Natural Step Framework

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Natural Step Framework

• Presented by Sustainable Dunn
• Warren Lang
• Adapted from a presentation by Terry Gips,
  President, Sustainability Associates

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The Natural Step
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The Purpose of the NSF

• To develop share a common framework
• comprised of easily understood,
• scientifically-based principles that can
• serve as a compass to guide society toward
• a just sustainable future

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Dr. Karl-Henrik Robert

• Founder of the Natural Step
• Practicing clinician and specialist in cancer
  research
• Coined motto Find fundamental principles of
  indisputable relevance, and thereafter ask the
  advice of others on how to apply them.

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What Is Sustainability?

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Definitions of Sustainability

• There is no one best definition of
• sustainability. Here are a few useful ones

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Definitions of Sustainability

• To achieve sustainability, a system must be
• ecologically sound, economically viable,
• socially just and humane (embodying our
• highest values how we treat animals,
• people and the Earth)
• -Alliance for Sustainability Manna, 1984

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Definitions of Sustainability

• Sustainable development meets the needs
• of the present without compromising the ability
  of future generations to meet their needs.
• -U.N. World Commission on Environment
  Development ,Our Common Future, 1987

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In every deliberation we must consider the impact
on the seventh generation. --Great Law of the
Iroquois
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• Planet
• Ecology
• Environment
• Sustainability
• Triple Bottom Line

Profits Economy Financial
People Equity Social
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Dunn Countys Sustainability Vision

• Dunn County will serve as a community
• leader in sustainability by conducting daily
• operations through balanced stewardship
• of human, financial, and environmental
• resources for present and future
• generations.

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• Why is Sustainability Important?

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The Funnel

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Decline in Eco-System Goods and Services (Supply)
NOW

• Every eco-system on the planet
• is in decline Forests, topsoil,
• wetlands, air, biodiversity,
• oceans, lakes and rivers

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Increase in Population
1.3 per year 77 million 2.5
people/second Increase in Consumption
(Demand) 8 fold increase in last 100 years
NOW
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• Decline in Eco-System Goods and Services
• (Supply)

The Challenge Demand Surpassing Supply
NOW
Increase in Population Consumption (Demand)
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The Funnel

• Decline in Eco-System Goods and Services
• (Supply)

Restore
NOW
Sustainability
Increase in Population Consumption (Demand)
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What Is The Natural Step?
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Common Framework

• Shared Language
• Systems Thinking
• Four Principles of Sustainability
• Goal/Vision
• Scientific Principles of Sustainability

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Systems Thinking

• A system is a collection of parts which interact
  with each
• other to function as a whole.
• Systems thinking encourages us to look at the
  whole
• system Rather than solely at individual pieces or
  parts of a
• system.
• If you dont understand the connections between
  things,
• Often the solutions become your problems.
• The primary cause of the problems is the
  solutions.
• -Amory Lovins

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Systems Thinking

• The significant problems we face cannot be
• solved at the same level of thinking we
• used when we created them.
• --Albert Einstein
• When we try to pick out anything by itself, we
  find it
• hitched to everything else in the universe.
• --John Muir

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Why Do We Need Systems Thinking?

• 1. Big problems can be addressed System
  thinking is a way of tackling challenging
  problems that dont fit into various specialties.
• 2. Picture of the whole The average person
  (not just scientists experts) gets a clear
  basic picture of how the world works without
  having to be an expert know all of the details
  of every subject.
• 3. Collaboration It provides an opportunity for
  collaboration across areas of knowledge based on
  a shared mental model language, both of which
  are necessary to have a shared goal to make
  decisions to act.

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• The tree is a metaphor for a Systems
• Perspective
• Foliage-details
• Trunk Roots-
• Fundamental
• Principles

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A Systems Perspective Emphasizes

• Looking at the whole
• Interconnections between things
• Principles rather than details
• Shared framework a common language
• Focusing upstream during design rather than
  downstream after harm begins and its harder to
  address
• Necessary (non-negotiable) conditions or
  principles for sustainability

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Principles of Sustainability
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Four Rules

• There are just four basic operating rules.
• If we follow these four rules, well have a
  sustainable present and future.
• However, we have to follow all four rules. 3 of
  4 isnt enough. Its all or nothing.

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• The 4 Natural Step Principles
• Minimize what we take from the Earth
• 2. Minimize dependence on manmade chemicals
• 3. Minimize harm to the physical world
• 4. Meet human needs fairly and efficiently

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4 Guiding Principles(Based on the Systems
Conditions for Sustainability from the Natural
step)

• 1. Minimize use of fossil fuels and minerals
  taken from the earth.
• Humans mine substances from the Earths
• crust, including lead, mercury, cadmium, as well
  as
• minerals such as phosphorous, and fossil fuels.
• These substances and their emissions are toxic to
• the environment and remain with us.

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• 2. Minimize dependence on manmade chemicals.
• Humans are manufacturing synthetic substances
• chemicals and other compounds that do not occur
• In nature. The EPA lists over 70,000 chemicals in
• Common use. Many do not break down easily or
• quickly and can spread far from their place of
• origin. Many are suspected of causing cancer,
• reproductive disruptions, and species destruction.

