TOOLKIT
THE 'FOUR SYSTEMS CONDITIONS'
The following toolkit has been adapted from the TNS website and outlines some basic principles which can be applied within any work environment to assess the sustainability of any company.
For more detailed information on working with TNS and PDF downloads which expand on the 'four systems conditions', please go to:
www.naturalstep.org
THE NATURAL STEP (TNS)
The Natural Step (TNS) engages with companies to transform the way they do business by integrating sustainability principles into their core strategies, decisions, operations and bottom line. They help companies understand how the current state of the world is impacting business systems, and how, in turn, business systems are impacting the state of the world.
The first question for many of us is, 'How can any of us, from an individual to a family, a school, a small business or even a government or large corporation, employ the principles of the 'four systems conditions?' The following expansion on the four conditions sets out the key points:
Step One - eliminate our contribution to systematic increases in concentrations of substances from the Earth's crust.
This means substituting certain minerals that are scarce in nature with others that are more abundant, using all mined materials efficiently, and systematically reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Step Two - eliminate our contribution to systematic increases in concentrations of substances produced by society.
This means systematically substituting certain persistent and unnatural compounds with ones that are normally abundant or break down more easily in nature, and using all substances produced by society efficiently.
Step Three - eliminate our contribution to systematic physical degradation of nature through over-harvesting, depletion, foreign introductions and other forms of modification.
This means drawing resources only from well-managed eco-systems, systematically pursuing the most productive and efficient use both of those resources and land, and exercising caution in all kinds of modification of nature.
Step Four - contribute as much as we can to the goal of meeting human needs in our society and worldwide, going over and above all the substitution and dematerialization measures taken in meeting the first three objectives.
This means using all of our resources efficiently, fairly and responsibly so that the needs of all people on whom we have an impact, and the future needs of people who are not yet born, stand the best chance of being met.
The TNS team is a unique combination of scientists, business people, researchers and educators offering multi-disciplinary expertise and the following services to their clients:
Executive Sustainability Briefing aligns key decision makers in a company around a common understanding of the principles of sustainability and how these principles apply to a company's vision and goals.
Sustainability Assessment identifies critical sustainability issues specific to a company and industry sector and examines business implications, areas of risk and compelling opportunities for moving forward.
Strategy Development maps a long term sustainability vision for the company and creates a strategy and action plan for getting there.
Performance Improvement supports the execution of specific sustainability initiatives, evaluates the progress of sustainability efforts and modifies as needed to systematically enhance performance.
Design provides services in new product, process and experience design, based on best practices that have been adopted by the growing sustainable design industry.
Document Management (STAR) is a collaboration with two other firms to deliver value through enterprise-wide document management. STAR stands for Sustainability Team for Action and Return.
Training & Education develops customized training programs and materials for training trainers, and for conducting ongoing workshops for employees at all levels.
Seminars offer customized education for groups of 15 or more who are interested in creating a vision for sustainability in their organization and learning how to analyze, plan, launch and measure sustainability initiatives.