Practical Sustainability Strategies, 2nd Edition

CHAPTER 4The Natural Step

In Chapter 3, we discussed the development of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and various other principles that can be considered as guides to achieving environmental and social sustainability. One of the principles not mentioned is The Natural Step (TNS). This one is somewhat unique and deserves special mention.

In the late 1980s, Karl-Henrik Robèrt, a Swedish medical doctor and cancer-treatment researcher could not help but be confused between two groups of people. On one hand, there were some people that were more concerned with increasing their personal wealth than a concern with the environment and its potential impact on children. And on the other hand, he was seeing concerned parents bringing to the hospital cancer-diseased children.

Dr. Robèrt became obsessed about the potential destruction of the environment. He saw humankind running into a funnel of declining life-sustaining resources and increasing demands [1]. He was aware of the various environmental issues like climate change, increased pollution, water scarcity, and all of which would be compounded with population growth. At the same time, he was not sure whether businesses would focus beyond short-term profits to long-term growth for the good of the environment, or whether there would be any legislation to make it happen. He then began to think: “My epiphany came one day when I was studying cells from cancer patients. It hit me that cells are the unifying unit of all living ...