Transcript Community Sustainability: Taking The Natural Step A presentation for the Halifax Regional Libraries Tuesday, November 14, North Branch Library Wednesday, November 15, Alderney Gate.

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
Society
Economy
The Sustainability Challenge
*Resources
*Ecosystem services
declining
Environmental?
Economic?
Social?
Cultural?
increasing
*Global population
*Demand for:
•Resources
•Ecosystem services
Why Community Sustainability?
What does community sustainability mean to you?
The Natural Step & Our Future
“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 General
UN Earth Summit 1992
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
In a sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing:
3
4
2
1
concentrations of substances
extracted from the earth's crust
2
concentrations of substances
produced by society
3
degradation by physical means
and, in that society…
4
1
people are not subject to conditions
that systematically undermine their
capacity to meet their needs.
The System Conditions Re-framed
Develop policies and practices that ultimately . . .
1
Eliminate our community’s contribution to fossil fuel
dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and
minerals;
2
Eliminate our community’s contribution to dependence on
persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic
substances;
3
Eliminate our community’s contribution to encroachment
upon nature (e.g. land, water, wildlife, forests, soil,
ecosystems);
4
Create conditions that increasingly develop and improve
the capacity of people to meet their needs.
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 0.83%
Assistance to GNP
0.28%
Public share of total health
expenditures
69.9%
85.3%
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)
Income Distribution (gini
coefficient, 2000)
6.4%
7.2%
24.3
30.1
Source: OECD in Figures, 2005 Edition
Who uses The Natural Step?
Qu i c k Ti m e ™ a n d a
TIF F (Un c o m p re s s e d ) d e c o m p r e s s o r
a re n e e d e d to s e e th i s p i c tu re .
Swedish Ecomunicipalities
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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
Communities using The Natural Step
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
• 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
Communities using The Natural Step
Canmore
• In November 2004, the Town of
Canmore, Alberta, in partnership with
organizations within the community,
launched The Natural Step to a
Sustainable Canmore.
• 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
Communities using The Natural Step
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
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. outmigration)
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 Step
Halifax 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.
Communities using The Natural Step
Wolfville
• Using TNS to revise the town's
Municipal Planning Strategy and
Land Use By-laws from a
sustainability perspective
• Using TNS as a lens for other sustainability
initiatives – public consultations and capacitybuilding workshops
• Used TNS Study Circle guide for this process
Next Steps
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 2007
Other 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
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, [email protected]
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
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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-step2.html
TNS E-Learning Program
http://www.naturalstep.ca/elearning
Thank You!
Comments? Questions?
For further information, please contact:
Clare Levin, Genuine Progress Index (GPI)
Atlantic, [email protected], 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