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Can Natural Step promote sustainability in Organisations? There are three examples where companies have used The Natural Step and the outcomes prove whether it promotes sustainability. The examples shown are Stena Metall AB, an industrial recycling, trading and shipping company. The second example is Scandic Hotels and example three is Interface, a manufacturer of commercial floor covering. The Natural Step is a non- profit environmental education organisation with sight of the socially and ecologically sustainable society. Karl Henrik Robert, a cancer doctor in Sweden, discovered Natural Step in 1989.
He noticed an increase in childhood leukaemia cases and seen and understood an association between human illnesses and toxins. The approach for The Natural Step is to develop their framework, and put it to use in companies and other organisations. They intend to support it, plus Work towards becoming role models in the domain of sustainable development. Internet. The Natural Step promotes sustainability, and to define sustainability this is when materials are used in continuous cycles, reliable sources of energy is used continuously, and qualities of being human is sustainable. Examples would be as follows: creativity, co-ordination, appreciation, and spiritual and intellectual development.
Internet The Natural Step sets out a framework to guide companies and organisations in a direction towards sustainable development and defines the framework it lays out. The purpose of the framework is to explain in the simplest terms so that companies can understand it and integrate in their everyday work. It includes four core processes: i. Understanding the nature of business and society that is unsustainable and the interest of inspiring towards sustainability.
ii. Understanding the principles for sustainability, i. e. , the four systems Conditions. iii.
Strategic visioning through back-casting from a desired sustainable future. Back- casting is determining steps required reaching the desired state. iv. Identify the desired vision for the company and putting forward strategic steps to move the company in.
Book, The Natural Step for business, Brian Nattrass & Mary Altomare. The Natural Step framework is used to integrate environmental considerations in to businesses every day work. It assists in creating goals to move companies towards a sustainable direction. It is important that organisations and companies move in this direction, as the human population is around six billion. Humans carelessness has caused life-supporting systems such as croplands, wetlands, the ozone layer, forestry, fisheries and groundwater to decline, and companies that close their eyes to environmental reality are likely to hit the wall.
In todays society, visible forms of molecular garbage, waste and visible waste is producing and accumulating in the air. What happens is societal demand increases, and room to meet those demands decreases, in other words there is no where to store the resources. More people are coming in to the world, resources are required to facilitate and there are increased pressures on the capacity of the ecosphere to absorb waste. If we do not create a sustainable society eventually, our businesses will hit the wall. The only option is the restoration of cyclical processes, where wastes become new resources for society or nature. However, if humans realise that the ecosystem has limits, and they work towards the four systems conditions, this could be avoided and chances of a sustainable future might be possible.
Internet In knowing what the framework contains, you also need to keep in mind the four systems conditions that guide companies and organisations in the direction of a sustainable future. Dr. Karl Henrik derived them. The Natural Step concepts and methodology shows the discipline of sustainability in the basic laws of thermodynamics. The purpose of the four systems conditions is to find a framework for discussing sustainable human activities through non-overlapping first order principles. To come up with the principles, research was on human activities, and how they could destroy or deteriorate the ecological system that we depend on.
In a sustainable society, this would not happen. Internet The four systems conditions do not tell the company what to do, it provides the first order principles that must be met for sustainability. The framework where this sustainability can take place are derived through the four system conditions which are as follows: i. Substances from the Earths crust must not systematically increase in nature.
ii. Substances produced by society must not systematically increase in nature. iii. The physical basis for the productivity and the diversity of nature most not be systematically diminished, and iv. We must be fair and efficient when meeting human needs. The first order principles four system conditions give companies an idea on how to move towards sustainability.
Internet Natural Step provides a route map for any organisation wishing to get to grips with sustainable development. A new area for Natural Step is their involvement with Air BP, Scandic Hotels, Nike Europe, Co-operative Bank, DuPont, Carillion, HP Bulmer, Interface, Microsystems, Tarmac, Wessex Water, Ikea and Yorkshire Water. There are several more companies working with The Natural Step. Internet Companies working with The Natural Step, seminars and workshops are held to educate staff within your organisation, about the meaning of sustainability and ways to achieve this. The Natural Step workshops prove effective at achieving a shared and new awareness of the principles, which are required in attempt at a sustainable future. Internet For most companies, life is not as simple as it used to be.
Businesses get more pressure from government and consumers, because they want them to be more environmentally and socially responsible. They must make decisions about their future development, in relation to social, economic and environmental impacts of every choice. All businesses must deal with the environment in a way that leads to a sustainable future in not doing so may lead to them not having a future. Internet We need to meet human needs without diminishing the Earths capacity to provide for the needs of future generations. Few people will disagree that sustainability is a good idea, although most find it difficult as it has complex implications. The problems of social and the environment will not be solved unless we rethink how we interact with the environment, like the for example how the following companies have put these issues into effect.
Internet Companies such as the three discussed further down have integrated the environment in to their business reality by using The Natural Step framework. The companies recognise that the economy and the environment are linked and natures limits help profitability while improving their chances of growing in a competitive world. The costs of resources and environmental legislation such as the resource Management Act, require environmentally sustainable business decisions. In addition, to The Natural step more and more companies are upgrading their environmental Management Systems to conform to International Standards. Such as the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) in Europe or the ISO 14001 Environmental system standard. The creation is by the International Standards organisation.
Business customers are increasingly requiring that suppliers become certified according to one of the internationally recognised standards. They need a guide and that guide could be The Natural Step. Businesses are becoming 1 S 0 9001 and ISO 14001 certified. Book The Natural Step for business. ISO 14001 standard is implemented to achieve excellence by reducing waste, while the ISO 9001 standard is implemented to reduce waste by achieving excellence.
ISO 14001 will change the way we do business. Its main clauses are as follows: General requirements, Environmental policy, and Planning, Implementation and operation, checking and corrective action and management review. The environmental policy gives direction to reduce environment degradation. Management review is similar to the 1 SO 9000 system. Benefits arising from implementation are improvements in bottom line, increased profits, operations, marketing, regulatory, compliance and social, being capable to identify opportunities for improvement, waste reduction, waste reused, recycled or eliminated.
Internet The three examples discussed, where the companies are working with The Natural Step to move in the direction of a sustainable future are Stena Metall AB, Scandic Hotels, and Interface. Stena Metall AB is an industrial recycling, trading and shipping company. They recycle scrap metal, i. e. scrapped cars, appliances, other steel and collects, process and sells waste paper, etc. Environmental issues are part of their day to day responsibilities.
Recycling and environmental service Company in Stena Metall Group are becoming certified to 1 SO 14001. In 1996 / 1997 they were 1 S 0 14001 certified and register...
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Research essay sample on Sustainable Development Three Examples
