The natural step germany

We exist to drive change

The natural step germany

We preserve our life-supporting systems

The natural step germany

We build future-fit organisations

The natural step germany

Join our network of like-minded people

Do you want to create a better future in which we all flourish within nature’s limits? Then join us! We are a leading partner for organisations and individuals ready to address humanity’s grand challenges to create a better future. We offer solutions proven in practice and enable decision makers to manage complexity and seize opportunities for short- and long-term success.

The Natural Step Germany offers all you need to take action: a true understanding of humanity’s grand sustainability challenge and an approach bridging science with political strategies, entrepreneurial goals and day-to-day reality.

Our solution is based on a true understanding of sustainable development including the interdependence between the environment, society and the economy. Our offerings are designed to empower, facilitate change, build future-fit organisations and lead to breakthrough results.

Now we have opened our first office in Germany in Planegg near Munich. Since 1989, the people at The Natural Step have been passionate about helping individuals and organisations to experience success in creating a sustainable world.

As a non-profit organisation with Swedish roots, we have been at the forefront of sustainable development for almost 30 years now. Based on whole-systems thinking, we interconnect the various dimensions of the challenge that affects everyone, everywhere. Our science-based framework has been successfully applied in thousands of forward-thinking organisations around the world.

The challenge

The challenge: We need to stop the degradation of our life-supporting systems.

Our approach

Our approach: We apply whole-systems thinking to stop the trend of degradation.

Our solution

Our solution: Align innovation with the sustainability principles.

Our Initiative „Future-Fit Organisations“

Background and objectives

The Natural Step Germany recently started its initiative “Future-Fit Organisations“ together with Sustainable Growth Associates GmbH (SGA) and taskforce. The programme was launched with a pilot training end of January 2018, addressing decision makers, leaders, consultants, project and interim managers. These days companies are under high pressure due to rising complexity and disruption in almost any industry. They are facing global economic, societal and ecological problems. Decision makers, leaders, project and interim managers search for innovative, sustainable concepts face these challenges. Against this background, we support organisations of all kinds on their transformation journey. The overall objective: to create purpose and to establish a systemic understanding of leadership.

About „Making Organisations Truly Fit for the Future“

Our two-day training focuses on the „Future-Fit Organisations“ concept, which helps translate today’s grand challenges into innovation, value creation and measurable success. Most recent examples show why it has become so important to be purpose-driven and how to embed future fitness at all levels of the organisation.

Rich content and inspiring best practices

The systemic approach, our methods, instruments and tools are proven and have been created for immediate practical application. Our experienced facilitators from The Natural Step’s core team in Germany moderate the varied and interactive training sessions.

The Natural Step’s Chemicals Coalition

Background

Sustainable management of chemicals is an essential part of the transition to a sustainable world. At The Natural Step Germany, we closely collaborate with our international colleagues to accelerate the transition to a fully sustainable society. This entails e.g. achieving all the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . But we can only accomplish these goals if we manage to transition from linear to circular approaches, learn to manage materials and chemicals sustainably and cultivate trust.

Our offerings

  • Proven experience in sustainability-driven business strategies and results.
  • Integration of sustainability to the long-term business strategy.
  • A shared language for sustainability and circular economy.
  • Comprehensive expertise and commitment to long-term partnerships.
  • Guidance in making decisions between conflicting goals and solutions.

The Natural Step acts as a critical friend, as an external adviser, stakeholder, mediator and capacity builder. We offer a pragmatic way to create consensus between stakeholders with different goals and priorities. Our support and our services are based on an “outside-in” sustainability perspective on the chemical industry and materials management. Our Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) is able to integrate different models, concepts and tools to plan in the current VUCAD times (volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, and disruptive).

Please follow the links for more information about our work with the PVC industry, VinylPlus, and with Scott Bader together with Sustainable Growth Associates (SGA). To learn more about The Natural Step’s Chemicals Coalition and our contribution to it, please contact with either Elze van Hamelen, Edwin Janssen or Dirk Uhlemann. For media requests please contact Gabriele Sorg.

Our offerings

Around the globe, The Natural Step is a highly respected provider of science-based education programmes and consultations. Our labs, training and courses are proven in practice with a positive business case. The Natural Step Germany provides a wide range of services for individuals and organisations. We accelerate the speed of change towards sustainability by inspiring, educating, facilitating, coaching, researching, analysing, advising and publishing. Please have a closer look at our comprehensive offerings below.

Our offerings are designed to facilitate change.

We drive collaboration to create real value.

We build future-fit organisations to accelerate change.

Our offerings lead to breakthrough results.

Sustainability Transition Labs

Breakthrough solutions from innovating together, creative collaboration to foster bold action, engaging public organisations, businesses and experts.

Transformation Programmes

Helping municipal governments to plan for sustainability and resilience, engaging community stakeholders in sustainability projects to drive real change.

Competence Development

Educating people in how to integrate our Sustainability Principles into their lives, empowering them to become change agents for sustainability-related initiatives.

Research & Advice

Science-based insights and services as a comprehensive source of information to drive change towards sustainability in politics, municipalities, industry and in the media.

Moderation & Coaching

An in-depth understanding of sustainable development starts by increasing awareness, commitment and competence in individuals. Inspiration through listening!

Publications & Reports

Access to the most recent inspiring publications, reports, books and features covering sustainability, leadership and entrepreneurship driving real change.

Do you want to know more about our offerings?

Are you in need for a customised offering? Then please contact us.

How we drive change

At The Natural Step Germany, we connect and align individuals with organisations and the systems they are part of to accelerate change towards a sustainable future for all. Therefore, we seek to work with leaders and role models who can inspire and lead innovative examples of change. Our approach, solution and offerings are based on sound science and target genuine, perceptible and measurable results that affect our way of living and doing business.

Our logic of change

Collaboration simplified

We enable decision makers to define their future position and seize opportunities for short- and long-term success. We speed up change by:

  • empowering individuals to become effective change agents for sustainability;
  • creating future-fit organisations, including their processes, products and business models, as leading examples of sustainable communities and businesses;
  • facilitating systems change towards future-fitness by delivering breakthrough results that make whole systems truly sustainable.

Currently, The Natural Step has offices in 11 countries and numerous associates and ambassadors in over 50 countries. The German branch teams up with the other country offices and the members of our partner network, including thought leaders, universities, think tanks, research institutes, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and academic and business experts around the world. Together, we will accelerate the transition to a sustainable society. Please join us!

To find out more, we invite you to dive deeper into our website! Have fun and stay tuned!

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