On Making Change Happen
In an article in In Context (1991), Robèrt described how The Natural Step Framework would create change:
| “ | I don't believe that the solutions in society will come from the left or the right or the north or the south. They will come from islands within those organizations; islands of people with integrity who want to do something...
This is what a network should do — identify the people who would like to do something good. And they are everywhere. This is how the change will appear — you won't notice the difference. It won't be anyone winning over anyone. It will just spread. One day you don't need any more signs saying "Don't spit on the floor," or "Don't put substances in the lake which can't be processed." It will be so natural. It will be something that the intelligent people do, and nobody will say that it was due to The Natural Step or your magazine. It will just appear. |
” |
Eco-municipalities, based on the Natural Step's system conditions, originated in Sweden. Over 70 cities and towns (25 percent of all municipalities) have adopted sustainability principles based on the system conditions. There are now 12 eco-municipalities in the United States and the American Planning Association has adopted sustainability objectives based on the same principles. Communities such as Whistler and Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada and corporations such as Interface and IKEA have adopted the Natural Step and become more sustainable as a result. Both these companies have completely re-thought their business and have examined and changed all their processes including purchase of materials, manufacturing, transportation, construction of facilities, maintenance and waste management. The Natural Step was introduced to the Northwest through three one-day conferences introduced by Northwest Earth Institute. The Natural Step's framework for sustainability provides principles that are grounded in science, and thus measurable.
Read more about this topic: The Natural Step
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