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Background:
The Natural Step is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to generating sustainability through their framework for strategic sustainable development. This framework helps individuals, organization, and communities approach sustainable solutions using the guiding lens of the four sustainability principles that are outlined in this website.
The Natural Step organization has been developing this framework for over 25 years, and during that period they have created a number of useful tools that can help move their target audience towards sustainability. I will not attempt to describe all of them here, but I will briefly describe the ABCD method that was used in the creation of this sustainability guide.
The Natural Step is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to generating sustainability through their framework for strategic sustainable development. This framework helps individuals, organization, and communities approach sustainable solutions using the guiding lens of the four sustainability principles that are outlined in this website.
The Natural Step organization has been developing this framework for over 25 years, and during that period they have created a number of useful tools that can help move their target audience towards sustainability. I will not attempt to describe all of them here, but I will briefly describe the ABCD method that was used in the creation of this sustainability guide.
The ABCD Method:
The ABCD method is made up of four steps that are repeated as an entity works towards its sustainable goals.
Step 1: Awareness and Visioning
The ABCD method is made up of four steps that are repeated as an entity works towards its sustainable goals.
Step 1: Awareness and Visioning
- In this step the organization generates a vision of what their future sustainable state would look like.
- It requires the entity to look at various different aspects of the organization and set sustainable goals for each of these.
- Here the entity takes a close look at its current behaviors and policies to see where it is or is not meeting the four sustainability principles.
- This is done through a 'gap analysis' that looks at flows and impacts of the organization to see where they do not align with the principles.
- Here the entity and the people within begin to brainstorm potential solutions to the issues outlined in the previous step.
- This is done using another TNS tool called Backcasting.
- Backcasting uses the sustainable future vision from Step 1 and moves backwards towards the issues of today detailed in Step 2.
- This prevents people from simply working to fix the issues of today by requiring them to look further down the road and concentrate on their strategic sustainable vision.
- Once potential solutions have been created the organization can begin to look for those solutions that best fit their mission, as well as those that are the most cost effective.
- It is important for the entity to develop an action plan and decide on those opportunities and solutions that will best fit this plan.