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FCM Accepting Applications for 2012 Sustainable Community Awards

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is now accepting applications for their 2012 Sustainable Community Awards. FCM offers national recognition for projects that demonstrate environmental responsibility and excellence. The Sustainable Communities Awards are part of a suite of awards and honours within the FCM Awards of Excellence.

Re-Imagining our Neighbourhoods - Join the Discussion!

Re-imagining our Neighbourhoods is an initiative of The Natural Step Canada and the Alberta Real Estate Foundation (AREF) as a contribution to the AREF’s 20th Anniversary Thought Leadership series.

The purpose of this initiative is to engage Albertans in a dialogue about what it means to be sustainable at a neighbourhood scale.

This is an online forum to discuss what’s important to you in your neighbourhood and what you’d like to see in the future in order to foster livable, vibrant, sustainable neighbourhoods in Alberta. 

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

The Natural Step's Sustainability Explained in 2 minutes Video Reaches 100,000 Views!

Based on The Natural Step Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, this fantastic animated video explains the core concepts of sustainability in a clear, fun, and easy to understand way. Special thanks and congratulations go out to our friends RealEyes for writing the video and Igloo Animations for all the great animations. Enjoy the video and please feel free to help us spread sustainability understanding by sharing the videos widely.

Thank you Ray for your generous commitment and gift to Tomorrow’s Child

As one of my colleagues so eloquently said last week, we are all wearing our heart at half mast as we collectively mourn the loss of one of sustainability’s greatest leaders and heroes. I have not met anyone who didn’t think Ray Anderson was an inspiring, visionary, courageous, passionate, and humble leader for the sustainability movement. He touched us all, and inspired us all to raise the bar higher, to create bold visions and sustainability goals and to move toward them with relentless commitment and courage. And with Interface’s tremendous accomplishments he gave us all hope and the proof of possibility that climbing to the top of Mount Sustainability was indeed possible. The world needs more Ray Andersons.

In memory of a true sustainability leader: Ray Anderson, Founder of Interface

Ray Anderson, the founder of Interface and the world’s most famous sustainability expert in the business community, passed away on Monday after a battle with cancer.

Ray generously offered The Natural Step and me personally his friendship and support some 15 years ago. He called himself a pupil of The Natural Step, inspired both by our way of systematic strategic thinking around sustainability and by the principles which he used to define sustainability for Interface. But at The Natural Step, we certainly consider ourselves his pupils when it comes to responsible, inclusive, faithful, humorous, humble leadership—one that brought soul into business.

The Natural Step Canada – a made in Edmonton story

On the morning of July 20, a few hours before the “The Way We Green” plan went before Edmonton City Council, I was pleased to join Edmonton’s sustainability leaders at The Natural Step Canada’s Sustainabili-TEA. The breakfast event generously sponsored by the City of Edmonton was held at the Royal Glenora Club in the beautiful Edmonton river valley—the perfect setting for a morning focused on sustainability.

Message from the Executive Director - So Long, Farewell: Leadership Change at The Natural Step Canada

Dear friends and colleagues,

After 15 wonderful years with The Natural Step Canada, the last seven as Executive Director, I have decided to step aside at the end of 2011. This is a well-planned and strategic decision and the staff and Board of Directors have established a process to effectively manage the leadership succession this year. I know I am leaving the organization in great hands.

While I look forward to spending more time with my family and being more present at home with my boys, I won’t be leaving The Natural Step family. I look forward to continuing to actively champion and support the work of The Natural Step in Canada and internationally in the future.

Introducing the new QuickStart ICSP for smaller communities

The Centre for Sustainability and The Natural Step Canada launch new joint service offering

Ottawa, ON—Does your community have a common, long-term vision? Is it prepared for resilience and a changing economy? Thinking about a community sustainability plan, but don’t have the resources?

The Centre for Sustainability and The Natural Step Canada are excited to announce a new joint service offering to address these needs: the QuickStart ICSP (Integrated Community Sustainability Plan). If you’re a small- to medium-sized community, our QuickStart ICSP process is just the right thing for you!

The Emerging Leaders Program is officially on fire this summer!

Our goal is to create opportunities for young people to become leaders in sustainability. Here is a sampling of some of the projects that are coming up:

Ottawa Sustainabili-TEA – Save the Date!

The Natural Step Canada is thrilled to announce our 2nd annual flagship fundraising event in Ottawa, our nation’s capital. Building on the great success of last year’s Sustainabili-TEA, we will host community members, friends, and family at Ottawa City Hall to discuss how The Natural Step works to inspire, educate, and connect Canadian leaders to accelerate change toward a sustainable world.

Over the course of an hour on this fall afternoon, we will serve tea and scones, profile our programs and partners and discuss the challenges we face on the road toward achieving sustainability.

The planning process is underway and more information will be released as the fall approaches. In the meantime, please mark the date on your calendar.

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