Community Sustainability: Taking The Natural Step

A presentation for the Halifax Regional Libraries

Tuesday, November 14, North Branch Library

Wednesday, November 15, Alderney Gate Library

Overview

• What is Community Sustainability?

• The Natural Step Story

• Canada and Sweden: some indicators

• Who else is using The Natural Step?

• The Natural Step for a Sustainable Atlantic Canada

• Resources

• Discussion and Questions

What is Sustainability?

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present

generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own

needs."

-- Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, 1987 World Commission on Environment

and Development

Natural

environment

Economy

Society

The Sustainability Challenge

Environmental?Economic?

Social?Cultural?

*Resources *Ecosystem services

declining

increasing

*Global population*Demand for:

•Resources •Ecosystem services

Why Community Sustainability? What does community sustainability mean to you?

“The great challenge of this era is to bring human activities everywhere into alignment with the rest of the natural world...The Natural Step provides an elegant framework, a compass, to guide us on the road ahead and is a powerful tool for all seeking a new mental model to move their businesses into a sustainable future.”

Maurice F. Strong, Secretary GeneralUN Earth Summit 1992

The Natural Step & Our Future

The Natural Step – the Story

• Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert, cancer doctor• Built scientific consensus on sustainability• Built a network of supporters: scientists, entertainers, federal government, television, and the king!

• Widespread educational campaign in all schools and homes• Build on the premise of success•Ask your enemies for advice

The Natural Step: Conditions for a Sustainable Society

concentrations of substances extracted from the earth's crust

concentrations of substances produced by society

degradation by physical means

and, in that society…

people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing:

1

2

3

4

4

3

2

1

The System Conditions Re-framed

Eliminate our community’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals;

Eliminate our community’s contribution to dependence on persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances;

Eliminate our community’s contribution to encroachment upon nature (e.g. land, water, wildlife, forests, soil, ecosystems);

Create conditions that increasingly develop and improve the capacity of people to meet their needs.

Develop policies and practices that ultimately . . .

1

2

3

4

Swedish Eco-Municipalities• More than 60 Swedish Municipalities are on board• Changing to sustainable practices across the board (systemic approach)• Bottom-up, participatory approach to sustainability planning

• Experience is transferable to North American Communities

• Example of Övertorneå: widespread community involvement; over 200 new companies; lowest incidence of sickness; 100% fossil fuel free in municipal operations; free public transit

Environmental Indicators – Canada & Sweden

Indicator Sweden Canada

Major Protected areas (% of total area)

9.5% 8.7%

Sulfur Oxide Emissions (kg per capita)

6 76

Carbon Dioxide Emissions (tonnes per capita)

5.98 17.49

Source: OECD in Figures, 2005 Edition

Social Indicators – Canada & Sweden

Indicator Sweden Canada

Rank in UN Human Development Index, 2006

5 6

Ratio of Official Development Assistance to GNP

0.83% 0.28%

Public share of total health expenditures

85.3% 69.9%

Source: OECD in Figures, 2005 Edition, UN Human Development Index 2006

Economic Indicators – Canada & Sweden

Indicator Sweden Canada

GDP per capita (2005, PPP) $29,800 $33,900

Unemployment Rate, (standardised, 2004)

6.4% 7.2%

Income Distribution (gini coefficient, 2000)

24.3 30.1

Source: OECD in Figures, 2005 Edition

Who uses The Natural Step?

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Swedish Eco-municipalities

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Quotes from Adopters of The Natural Step“The hospital received top marks from the Building Research

Establishment as one of the UK’s most sustainable buildings, where more sustainable methods have generated identifiable savings of 1.8 million pounds, including 20% less energy consumption and 35% less carbon dioxide emissions.” -Carillon Chief Executive

The Natural Step was a real ah-ha. We could see how far we were from meeting the System Conditions. Everywhere we looked, we could see things we were doing that weren’t sustainable. This really pushed us to look at everything we did through the lens of sustainability.- Susan Sokol Blosser, owner and founder of Sokol Blosser Winery

The Natural Step is a clear voice in the commotion.-Leif Johansson, CEO, Volvo

When we were introduced to the Natural Step, we realized we had found our framework.- Tachi Kiuchi, CEO, Mitsubishi Electric America

Whistler• A leading example of using the TNS Framework in a community planning context

• Whistler developed a comprehensive plan, a 16 yr strategy to move the town towards a sustainable Future - Whistler 2020

Communities using The Natural Step

• The plan includes strategies on arts and culture, built environment, economy, energy, finance, health and social, learning, materials and solid waste, natural areas, partnership, recreation and leisure, resident affordability, resident housing, transportation, visitor experience, and water

Canmore

• In November 2004, the Town of Canmore, Alberta, in partnership with organizations within the community, launched The Natural Step to a Sustainable Canmore.

