The Natural Step is an international non-profit organization founded in 1989 in Sweden to promote global sustainability based on the laws of thermodynamics. It has 11 member countries and offers a master's program in strategic sustainability leadership. The organization outlines four system conditions for sustainability: 1) nature is not subject to increasing concentrations of extracted substances, 2) nature is not subject to increasing concentrations of human-produced substances, 3) nature is not subject to physical degradation, and 4) human needs are met worldwide. The Natural Step uses an ABCD strategy of raising awareness, analyzing current practices, creating a vision for sustainability, and devising steps to achieve that vision through "backcasting from principles."

1. The Natural Step… towards global
sustainability
•An international non-profit organization, founded in 1989 in
Sweden by Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt…
based on the laws of thermodynamics
•11 Member countries:
Australia
Brazil
Canada
France
Italy
Japan
New Zealand
South Africa
Sweden
United Kingdom
United States
•Master’s program in Strategic Leadership towards
Sustainability; est. 2004 (two graduating classes so far)

2. Basic Principles for Sustainability…
A sustainable society can’t be subject to
systematically increasing…
I…Concentrations of substances extracted from
the earth’s crust in nature;
II…Concentrations of substances produced by
society in nature;
III…Degradation of nature by physical means.
And, in that society,
IV…humans retain the ability to meet their needs
worldwide.

3. Human society exists
within a closed system
… the Earth’s
biosphere

4. The main source of energy entering
the Earth’s biosphere is
… the Sun
Relatively little energy
escapes the Earth’s
atmosphere to be released
back into Space as radiation

5. We are dependent on the Earth’s biosphere for life
Therefore we must
understand
the system within
which we exist
Luckily, we already know most of
what we need to
…but we often fail to put
it all together

6. A few basic Laws of Science
tell us that…
• Nothing disappears (Conservation Law)
• Everything disperses (Law of Entropy)
• Quality is in the concentration of energy
and matter (purity and resources)
• Plant cells are able to create organized
material using the Sun’s energy through
photosynthesis
• Humans are a social species

7. What this basic science can tell us:
• Nothing disappears (Conservation Law)
i.e.,
Pollution and toxic substances will increase
in the biosphere if they continue to be
created at a rate quicker than they are
broken down

8. What this basic science can tell us:
• Everything disperses (Law of Entropy)
i.e.,
The tendency is for the materials we (society) use
to be scattered about the biosphere, rather than
to maintain order and be contained

9. What this basic science can tell us:
• Material quality is in the concentration of
energy and matter (purity and resources)
i.e.,
The more matter and energy is dispersed
and scattered, the less useful it is for
society

10. What this basic science can tell us:
• Plant cells are the net producers of
material quality (photosynthesis)
i.e.,
Plants are the organisms which re-organize
the dispersed matter using energy from
the sun

11. What this basic science can tell us:
• Humans are a social species
i.e.,
There must be trust and community spirit for
society to persist

12. However, in today’s society we
systematically…
• Continue to create and emit toxic chemicals into
the biosphere;
• Use energy stored in the carbon bonds of fossil
fuels (a finite resource), which results in
emission of GHGs;
• Dilute clean water and air with pollutants;
• Degrade natural, growing plant communities.
• …and the gap between the poor and rich,
disenfranchised and powerful grows

13. Systematic degradation: by continuing our
current modes of production, we degrade
Earth’s resources at an ever-increasing
pace
…down the funnel

15. Four System Conditions for
Sustainable Development:
A sustainable society won’t be subject to
systematically increasing…
I…Concentrations of substances extracted from
the earth’s crust in nature;
II…Concentrations of substances produced by
society in nature;
III…Degradation of nature by physical means.
And, in that society,
IV…humans retain the ability to meet their needs
worldwide.

16. S.C. I- In a sustainable society, nature won’t be subject to
systematically increasing concentrations of substances
extracted from the earth’s crust

17. S.C. II- In a sustainable society, nature won’t be subject to
systematically increasing concentrations of substances
produced by society

18. S.C. III- In a sustainable society, nature won’t be subject to
systematically increasing degradation by physical
means

19. S.C. VI- In a sustainable society, human needs are met
worldwide

20. The Funnel represents the systemic reduction of
natural resources and increasing problems caused by
today’s industrial society
Today we are experiencing--
Decreasing:
natural resources
water availability
species diversity
carbon “sinks”
cultural diversity
prime agricultural land
Increasing:
demands on resources
pollution
waste
social tensions
wars

21. Find balance
Then we can
begin to restore

22. The ABCD Strategy
A- Awareness & understanding of system
Agree on set of guiding principles

23. The ABCD Strategy
B- Baseline analysis of current violations of S.C.s

24. The ABCD Strategy
C- Create a vision of what the sustainable future is like

25. The ABCD Strategy
D- Devise the steps to get from B to C… “backcasting from
principles”
i) is this a move towards sustainability?
ii) flexible platforms for future improvement?
iii) sufficient return on investment?

26. Applied example: Household

27. A- Awareness & understanding of system
Agree on set of guiding principles
• Household exists within the biosphere…
4 system conditions
• Household should be a comfortable &
healthy shelter

28. B- Baseline of current practices
• S.C. I- fossil fuels; cars and appliances;
batteries; techno gadgets; etc.
• S.C. II- paints; textiles; fertilizers; cleaners;
garbage; etc.
• S.C. III- wood flooring; food; water; sprawl;
etc.
• S.C. IV- food & consumerism; footprint;
etc.

29. C- Create a vision for the future
• S.C. I- Insulate home; drive less; phase out battery
operated gadgets; purchase low-E appliances; purchase
renewable energy; install PV/geo-thermal system; etc.
•
S.C. II- Purchase non-toxic paints, textiles, cleaners,etc.;
recycle; purchases- think “upstream” & “downstream”
•
S.C. III- Purchase sustainably harvested materials;
rainwater harvesting & grey water; urban renewal; etc.
•
S.C. IV- Purchase “fair trade”; reduce your “ecological
footprint”; volunteer in community, etc.

30. D- Devise the strategy to get from
B to C… “backcasting from principles”
i) is this a move towards sustainability?
ii) flexible platforms for future improvement?
iii) sufficient return on investment?
Set an agenda for
actions listed in C