Resources and Tools

eLearning

Sustainability 101 and Sustainability: Step by Natural Step are affordable, interactive on-line courses that provide practical sustainability education. These innovative and award-winning courses are being used by thousands of people in leading organizations around the world.

They are aimed at businesses, governments, communities and individuals that want to move strategically toward sustainability.

Sustainability at Home: A Toolkit

This toolkit helps homeowners understand how to apply sustainable development concepts to everyday household decisions. The guide covers an explanation of sustainability; the root causes of un-sustainability; questions to ask while making household decisions; resources for further information and more. Originally designed for Alberta, the guide will be useful for new and experienced homeowners alike across Canada. It is available online here.

Case Studies

Find out more about The Natural Step's work by reading our case studies. Featured partners include:

Rio Tinto Alcan, one of the largest suppliers of alumina, aluminum and bauxite in the world, worked with The Natural Step to develop a sustainability vision that brings environmental and social concerns into focus.

The City of Madison, Wisconsin (US), used The Natural Step Framwork to bring the municipal government and community groups together in support of a common change initiative.

The Co-operators, one of Canada's largest insurance providers, worked with The Natural Step to integrate sustainability into their business planning process and engaged staff and agents by committing to a bold vision of the company as a catalyst for a sustainable society.

The North American Eco-Municipality Network (US), is modeled after the Swedish network of the same name, and made up of multiple US and Canadian organizations, including municipal governments, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations. The goal of the network is to create more sustainable communities by learning from each others' expertise, resources and experiences.

The size of the problem equals the size of the opportunity

The Natural Step is a global not-for-profit organization with a simple mission: to promote real change toward a sustainable world. We are dedicated to connecting leaders and change agents with the inspiration and education they need to make real change for the long-term benefit of our environment, economy and society. Since 1989, we have worked with thousands of corporations, municipalities, academic institutions and not-for-profit organizations who have proven that moving strategically toward sustainability leads to innovation, new opportunities, reduced costs, and dramatically reduced ecological and social impacts.

Rigorous Science, Practical Solutions

The Natural Step Framework is a proven, scientifically robust approach that helps organizations make strategic decisions to move toward sustainability. We research the science of sustainability and link it to real world applications. We create dialogue about the opportunities and challenges in building a sustainable future. We accelerate the shift toward sustainable solutions.

Our Approach

Our approach is collectively called "The Natural Step Framework" - it is a comprehensive model for planning in complex systems, and is openly published and free for all to use. Learn more about applying The Natural Step Framework. 

Our Solutions

The Natural Step provides training programs, coaching and advisory services to diverse stakeholders including communities, businesses, and non-profits.

Working with Businesses: The Natural Step provides business leaders and  managers with a deeper understanding of sustainability as a business opportunity - not a liability. We show how economic, environmental, and social systems are interdependent and how to use this understanding to drive business strategies that will lead to a competitive advantage. more>>

Working with Communities: As the building blocks of society, communities play an essential role in addressing the challenge of sustainability. The Natural Step provides a clear, compelling science-based definition of sustainability and a strategic planning framework to help communitiesmake smart decisions that will move them step-by-step toward a successful and sustainable future. more>>