What is The Natural Step, and how has its framework developed?

The Natural Step is an organisation that is all about promoting deeper understanding and commitment to sustainability, and a wider application of sustainable development. Sustainability refers to our own human society being capable of continuing indefinitely. Development that will move society in that direction is what we call sustainable development. The key feature of TNS is its science-based definition of a sustainable society. Without that definition, sustainability is open to too many interpretations and too much confusion. Real progress will only be possible with a shared understanding of what success will look like.

In order to arrive at a definition of success — in this case sustainability — we must know enough about the system — the environment around us (the biosphere), human societies, and the interactions and flows of materials between the two. The concept of sustainability becomes relevant only when we understand the un-sustainability inherent in the current activities of society. In what principal ways are we destroying the biosphere's ability to sustain us? This question is answered by looking upstream, where the decisions are made that trigger the thousands of negative impacts occurring downstream.

The negative impacts of un-sustainability encountered today can — at a fundamental level — be divided into three separate mechanisms by which humans can destroy the biosphere and its ability to sustain society. We are systematically digging so much stuff out of the Earth that nature can't cope; systematically poisoning the system with polluting chemicals; and systematically burning, covering over, and generally laying waste to the living environment. In addition we live in societies that do not give individuals a chance to lead a decent way of life. If people do not have the opportunity to lead fulfilling lives, or even to meet their basic needs, they are not likely to take care of the environment. These basic unsustainable behaviours are expressed more scientifically in The Natural Step System Conditions:

THE NATURAL STEP SYSTEM CONDITIONS

In the sustainable society, nature is not subject to systematically increasing ...

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. ... people are not subject to conditions that systematically undermine their capacity to meet their needs.

The System Conditions tell us what a sustainable society would look like. Sustainable development is all about making progress towards that sustainable society. We need policies, strategies and decisions that take us in a sustainable direction. The Natural Step has developed the TNS Framework as a collection of strategic methods and strategic communications to help organisations make real progress. The System Conditions and the framework are set out in more detail in Chapters 4,5 and 6 of this Briefing.

TNS: The organisation

The Natural Step is an international non-profit organisation that began life some 15 years ago in Sweden, and its international office remains in Stockholm. In addition there are now TNS Teams in the US, UK, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Israel, Canada, Japan and Brazil, and activities in many other places including France, Italy and Hungary. Our work covers three main programmes:

• Research and Development — science projects and science-based dialogues on complex issues

• Advisory Services — working with organisations to increase their understanding and application of sustainable development

• Outreach — awareness raising and educational programmes.

The story of the growth of this organisation is also the story of the evolution of the TNS Framework. It all began with the trials and tribulations of one man, Dr Karl-Henrik Robèrt. It is impossible to talk about TNS without telling his story. It is a tale that adds life to the framework itself. In its telling and re-telling, this story has almost attained the status of a mythology. For the full low-down you really need to go to the source and see how Karl-Henrik himself has retold the myth.

Karl-Henrik was pursuing his profession as a medical doctor, an oncologist, studying cells and tumours, at a Stockholm medical Institute. His work and his microscope taught him that there are limits within which each cell must function. Realising that we are all made of cells, "even politicians", as he puts it, led him to question why so little attention seemed to be given to the systemic causes of problems.

Karl-Henrik has a deep personal connection to nature and the countryside, which began with his childhood. As an adult he was troubled by what he saw around him as the trashing of nature. He was equally perplexed by the way the environmental debate, even in Sweden, always seemed to divide society rather than unite it. No one seemed to be paying attention to the root causes, or to spotting the connections. He turned to systems thinking to help his own comprehension and to share with others.

There followed an amazing period of Karl-Henrik developing his ideas, researching what others had done and starting to talk to lots of different people about his concern and his conclusions. He started writing a scientific paper on the subject and sent it to many Swedish scientists to get their reactions. After about 22 different drafts, a consensus was reached on some fundamental principles that make the earth's system function. His conversations expanded from talking to the local shopkeeper, to leaders of industry, stars of Swedish media, senior politicians and even the King of Sweden. All agreed that he was really onto something. His breakthrough resulted in a TV programme, information packs being sent to every Swedish household, and significant backing from influential sections of Swedish society. The Natural Step was born.

From 1989 onwards the team which gathered around Karl-Henrik went on to work with many of the largest corporations in Sweden. The work done in those early years continues to shine through and inspire. It includes terrific breakthroughs with major companies such as Electrolux, IKEA, McDonalds and others. Sustainable...