step Framework, as reported in the Duluth News Tribune, by John Myers.

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When you sip a cup of coffee at the Inn on Lake Superior in Duluth’s Canal Park, you probably don’t think about what went into it. But Cara Overland, the hotel’s administrative director, will be glad to tell you.

Avec les toutes les nouvelles du pétrole déversé dans le golfe, les prix des denrées alimentaires en croissance et de la fonte des glaciers, le moment est propice pour une transition vers le développement durable.  Par contre, comme le note bien le docteur Karl-Henrik Robèrt, « La question d'atteindre le développement durable ne porte pas sur la quantité d'énergie, de nourriture, ni de ressources dont l'on dispose.... Mais plutôt : Il y aura-t-il suffisamment de leaders à temps? ».

The town of Canmore is continuing on the road to sustainability after adopting The Natural Step Framework in 2008. Canmore was the second Canadian community to implement The Natural Step’s community-wide engagement program. Read more about their journey in the case study here. 

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By Hamish Maclean, The Canmore Leader. August 18, 2010.

Special events in Canmore will be moving towards zero waste.

By Alyssa Burnham, The High River Times. August 10, 2010.

High River is in the process of exploring how it might move toward increased sustainability as a municipality.

Congratulations to our corporate partners, The Co-operators, who have just been ranked number two among the 50 Best Corporate Citizens in Canada by Corporate Knights!

 Edmonton must not wait for other orders of government to take action on environmental initiatives. Taking a harder line on urban sprawl, limiting growth, enforcing greater density rules, and using taxes to become a sustainable city were among the suggestions in a debate on the City of Edmonton’s new environmental plan.

MEDIA RELEASE
The recently published Hawaii Sustainability Primer cuts through the confusion surrounding the term “sustainability” and offers a practical framework for organizations looking for help with environmental, social, and financial sustainability needs.

This 25-page, full-color guidebook is easy to read and includes success stories and visions that feature Hamakua Springs Country Farm, Kanu o ka Aina New Century Public Charter School, Volcano Island Honey Company, Hawaii Preparatory Academy’s Energy Lab, and Hawaii County and State.

The downloadable primer was developed by The Natural Step Canada and edited for Hawaii Island by The County of Hawaii and TheKohala Center. It defines sustainability; discusses the indigenous wisdom of the Hawaiian ahupuaa system; describes the root causes of unsustainability; outlines principles for a sustainable society; and focuses on how to plan, make decisions, and take action for sustainability.

 Environmental professionals are in development in Canada and around the globe

When the municipality of Whistler wanted to prepare itself for the 2010 Winter Olympics, officials turned to Kelly Hawke Baxter to help them develop a sustainability plan, Whistler 2020, to transform every aspect of how the town approached its development. Baxter is the executive director of The Natural Step Canada, a non-governmental organization that educates and instructs individuals in private industry and the public sector how integrate to environmental considerations into their operations.

A dog knows by nature not to pee where she sleeps, but humans are not as smart when it comes to taking care of the place where we rest. In our headlong rush to industrial civilization, we have lost many of the natural instincts that kept our species a balanced part of the ecosystem. As we approach the 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, confusion, arguments, and the comfort of the status quo prevent us from acting together more boldly. By showing the path to sustainability, can four little rules save the planet--and humanity?

March 23, 2010, Calgary – ECO Canada’s annual Environmental Employer of the Year Awards recognises companies in the environment industry for their commitment and dedication to human resource (HR) excellence. These awards are unique in that winning organizations are selected based on the evaluation and feedback of their employees—a true testament to a company’s efforts in aligning HR practices to support and strengthen workplace culture.

The Town of Canmore’s training video for new staff to introduce them to the concepts of sustainability and the Natural Step program is available on YouTube. The 20-minute long video, which shows how the municipality has taken steps to increase its
sustainability, is available for anyone to check out on the Natural Step’s YouTube channel. Sally Caudill, environmental care coordinator for the Town, said last week the Natural Step orientation video is shown to all new employees after they are taken for a tour of the community and treated to a coffee in a stainless steel re-useable mug.

By Lisa van de Ven, National Post           March 12, 2010

New light bulbs -- check. Recycling sorted -- check. Energy-efficient appliances -- got them, too.

It's no secret that green living has taken on momentum and that Canadians are starting to make environmentally driven choices around their homes. They're doing so in overwhelming numbers: A recent survey by Bosch Home Appliances showed that 95% of Canadians have done something to try to live in a more eco-friendly way, including switching light bulbs and purchasing Earth-friendly household products. But many aren't satisfied with stopping there: The survey reports 75% admitted that while they're greener than five years ago, they still have a ways to go.

