The Natural Step

The Natural Step
Name	The Natural Step
Founded	1989
Founder	Karl-Henrik Robèrt
Headquarters	Sweden
Focus	Sustainability, environmental strategy, education

The Natural Step is an international sustainability framework and non-profit movement originating in Sweden that provides a science-based approach to organizational and community planning. It has been used by corporations, municipalities, universities, and non-governmental organizations across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia to guide strategic decision-making toward long-term ecological resilience. Its methodology connects systems thinking with practical tools for innovation, influencing standards, corporate responsibility initiatives, and public policy dialogues.

Overview and Principles

The Natural Step is grounded in systems science and draws on principles articulated by Karl-Henrik Robèrt, whose work intersected with institutions such as the Karolinska Institutet, Uppsala University, and research programs linked to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Early influence came from dialogues involving figures associated with Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and organizations like World Resources Institute and Stockholm Resilience Centre. Prominent partners and adopters include corporations such as IKEA, H&M, Unilever, Interface, Inc., and Nike, Inc., as well as municipalities like Vancouver, Malmö, and Freiburg im Breisgau. The framework aligns with the goals of international agreements and bodies including the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the European Union policy initiatives. Its dissemination has involved collaborations with educational institutions like Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Yale University.

History and Development

The approach was formalized in the late 1980s and early 1990s amid rising global attention to sustainability catalyzed by events such as the Brundtland Commission report and conferences like the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Foundational leadership included Karl-Henrik Robèrt and early adopters from Scandinavian industry, inspired by influences from thinkers connected to Rachel Carson-era environmentalism and later dialogues with practitioners linked to Peter Senge, Donella Meadows, and Herman Daly. Expansion occurred through networks involving non-profits such as WWF and Friends of the Earth, consultancy collaborations with firms like McKinsey & Company, Accenture, and Bain & Company, and municipal pilots informed by planning models from ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability and C40 Cities. The movement’s methods were taught and propagated via conferences hosted alongside World Economic Forum, Rio Earth Summit follow-ups, and through training programs connected to Schumacher College and business schools including INSEAD and London Business School.

The Four System Conditions

Central to the methodology are four system conditions derived from scientific reasoning about industrial society’s impacts on biospheric processes and inspired by work at institutions like Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet and modeling from NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies. These conditions articulate limits related to the accumulation of substances produced by society, the concentration of synthetic materials, the degradation of ecosystems, and equitable resource allocation—ideas that resonate with frameworks from Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Convention on Biological Diversity. The articulation influenced standards and reporting frameworks including Global Reporting Initiative, ISO 14001, and SA8000, and connected with policy instruments promoted by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Bank.

Applications and Methodologies

The Natural Step provides methodologies such as backcasting, strategic planning, material flow analysis, and ecolabeling guidance, applied in contexts ranging from corporate sustainability strategies to urban planning and curriculum development. Backcasting from a defined sustainability vision was integrated into programs at ICLEI, United Nations Development Programme, and university curricula at University of British Columbia and University of Oxford. Case studies include implementation by firms like Scania AB, Ericsson, SKF, and retailers such as Marks & Spencer and Co-op Group. Tools have interfaced with lifecycle assessment practices from ISO 14044 and the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and informed procurement policies in institutions like European Commission agencies and NATO logistics. Education and outreach involved partnerships with museums and cultural institutions such as Vasa Museum and science centres like Exploratorium.

Organizational Structure and Global Network

The organization evolved into a global network of national and regional affiliates, consultancy partners, training providers, and certified practitioners collaborating across continents. Affiliates and partners have included entities in countries with active sustainability movements, such as Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Australia, Brazil, India, and South Africa. Governance models mirrored non-profit arrangements seen in organizations like Greenpeace and Oxfam International, while funding streams combined philanthropic grants from foundations including Rockefeller Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Skoll Foundation, corporate sponsorships, and fee-for-service consultancy work similar to Bain & Company engagements. The network participated in multi-stakeholder initiatives alongside CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and standard-setters like ISO bodies.

Criticisms and Debates

Debate around the framework has involved academics and practitioners from universities and think tanks including London School of Economics, Stockholm School of Economics, and Chalmers University of Technology. Critics have questioned aspects of scientific interpretation, scalability, and integration with market mechanisms, with commentary appearing alongside critiques from scholars associated with Naomi Klein, Jared Diamond, and critics active in journals tied to Nature and Science. Debates compared The Natural Step’s prescriptive conditions with alternative frameworks like the Doughnut Economics model from Kate Raworth, resilience concepts from C.S. Holling, and rights-based approaches advocated by Amartya Sen. Discussions also engaged with policy analysts from European Environment Agency and United States Environmental Protection Agency on metrics, indicators, and alignment with regulatory regimes.

Category:Sustainability