Promoting sustainable organizations with Sweden's Natural Step

A sustainable society can persist over generations,1 being farseeing, flexible, and wise enough to nourish its physical and social systems of support. Sustainable businesses are a key element in transforming society toward sustainability2 For firms willing to inquire into the challenge presented by sustainable development, the journey ahead may involve radical transformation not only of organizational practices, but also of the ways of thinking that led to those practices in the first p/ace. The Natural Step, a Stockholm-based environmental education organization has partnered with a number of major businesses in Sweden to promote organizational transformation as an important element in the societal shift toward sustainable development. This article examines the Natural Step-its philosophy, history, practices, successes, possible limitations, and application to firms pursuing sustainability.