We have to learn to live on our planet, and that's a job that involves educators, says DAVID LOADER.
 
The learning focus in schools today is, appropriately, on the development of skills like numeracy and literacy, and on a curriculum designed to prepare young people for a productive and satisfying life as adults in the future. We have to ask ourselves, though, whether this is a school's only responsibility.

By SUZANNE ELSTON, Special to QMI Agency

February 20, 2010-This year will be remembered for bringing the eyes of the world to Whistler, B.C., but for local residents, 2020 has a much greater significance and focus. Whistler2020 is the name of the town’s long-term community sustainability plan.Traditional urban planning tends to focus more on isolated pieces of the planning puzzle, rather than on interconnected systems. What the town needed was an integrated approach that would address social, economic and environmental challenges...

Have you ever needed to get above the daily routine of life to gain a better perspective on your world? Sometimes we need to step out of the ordinary to be able to see the extraordinary.

DE NOTRE ENVOYÉ SPÉCIAL

Les jeux olympiques d’hiver à Whistler `se veulent les plus verts de l`histoire.  Une posture politiquement correcte, mais qui répond à une demarche entamée d

Vancouver, B.C. :: November 4, 2009

Sustainability is confusing and can be totally overwhelming, especially when it comes to making daily decisions in your busy home. The Natural Step, the David Suzuki Foundation and the Light House Sustainable Building Centre have created a toolkit, Sustainability at Home, to make those decisions easier.  Come and celebrate the launch of this toolkit and welcome the Light House Sustainable Building Centre to their new home at 2060 Pine Street on Saturday, November 7th.  Welcome address at 11am. 

By Kelly Hawke Baxter and Chad Park

From Alternatives Magazine: Environment Ideas + Action | Full story here.

More than a set of scientifically based conditions for a sustainable society, the Natural Step Framework has been the foundation for hundreds of innovative sustainability programs around the world. After five years of applying its community-based approach in Canada, The Natural Step’s executive director Kelly Hawke Baxter and principal advisor Chad Park say the organization has learned a great deal about community sustainability. Here are seven hints to help your community move toward a more sustainable future.

Advancing Business Sustainability through Collaboration: 
CBSR and The Natural Step Canada Partner

Toronto, Vancouver & Ottawa, ON – August 5, 2009:  Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR) and The Natural Step Canada announce a new collaboration to further the strategic impact of both organizations. The groups both promote responsible business practices, which encompass social, environmental and economic considerations.

Sweden’s policies: a menu for Canada’s low-carbon diet?
by Melissa Shin

Corporate Knights explores Sweden's solutions for a changing world and compares their policies, actions and attitudes to those currently found in Canada.  Shin interviewed Natural Step Founder, Karl-Henrik Robert while in Stockholm.

A recent article by Thomas Friedman in the International Herald Tribune reminds us of the tremendous challenge and opportunity represented by our current economic situation.

“What if the crisis of 2008 represents something much more fundamental than a deep recession?” Friedman asks. “What if it’s telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last 50 years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall – when Mother Nature and the market both said ‘No more.’”

In early January 2009, decision makers and sustainability champions convened in Markham, Ontario to hear Whistler, BC Mayor Ken Melamed share his lessons learned on the road to community sustainability and discuss Whistler’s plans to host the most sustainable Olympics in history.

The City of Airdrie, Alberta, recently completed a community-wide visioning process as part of its municipal sustainability plann

From February 3-13, 2009, I participated in the Hållbarhet Australia Learning Journey, along with 25 other sustainability practitioners who share a common Masters in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability (MSLS) from the Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden. It was an absolutely extraordinary experience that clearly highlighted the invaluable roll a strong network can play in the personal and collective impact of sustainability change agents.

In February 2009, an inaugural gathering of emerging sustainability practitioners from around the world took place in Australia.

The Natural Step and the Whistler Centre for Sustainability will be offering two workshops between the Annual General Meetings of the Canadian Associatio

We regret to inform you that we are postponing the events planned to mark the launch of the TNS Network, Working Toward a Sustainable Future, in Whistler June 4 and 5th.

Corporate Knights Magazine unveiled the third-annual Corporate Knights Most Sustainable Cities in Canada list today.

climateandinsurance.org took five minutes to interview Barbara Turley-McIntyre, Director, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, The Co-operators Gro

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.