The Natural Step takes a networked approach to change. We believe that systemic change requires strategic and tactical collaborations among organizations with focused expertise, each providing paths towards a sustainable society. We recognize that the success of our work depends on the success of an entire network of change agents. The following list of partners and collaborative projects illustrates how we are leveraging the intelligence, resources and energy of other leaders in the field to fulfill our mission and to support theirs in a united effort to advance global sustainability.

As the world leader in human factor design, Ideo has joined forces with The Natural Step to develop and offer a robust methodology for applying sustainable design principles to industrial product and service design.

As experts in facilitating process design and decision-making for groups tackling complex issues, InnovationLabs has joined forces with The Natural Step to facilitate stakeholder meetings and client engagements.

 

The Natural Step and Interface Research have a unique ongoing relationship. For years, we have been sharing learning from our experiences of using The Natural Step principles of sustainability to foster deep changes in large organizations. Interface CEO, Ray Anderson sits on our board of directors, and his staff and research institute participate in our client projects and research initiatives.

The Natural Step is working with the newly formed team at The Natural Capital Group, lead by Hunter Lovins, to work in Silicon Valley on bringing our combined expertise and advisory services to the high technology sector and sustainability-focused new business ventures.

The Natural Step and RMI are bringing our planning and implementation practices together in joint client engagements. Merging RMI’s sustainable energy concepts and natural capital principles with The Natural Step’s principles of sustainability and strategic planning process, we are integrating our experiences of operationalizing sustainability in business.

At The Natural Step, we consider our work a smart investment for individuals, foundations and corporations who want to support upstream approaches to sustainability.

We build equitable relationships with our funding partners, help them deepen their understanding of taking a system-based approach and are committed to growing the network of people who invest in sustainability. A few examples of our funding partnerships are as follows:

The Center for Venture Philanthropy's newest Social Venture Fund, the Environmental Solutions Forum, has partnered with several Bay Area organizations, including The Natural Step, to develop opportunities for community investors to engage in innovative philanthropy in Silicon Valley.

As a proactive funder of sustainable production initiatives, The Garfield Foundation has partnered with The Natural Step to explore ways to develop a holistic approach to achieving specific goals in the field of sustainability.

The Natural Step, Rocky Mountain Institute , Natural Capital Group and SV2 are partnering to spark a Silicon Valley-focused project aimed at developing leadership within the technology industry around sustainability.

One of the lead goals of our research team is to identify key obstacles to sustainability and to collaborate with other organizations to address them. Our approach includes convening small, multi-disciplinary dialogues - inviting experts from academia, non-profit organizations, the public sector and select industries - to consider specific challenges that are larger and more complex than any one entity. Examples of such dialogue projects include:

In 2001 through 2002, The Natural Step led a research effort focused on developing clear pathways for addressing the ecological and social impacts of products and materials. Participants included representatives from thirteen leading non-profit organizations, three academic institutions and several businesses. Click here for a complete participant list.

To improve our work on effecting sustainability-oriented change, The Natural Step is collaborating with The Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University to jointly convene a small, invite-only dialogue focused on how to effect change within communities, organizations, nations and global systems. The project seeks to begin developing pathways that allow social movements to work for deeper, systemic, lasting, positive change. 

Sustainability is still a relatively new word and concept for many people. At The Natural Step we are committed to communicating our work and the ideas of sustainability to an extensive audience. By working with a team of cutting edge communications professionals we are breaking through communication barriers and making the stories of sustainability clear, compelling and accessible.

Click Impact
Fenton Communications
Maddox Design

As part of our allegiance to a networked approach to change, we are participating in the Social Impact Leaders Coalition (SILC) – a group of socially responsible business networks working to leverage our collective resources, assist each other in being more informed, effective and successful, expand our level of impact and build economic justice.

• Business For Social Responsibility
• Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies
• Co-Op America
• Investors’ Circle
• Net Impact
• Responsible Wealth
• Social Venture Network
• Social Venture Partners International
• Social Enterprise Alliance

The STAR Project is a unique initiative that addresses the growing problem of uncontrolled office document "sprawl" and the need to find practical business processes to "operationalize" sustainability goals. Companies participating in the STAR project will benefit through (i) predictable reductions in costs and environmental impact, (ii) reductions in stress and productivity-blockages on employees and (iii) lessened risks and heightened brand equity.

• ALL Associates Group
• The Jensen Group
• The Natural Step