The Natural Step 4 System Conditions

An important first step before carrying out a sustainability impacts assessment is to define the scope of what you are assessing. A useful way to do this is to draw a map of the system (be it an organisation, community, project or a whole value chain) that you are assessing using the Natural Step’s fours system conditions. The map can show the flow of materials, energy, organisations, people and money involved.

Using an organisation as an example, the process involves asking a series of questions:

• In what ways is the organisation contributing to the systematic accumulation in nature and natural systems of materials that have been extracted from the earth’s crust?
• In what ways is the organisation contributing to the systematic accumulation in nature and natural systems of synthetic and man-made materials produced by society?
• In what ways is the organisation contributing to the systematic damage, degradation and destruction of natural systems by physical means?
• In what ways is the organisation contributing to creating conditions that undermine people’s ability to meet their needs?

WEnote activity

A comprehensive guide for this process has been written by The Natural Step in Canada and adapted with New Zealand case studies – Planning for Sustainability – A Starter Guide. It sets out series of questions that helps ask the right sub-questions for each of the 4 principles.

1. Read pages 11 onwards, and
2. Appendices 5 and 6.
   This will be a useful reference for the E-Activity later.
3. Let us know what you think by posting a WEnote comment for our course feed. For example:
   • In my view, the article’s most important message is …
   • My organisation … (but DON’T identify the organisation)

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