The document discusses the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), which was developed by Karl-Henrik Robért over 20 years as a unifying framework. The FSSD was established through scientific consensus and has been tested in businesses, municipalities, and other organizations around the world. It provides a principles-based approach to sustainability in order to systematically transition organizations towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

1. Unifying Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development
- FSSD -
Karl-Henrik Robért
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
Lisabon in February 2010
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2. FSSD presented as “unifying” after 20 years
Peer-reviewed on three arenas:
•Theory
•Applications
•Tools
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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3. The Natural Step – challenge and story
• People are fantastic
• People are behind un-sustainable development
• Science community largely reductionist
• TNS for scientific consensus process ”What can be agreed?”
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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4. What is TNS?
• NGO started 1989 by Karl-Henrik Robèrt.
• Scientific consensus to derive framework
• Testing in business, municipalities, institutions.
• Role models.
• Locations Sweden, US, UK, South Africa, New Zealand, Italy,
Japan, France, Canada, Brazil, Australia
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng

5. TNS summarized into a mission:
Develop unifying framework and make it available to role models
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng

6. Three questions
•Do you have a definition of sustainability?
•What is your gap?
•What are you doing to bridge it?
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng

7. Logical flow of intellectual challenges…
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SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

8. Flow of logics…
•Definition of success needed for strategy
•Based on principles for complex endeavors
•Requirements...
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng
Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

9. Requirements of ‘Basic Success Principles’
•Necessary
•Enough
•General
•Concrete
•Non-overlapping
•Boundary Conditions
(Very intuitive)
If principles have those qualities, they can deliver...
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng
Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

10. Unique deliverables of such principles…
•Systematic and strict, yet open ended approaches
•Avoiding unknown problems
•Trade-offs
•Resource potential
•System Boundaries
•Tools aligned
•Effective interdisciplinary cross-sector cooperation
•Community building
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

11. Systems thinking
 Individuals
 Groups
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng
Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

12. Profitable also in loneliness
Threats Opportunities
 Forests  Resource costs
 Agriculture  Waste management
 Fisheries  Tax, legislation,
 Ground water insurance, loans
 Climate  International agreements
 Metals  New markets
 Chemicals  Innovation/design
 Global injustice  Trust
 Social trap  Stories of meaning
 Segregation  Productivity, transaction costs…
 Corruption  Brand
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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13. So, what’s the problem?
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

14. Reductionism
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

15. Sectors, departments and disciplines in drill-holes
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SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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16. Structured
overview
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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Copyright © 2004 The Natural Step

17. Backcasting!
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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18. FSSD
System
Success Is key!
Strategy
Action
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Tools

19. Sustainable vision
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng

20. FSSD
System
Success
Strategy
Action
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Tools

21. Level 3, Strategy
A
D step:
C •Direction right?
B D •Flexible?
•ROI?
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng

22. Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng

23. FSSD
System
Success
Strategy
Action
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Tools

24. Spread to 11 countries...
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng

25. Interface
“As we climb mount Sustainability, with the four
FSSD principles at the top, we are doing better
than ever on bottom line business. This is not
at the cost of social or ecological systems, but
at the cost of our competitors who still haven’t
got it”.
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Portland US, October 2007, Ray Andersson, President, Founder and CEO, Interface. Inc.

26. Integrating corporate goals with sustainability
- and understanding the business case of it -
Sustainability Principles
Vision
Core values
Strategic goals
Today’s
Strategic plans
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
reality Business program
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Time

27. Level 4, action for sectors
Agriculture
Forestry
Energy
Traffic
Materials
…
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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28. … many actors, same language
- from ”fix” to innovative systems solutions -
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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29. Level 4, actions for government
Övertorneå
SEKO (70 local gov’s)
Whistler
Calgary
FCM
Portland
APA
EU Round Table
Chequamegon Bay
Madison W I
Portsmouth NH
Lawrence NJ
Pittsburgh/Vandergrift
Evanston IL
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
Duluth MN
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www.bth.se/eng
Jefferson County WI
Corvallis OR
Dublin
…

