First TNS Workshop in Mexico

Submitted by The Natural Ste... on September 3, 2013 - 8:52am

Written by Itzel Orozco

On June 27, 2013, the first TNS Level 1 Workshop was hosted in Mexico. This workshop was organized and hosted by Itzel Orozco, Strategy & Sustainability Consultant, and led by Pong Leung, Senior Associate at The Natural Step Canada. The course was delivered in Spanish and had a great turn out with 20 enthusiastic attendees. The group represented the for-profit, non-profit and education sectors. All of the course participants had a deep interest for social and environmental issues, which set the stage for wonderful conversations, as well as great networking.

There is still very little knowledge about the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) in Mexico, and in Latin America in general. However, some professionals in the field of sustainability have heard about The Natural Step, or have researched the FSSD. We were fortunate to have a hand full of workshop participants with previous knowledge of the FSSD, and the rest were extremely enthusiastic and keen to learn more about it. Given the highly interactive format of our workshops, we were able to hear from all of the participants and they all had a chance to practice and apply The Four Principles of Sustainability and the Backcasting approach.

The intent of the course, besides engaging individuals in learning about the FSSD, was to start spreading information and knowledge about what The Natural Step is, and how it can help organizations lead the way towards sustainability. The course was a great way to start introducing The Natural Step to relevant organizations such as New Ventures Mexico, the Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature, General Electric, and the Mexican Center for Philanthropy, among others. Additionally, we had the opportunity to publish an article about the Nike case partnering with The Natural Step in Expok, a respected Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility e-newsletter.

We had a wonderful day, full of very interesting discussions, reflections, and passion for bringing forward a vision of a sustainable future. Our participants expressed their being happy with the course content and delivery and are looking forward to learning more about The Natural Step, as well as potentially more Level 1 and Level 2 workshops in Mexico City. We look forward to continue hosting The Natural Step workshops and seminars in Mexico, and the rest of Latin America. We also want to thank Urban Station for hosting us in a beautiful space.

The following are some quotes that some of our participants shared with us:

The Natural Step workshop held in Mexico City has been an important and relevant event in the social responsibility sector here in Mexico City. I was delighted to hear about the clear method and the four sustainability principles. The most important tool for me was learning about backcasting. I enjoyed the professional speakers and the interesting discussions and experiences that were shared during the workshop. We are all looking forward to the second part of this excellent workshop.”

- Louise Catán, New Ventures Mexico

Having been involved in the sustainability area for some time, I always gravitated towards the classic Deming approach:  plan-do-act-check, for overall environmental improvement management. The Natural Step level 1 course provided me with a comprehensive approach for envisioning sustainability in a very innovative way; One that invites a structured thinking for sustainability planning; the The Natural Step framework is truly powerful.”

- Ramiro Alcoverde, General Electric

I have known the The Natural Step framework for several years and I am surprised that even if it provides such a clear path towards sustainability, it is still not very well known in Mexico. I hope this is just the start of ongoing efforts to promote The Natural Step in Mexico.”

- Luisa Montes, Ecovalores

The course was a clear and concise approach to the most practical tool I have seen to bring people, institutions and companies closer to sustainability."

- Natalia Mendizabal, Mexican Fund for the Conservation of Nature

 

The Natural Step Canada's Level 1 Sustainability Course will be taking place in Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver this Fall. For more information on the sustainability courses and learning opportunities The Natural Step Canada offers please visit our Sustainability Learning Programs.