Communities using The Natural Step

• Canmore used an Early Adopters Process to bring business and community organizations on-side.

•Participants included the Town of Canmore, Rocky Mountain Flatbread Company, Canmore Public Library, Polar Pin, Bow Valley Waste Management Commission, Canmore Seniors Association, Stewart Creek Golf and Country Club (TSMV), Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre

US Communities• Now at least 10 municipalities in the United States in a growing eco-municipality network• Includes the eco-region initiative in Chequamegon Bay, Wisconsin (includes officials, citizens and tribal members from 3 towns and two tribe nations)• Other key participants include Madison, Wisconsin, Vandergrift and Pittsburg, PA, Lawrence Township, NJ, Portsmouth, NH.

Example: Chequamegon region• Strategic plan has been developed• Conducted study circles to engage the community

Communities using The Natural Step

The Natural Step for a Sustainable Atlantic Canada

• There is a growing interest in sustainable development and a recognition of the need for action

• Provincial, federal and municipal governments are building this into planning (Integrated Community Sustainability Plans, new NS Economic Development Strategy)

• Communities, organizations and governments coming together to work on these issues

• Natural beauty of the region, and use of natural resources as a source of employment

• Local experience of resource collapse• Community cultural sustainability an issue (e.g. out-

migration)• The Natural Step framework can help develop a vision

and facilitate cooperation and communication among organizations and individuals working on sustainability issues.

Communities using The Natural StepHalifax Regional Municipality• Conducted a high level sustainability analysis of operations using The Natural Step framework• Using the e-learning course• Addressing project planning, evaluation and review, green building strategies, procurement, energy, waste management and staff education.

• Not to judge whether HRM is performing well or badly, but to have a holistic, rigorous understanding of its sustainability challenges to allow HRM to effectively and creatively address them.

Wolfville• Using TNS to revise the town's Municipal Planning Strategy and Land Use By-laws from a sustainability perspective

Communities using The Natural Step

• Using TNS as a lens for other sustainability initiatives – public consultations and capacity-building workshops

• Used TNS Study Circle guide for this process

Early Adopters• Talking with interested communities and organizations (Wolfville, HRM, Antigonish, New Glasgow, Just Us! Coffee Roasters, Aliant, Acadia University, St. John, NB, Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Labour)• Official “launch” in spring 2007Other Follow up• Public lecture with Sarah James• Nova Scotia Education for Sustainable Development Working Group – next meeting November 21• Workshops in communities around Nova Scotia and with Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities

Next Steps

Nova Scotia Education for Sustainable Development Working

Group• Need for those working on sustainable development to

collaborate and co-ordinate activities.

• NSESDWG will support systemic change in the formal, non-formal and informal education systems

• Multi-stakeholder group: government, all three areas of education, non-governmental organizations, youth, industry, and academia.

• Looking for new members

• Next meeting: November 21st, 1-4:30 pm, CCEPA Boardroom, 630 Francklyn St.

• For more information, contact Andrea Flowers, NSESDWG Coordinator, 902-425-9222, andrea.flowers@dal.ca

Other Sustainability Resources

• Nova Scotia Education for Sustainable Development Working Group• Genuine Progress Index (GPI) Atlantic• Nova Scotia Sustainable Communities Initiative• Eco-Efficiency Centre• Coastal Communities Network• Nova Scotia Environmental Network (and weekly bulletin)• Ecology Action Centre• Sierra Club of Canada – Atlantic Canada Chapter• Atlantic Health Promotion Research Centre• Sustainable Maritimes listerv

AND MANY, MANY MORE – See handout

The Natural Step Resources: Books

The Natural Step Resources: Websites

• The Natural Step International http://www.naturalstep.org• TNS Canada http://www.naturalstep.ca/ • TNS France www.tns-france.org• TNS Italy www.naturalstep.it• TNS New Zealand http://www.naturalstep.org.nz/ • TNS Sweden www.detnaturligasteget.se• TNS UK www.naturalstep.org.uk• TNS US (Oregon) www.ortns.org• Stepping Stones, The Natural step International Newsletter

http://www.naturalstep.org.uk/steps_46.pdf• Whistler, Toward Sustainability

http://www.whistler.ca/Sustainability/• Town of Canmore, Natural Step

http://www.canmore.ca/living/our-environment/natural-step-2.html

TNS E-Learning Program

http://www.naturalstep.ca/elearninghttp://www.naturalstep.ca/elearning

Thank You!

Comments? Questions?

For further information, please contact:

Clare Levin, Genuine Progress Index (GPI) Atlantic, clevin@gpiatlantic.org, 902-489-2524

www.gpiatlantic.org www.naturalstep.ca www.nsen.ca

The Gini Coefficient

• 0 = perfect equality; 1 = perfect inequality

• Gini = ratio of areas (2*yellow area) * 100

Strategic Planning Framework