30. “This simple, science- and
systems-based framework is the
best out there. It needs to
become part of a new common
language, as well understood
worldwide as the rules of soccer”.
Ken Melamed
Mayor
Whistler, Canada
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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www.bth.se/eng

31. WHISTLER2020 & T Na tura l Step
he
Integra ting Sustainability Ac ross our Com munity
Aug . 30t h,2007
Ke n Me la me d
Ma yo r,
Re s rt Municip ality of Whistler
o
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng

32. C re a tivity w ithin C onstra ints
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
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33. Gap of PVC assessed
- principle by principle -
Stockholm traffic
A
C
B D
i. … mined materials.
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
ii. … produced substances.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
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iii. … physical encroaching.
iv. … social trust.

34. Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng

35. SSD Framework
System
Success
Strategy
Action
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng
Tools

36. Level 5, tools and concepts
LCA 1
40 01 cy g en da 2 Ha
EM
n n
ISO1 icie A Pri nove
C A AS o eff il ity analysi
s n
cip r
EE Ec Su stainab les
Miljömålen Tripl
e bot
line t om
Renewables Natural
SRFa n
C ktor issio Capitalism
4 Em wth Ecoliteracy
ro o Ecol
ycle Ze ble gr ogica
a l Foo
fe C sis ustain
Li ly S tprin
ility ting
na inab
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
Cleaner a
A Sust
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
Factor 10 Production
www.bth.se/eng
RMA

37. Level 5, tools and concepts
Organization X
System Backcasting fromprinciples
Overview
(like chess)
 2000 The Natural Step All rig
. hts reserved.
ISO 14001
Ecological footprints
Factor 10
Zero Emission
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
Natural Capitalism
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www.bth.se/eng
…

38. Level 5, tools and concepts
Conclusions:
 Many good tools and concepts
 Different strengths and gaps
 None can replace structured systems perspective
 Such increases the value of concepts and tools
 Select, inform and develop tools as needed
 Don’t wait for tools – get going in line with framework!
Robèrt, K.-H., Schmidt-Bleek, B., Aloisi de Larderel, J., Basile, G., Jansen, L.,
Blekinge Inst. of Tech. Kuehr, R., Price Thomas, P. Suzuki, M., Hawken, P., and Wackernagel, M. 2001.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
Strategic sustainable development – selection, design and synergies off
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng applied tools -. The Journal of Cleaner Production, 10 (2002) 197-214.

39. Real Change Initiative
International Research Program
…Trans-disciplinary, Cross-
sector and Cross-cultural
Research and Implementation
…FSSD shared mental model
…Multi-stakeholder base
CORE funding – Swedish EPA, Swedish
Energy Agency, 3 Swedish
Research Agencies, plus
research funders from across
the globe.
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
…Core refines and equips FSSD
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00 … Petals apply FSSD for any
www.bth.se/eng
thematic program around S.D

40. The Real Change Core Program partners
Blekinge Institute of
Technology (BTH)
Lund Institute of
Technology
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
The Natural Step
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
International
www.bth.se/eng

41. Real Change Research Program today
60 million SEK/y and
KTH
growing
Ni
jU
Am
LiU
U
BTH/LU/
TNS
TN
BTH
cU S
Ma
U
LU
Å
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng

42. Conclusion
Strategic Sustainable Development...
…greatest leadership opportunity ever
…is profitable regardless if others “get it” or not
…headed by leaders, not experts
…departures from principled definition of sustainability
…enables step-wise, open-ended yet strict re-design
…trade-offs as stepping stones, not choices between evils
…resource potential calculable
…purpose as system boundaries
Blekinge Inst. of Tech.
SE-371 79 Karlskrona
…interdisciplinary cross sector community building
+46 455 38 50 00
www.bth.se/eng