To see pictures from the course please click here to visit our Flickr.

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"I've worked 28 years in the environmental field, and I've seen first hand the decline of our natural systems because of unsustainable practices", says Rod Bilz. "Frankly, I'm shocked by how quickly I've seen it happen."

As a consultant at 3Seven Solutions who works to evaluate and minimize the ecological footprint of travel,  Rod understands the economic benefits of working toward sustainability, but his motivation comes from a deeper place. "I'm here because I want my children and grandchildren to have the same opportunities that I’ve had."

I met Rod at The Natural Step's Canada's recent Sustainability for Leaders Level 1 course in Toronto (November 22-23, 2010). He shared his reflections with 17 other professionals from fields as diverse as healthcare, telecommunications, aerospace, manufacturing, and non-governmental organizations. Each participant shared a story of their motivation to create a sense of acknowledgement, hope and respect for our collective future.

A Sustainable Venue

A more appropriate venue for the course would be difficult to find. The Evergreen Brick Works is the former home of a brick factory that played a major role in the construction of Toronto's infrastructure. The site has undergone a major transformation and recently re-opened as a community environmental centre that promotes sustainable living, working, and playing. It boasts a community bike centre, dozens of acres of parkland, gardens, historical exhibits, and a brand new, soon-to-be LEED Platinum certified Centre for Green Cities.

The Natural Step had clearly given consideration to greening the course itself, as participants were offered locally produced organic food and drink and a shuttle bus service from the closest subway station.

Sustainability: From Concerns to Opportunities

Participants discussed a variety of global, regional and local trends that are increasingly exerting pressure on organizations and making the operating environment more difficult to navigate. These pressures are bound to intensify as population and standards of living both increase worldwide while natural resource potentials are depleted at alarming rates across the board. Far from simple doom-and-gloom scenarios, the Sustainability for Leaders course presented the compelling opportunities that a pursuit of sustainability can bring.

"Sustainability and business are not mutually exclusive," said Megan McGillicuddy, an employee engagement officer at WWF Canada. "There's a perception that sustainability is a cost, but there are massive opportunities to take advantage of."

A Framework for Sustainability Planning

To capitalize on these opportunities and avoid the pressures, participants worked on a case study using the The Natural Step Framework to envision what a sustainable hotel might look like.  The next step was to "backcast" from that vision of success to understand the organization's current reality and most pressing sustainability challenges. The gap between the current state and the vision of a sustainable future provided a creative tension, enabling the participants to create strategic goals and brainstorm solutions that would move the organization toward sustainability. They then prioritized these initiatives into short, medium and long-term actions according to their impact, flexibility and return on investment (e.g. cost savings, new market opportunities, higher employee retention, easier access to finance, etc).

Empowered Champions for Sustainability

The participants all came to the course with different expectations. Some came to learn how sustainability concepts could be integrated into product development. Some came to explore how to keep the natural world healthy in order to keep patients out of care facilities in the first place. Others came simply to learn how they could have an impact in the sustainability field, but left with a different perception.

"I've realized that there isn't really a sustainability field, per se," said Sue Meertens, an independent management consultant. "Sustainability is totally relevant to everything! It's about doing things in a way that we can continue into the future."

Meeting that goal simply requires an orientation for future success, wellbeing, and prosperity. If the people I met here are any indication, there is an emerging wave of sustainability champions who will lead their organizations towards a sustainable future.

Good luck to all of you!

-Brendan Seale