Enabling Collaboration for Systems Change
No single organization – however innovative or powerful – can chart the course to sustainability alone. We all know that real progress in sustainability – systems-changing innovations, policies, partnerships and resource flows – requires multi-stakeholder collaboration. But how do we do it?
There is precious little expertise in the complex process of convening diverse groups to achieve common goals. It requires re-framing questions, “un-learning” our current ways of doing things, questioning assumptions and opening ourselves to other ways of seeing the world. It takes time to build the relationships of trust that allow collaborative work to have meaning and generate results.
People in all sectors who notice emerging risks and opportunities are hungry to respond – to voice their ‘wicked questions’, and turn to others who also see the elephants in the room. We believe that more people are ready and willing to walk this path, and that it is deeply needed in the world right now.
The Natural Step Canada has more than a decade of experience helping organizations of all kinds take meaningful steps toward sustainability. Over the years, we have become adept at building sustainability literacy, hosting conversations about the ‘elephants’ in the room, facilitating the creation of shared visions, and setting the conditions for creative collaboration. Our experience and guidance can help turn challenges into common interests, unlocking creativity and collaboration.
Enabling collaboration for systems change is therefore our top strategic priority as an organization.
The Natural Step Canada seeks both to serve others’ efforts to collaborate and to proactively lead collaborative efforts where our leadership can make a real difference. We will experiment with different approaches, generate learning, and share experiences to inspire others.
We are excited about working alongside you to accelerate change together.
Our collaboration-focused initiatives include:
- The Sustainability Transition Lab - a powerful new collaborative model for systemic change that blends The Natural Step’s experience with other leading approaches to multi-stakeholder change
- Toward a Gold-standard for Sustainable Business – a collaborative project aiming to accelerate the sustainable business movement
- Accelerate: Collaborating for Sustainability – a national conference exploring how we can more effectively collaborate to create a sustainable future.