Sustainability is more about competence than values
Karl-Henrik Robèrt
Blekinge Institute of Technology
The Natural Step
Alliance for Strategic Sustainable Development
• Conflict Resolution, Ben-Gurion Univ., Israel
• Product-Service Innovation, BTH, Sweden
• Complementary Currencies, Berkeley Univ., USA
• Green Chemistry, Carneige Mellon Univ., USA
• Industrial Ecology, Graz University, Austria
• Sustainable Travel, KTH, Sweden
• Energy Systems, LiU, Sweden
• Water Management, Radboud University, Netherlands
• Communication Strategies, Sheridan Institute, Canada
• Rainforest Ecosystems, Univ. of Amazonas, Brazil
• Agriculture, MTT, Finland
 2011 The Natural Step
McKinsey study of 2000 CEO:
 50% sustainability is very, or extremely, important for the the respective
company’s future.
 1% defines what sustainability stands for
Our greatest challenge is not...
 Climate change, pollution, deforestation, declining fresh-water tables,
shrinking phosphate reserves, poverty, terrorism, financial crisis, greed…
But...
 Incompetent leadership
 2011 The Natural Step
Threats
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Forests
Agriculture
Fisheries
Ground water
Climate
Metals
Phosphates
POP’s
Eutrophy
Hormones
Loss of trust
Segregation
Corruption
Epidemias
Poverty
...
Opportunities
 Resource management
 Waste management
 Tax, legislation,
insurance, loans
 New markets
 Innovation/design
 Trust
 Productivity,
 Transaction costs
 Brand
 Stories of meaning
 Team building
 Community
 …
 2011 The Natural Step
Threats
Tid
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Forests
Agriculture
Fisheries
Ground water
Climate
Metals
Phosphates
POP’s
Eutrophy
Hormones
Loss of trust
Segregation
Corruption
Epidemias
Poverty
...
Opportunities
 Resource management
 Waste management
 Tax, legislation,
insurance, loans
 New markets
 Innovation/design
 Trust
 Productivity,
 Transaction costs
 Brand
 Stories of meaning
 Team building
 Community
 …
 2011 The Natural Step
Sustainability integrated into goals for
companies/value-chains/regions/cities
A. Sustainability principles as boundary conditions
Backcasting
D. Prioritize from C
- Flexible platform?
- Enough ROI?
B. List current
situation
Aktionsprogram
Vision
Core Values
Strategic goals
C.
List possible solutions
Tid
 2011 The Natural Step
Tested in companies and cities ...
• Övertorneå • Dublin
• Robertsfors • Whistler
• Karlskrona • North Vancouver
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•
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Conclusion
• SEKOM
• Canmore
• Morbegno
• Halifax
Greatest sustainability problem – incompetent leadership
Misunderstandings rooted in old paradigm and lack of know-how
Sustainability – greatest competitive advantage – all categories.
Organizations now learn about:
• Eindthoven
• …
Strategic sustainable development as a competitive advantage
Sustainability is, at last, operationally defined
A framework with support tools for systematic problem solving, planning, and leadership exist
International research program between scientists, companies and municipalities/cities
www.alliance-ssd.org
 2011 The Natural Step
”Green Economy”
 Economic system is a human construct…
 …designed for something else…
 …that must be on the table for…
 …’economy’ to get a meaning
 So ”green economy” ought to mean a modified economic system, not running
in the face of leaders who know what social and ecological sustainability is.
 ”The role for entrepreneurs to help develop a green economy” before ”The role
of entrepreneurs in a green economy”.
 2011 The Natural Step