Thanks to Amanda Hachey who wrote an excellent article about sustainabillity in The Daily Greener. The article takes a close look at what sustainability means and references The Natural Step framework to help provide an understanding. 

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Sustainability - what does it mean?

Some refer to the "Triple Bottom Line," or the balance of society, economy and environment. Another definition is "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations to meet their needs," as defined by the Brundtland Commission.

But for the small business owner, what does this mean for your daily operations?

Many small businesses are adopting sustainable business practices by starting with the "low hanging fruit:" changing to more energy-efficient light bulbs, reducing paper use and recycling more, and starting energy efficiency projects. But then what?

With a little bit of research, you can find yourself inundated with confusing information, reporting tools, certifications and associations related to sustainability. Many of them are excellent resources, but it can be overwhelming.

So how do you cut through the mess and make the best decisions for your organization?

The Natural Step Framework provides a big-picture understanding of how the planet works and established conditions that businesses can use to position themselves strategically towards achieving sustainability.

It defines four conditions for a sustainable society and Bob Willard, author of The Sustainability Advantage, has customized the conditions to define a sustainable enterprise as one that does not contribute to:

1. Buildup of substances extracted from earth (heavy metals, fossil fuels);

2. Buildup of chemicals produced by society (PCBs, 70,000 chemicals);

3. Degradation of nature and its natural processes (over-harvesting, water security); and

4. Conditions that undermine people's capacity to meet their basic needs (unsafe working conditions).

These principles provide a context for your organization's vision of success. Ask yourself: "What would our company look like if we complied with these principles?"

Once your vision is clear, an evaluation of how your business contributes to these principles can provide a baseline of where you stand today. This enables your organization to identify the gap between your current reality and your vision of success in a sustainable future. Engage your employees and stakeholders to help you come up with creative solutions that will close that gap.

Once you have come up with many creative solutions, there are a series of prioritization questions that can help to identify the optimal solutions. Each option can be filtered through a matrix of questions such as:

* Does it move us in the right direction toward our vision of success?

* Is it a flexible platform (a stepping stone to future actions or investments)?

* Is it a good return on investment?

These are the minimum questions, but other questions specific to the organization can be added to the process.

The journey towards becoming a sustainable enterprise requires new thinking and going beyond that "low hanging fruit" to changing business models, government structures, behaviours and economic measures to reflect the sustainable society we must strive towards.

A clear definition of sustainability helps cut through the confusion to create a shared vision, build commitment from communities, businesses and governments, and make the changes that will move your business in the right direction.

By Amanda Hachey

Amanda Hachey has a master's degree in science (strategic leadership towards sustainability) from Sweden, and has worked with small- to medium-sized enterprises in strategic business planning and capacity building in the U.S., France, Panama, Vietnam and Sweden. Amanda is now in Atlantic Canada working with businesses, organizations and communities to help move them strategically towards sustainability. Take one sustainability step now, and check out www.greenshopsfredericton.com for how to join.