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First Scientific Principle Nothing Disappears

• If I have nice new set of tires and drive
• 40,000 miles until I have no tread, what
• happened, where did the rubber go?
• It spread as dust and was laid down on the
• roadway and gets into and contaminates
• Water systems.
• Tires are not made of rubber, they are made
• from petroleumquite hazardous material.

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2. Second Scientific Principle Everything
Spreads

• Entropy is a measure of the amount of disorder
• there is in a system and in every isolated
• system such as the universe- entropy always
• increases. Examples of increases in entropy
• include organic matter decaying and Arctic ice
• samples with man-made PCBs. Thus,
• materials generated by or introduced into
• human society eventually will disperse in
• nature, no matter what we do.

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• 3. Minimize harm to the natural world.
• Human activity is breaking down natural systems
  land,
• water, forests, and soil ecosystems. These
  systems cant
• be restored as quickly as we deplete and destroy
  them.

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3. Third Scientific Principle There is Value
in Structure

• We determine material quality by the
• concentration and structure of the matter that
• makes up a material.
• For example, gasoline is valuable because it
• has a high concentration and structure that
• gives it so much energy. It then has little
  value
• once its burned.

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4. Fourth Scientific Principle Plants Create
Structure and Order with the Energy of the Sun

• On Earth, net increase in material quality are
  generated almost entirely by the sun-driven
  process of photosynthesis.
• Chloroplasts in plant cells capture energy from
  sunlight and forms bonds that provide energy for
  other forms of life, such as animals. Its the
  flow of sunlight through the Natural Cycle that
  continues to create structure and order from
  disorder on our planet.

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• 4. Meet human needs fairly and efficiently with
  minimal impact on the environment.
• People all over the world must have basic human
  needs met. These are
• air, water, food, and shelter. Systems conditions
  1 through 3 cant be met
• until everyone has basic needs met. People will
  continue to do whatever
• They need to do to meet their needs, even if they
  destroy their
• environment.
• Needs in our communities also include making a
  living equal treatment
• safety mobility equal access decision making
  opportunities a peaceful,
• meaningful, and enjoyable life and connections
  with other people and
• With nature.

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• The 4 Natural Step Principles
• Minimize what we take from the Earth
• 2. Minimize dependence on manmade chemicals
• 3. Minimize harm to the physical world
• 4. Meet human needs fairly and efficiently

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• Applying the Natural Step to Organizations

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The NSF Four Phase ProcessABCD Analysis

• To address the diverse needs of various
• organizations and communities a four-part
• process is utilized to bring about
• sustainability

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Natural Step A-B-C-D Process

• Awareness of Sustainability Principles-The
  Natural Step Framework
• Baseline Analysis Assess how well the 4 NSF
  principles are being met
• Create Sustainability Vision- What would your
  community look like if it were sustainable,
  meeting the 4 principles of the NSF?
• Down to Action Planning Steps Utilize Back
  casting to create a sustainability action plan to
  get from C (vision) to B (present)

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Phase One or AAwareness of Sustainability
Principles

• It is important to align key decision-makers
• and stakeholders around a common
• understanding of sustainability and a whole
• systems context. This is provided through the
• Natural Step Framework Principles of
• Sustainability, Basic science and a whole systems
• approach.

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Phase Two or BBaseline Assessment

• This involves conducting a sustainability
• analysis of the organization based on the
• four principles of the NSF.
• An assessment is made of the major flows
• and impacts, including the entire supply
• chain, products and services, energy, capital
• and human resources from cradle to
• cradle.
• Source The Natural Step-US 2005
  www.naturalstep.org

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Applying the NSF Principles
2003 Terry Gips, Sustainability Associates
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Phase Three or CCreate a Sustainability Vision
and Strategic Plan

• Key decision-makers and stakeholders work
  together to create a compelling long-term vision
  for a sustainable enterprise, including the
  service they are providing the world.
• From the vision they develop a strategy and
  action plan for moving toward sustainability,
  utilizing backcasting or reverse engineering to
  get from their vision to where they are today.

Source The Natural Step-US 2005
www.naturalstep.org
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Phase Four or DDown to Action

• This phase supports effective, step-by-step
• implementation of specific initiatives developed
  in
• the strategic plan through appropriate training,
• organizational learning and change techniques,
• followed by measuring progress toward goals and
• making needed modifications. Organizations
• select initiatives and investments that provide
• benefits in the short-term while retaining a
  long-
• term perspective.

Source The Natural Step-US, 2005
www.naturalstep.org
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Strategic Prioritization

• During the D step of the ABCD approach and before
  applying NSF, to a Sustainability plan,
  organizations should prioritize actions, by
  asking the following questions
• Is this action moving you toward or away from
  sustainability vision?
• Is this action a flexible platform toward your
  sustainability vision?
• Will this action offer an adequate return on
  investment?

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Backcasting
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• The concept of backcasting is a strategic
• approach to sustainable development. It is a
• way of planning in which a successful
• outcome is imagined in the future, followed
• by the question what do we need to do
• today to reach that outcome?

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Applying the NSF Program

• Back-casting
• Will each measure bring us closer to our vision?
• Is each measure a platform for the next?