In order to reach sustainability, a greater capacity to facilitate the implementation of the principles on which sustainability is founded is required. Effective methods of communicating sustainability will be necessary. Although there is a notable range of successful methods, opportunities to expand that range always remain and are worthy of exploration. This study pursues capacity building by testing a communication method variation that uses questions, audience participation, and metaphors intended to make the subject matter more easily understood and more permanently retained. An initial trial of the method was attempted with several groups of senior secondary students who were introduced to the ideas of sustainability during group and individual sessions. The students were surveyed before, during and after the sessions to measure their understanding and acceptance of sustainability concepts and principles. Of the students surveyed, all showed greater knowledge after instructional sessions using this technique. Results suggest that using a consciously dynamic and adaptive approach to choice of metaphors and questions can make the subject of sustainability easier to understand and remember.

This research started by recognizing the role that local, municipal governments can play to reach the global goal of sustainability. In addition,a municipal community must be able to cope with change and disturbance in order to successfully achieve a sustainable future. This research investigates how improving municipal resilience can be a strategy to reach sustainability, and answers the primary research question “How can planning resilience help a municipal government lead a community towards sustainability?” Research was conducted through an inter-disciplinary literature review focusing on identifying key characteristics of resilience.Other methods included diagramming exercises to identify factors which foster or undermine resilience characteristics. Finally, implementable measures where identified which municipalities can implement to improve resilience and sustainability. These measures were selected using a synergy matrix, which helps select measures which most support principles for sustainability and resilience characteristics. The feasibility and current adoption of such measures was checked through interviews with municipal experts of Swedish, Canadian and Finnish municipalities.

Climate change is happening, presenting threats and opportunities for society as a whole and business in particular. The transition to a low carbon economy as a result of climate change offers opportunities for business; it also represents an opportunity to create a more sustainable society. This paper considers how a business response to the climate change challenge can be used as a leverage to move towards sustainability. The focus is on adaptation strategies adopted to address the threats and opportunities presented by climate change. The tool for strategically planning for adaptation, developed herein, seeks to ensure that measures taken by business to adapt to climate change are also contributions towards a sustainable future.

Electricity generation is both a major contributor to the root causes of environmental unsustainability and an energy source that will likely play an important role in the transition to a sustainable society. Because renewable sources of electricity generation are seen as sustainable as a group, there is a danger that investments will be made in renewable technologies that do not effectively move society towards sustainability. We propose the use of a scientific, principles-based definition of sustainability to compare current and future renewable electricity options on their sustainability potential. This study presents a pilot decision-support comparison tool, Guide for Sustainable Energy Decisions (GSED), designed to give investors, policy makers, and manufacturers strategic guidance on the most effective renewable technologies to invest in for sustainability. The tool is based on a modified version of life cycle assessment (LCA) that allows comparisons of the upstream and downstream effects of generation technologies from a whole-systems sustainability perspective. Early feedback by experts suggests that the tool has strong potential to serve as an effective comparison tool and help decision-makers make strategic investments for sustainability.

This paper examines the relationship between tour operators and their existing tourism destinations. The intent is to help the tour operators plan strategically for building the sustainability of their destinations. A Framework for Strategic Sustainability Development, based on scientific consensus, was used to structure this work. Interviews with tour operators and tourism experts gave practical insight complementing the literature review and case studies analysed during the research. The key findings were the need for tour operators to: consider a whole-systems perspective; cooperate with the tourism destination to build a common vision of success and a clear understanding of sustainability; and to prioritise their actions based on achieving the vision. From this the authors proposed guidance notes to assist tour operators in addressing these barriers. The paper concludes that tour operators can play a major role in building a sustainable society while perpetuating the tourism industry. In order to do so their actions must be chosen and managed correctly. This involves cooperation with the destinations throughout the strategic planning process and for all involved to be on the same page in terms of the end goal, a sustainable society.

Under the Kyoto Protocol, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has the dual objectives of facilitating a cost-effective way of meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and contributing to global sustainable development. Due in part to a lack of consensus on definitions of sustainability and sustainable development and a lack of capacity to address these concepts, there is a risk that CDM projects may fail to move the host country towards sustainability. We suggest the use of a scientific, principle-based definition of sustainability to guide project participants in their decision-making process. We propose a user-friendly project planning tool – CDM Select – that can build capacity for project developers to employ a strategic, whole-system approach to sustainable development and increase the likelihood that CDM projects move society towards sustainability. Early review of CDM Select by experts and practitioners in the CDM arena indicate that it has strong potential to assist in these efforts.

Through this thesis the authors explore how Labs can be designed in order to catalyze systemic sustainable change by A) contributing to systemic socio-ecological sustainability, B) providing an adaptive and experimental alternative to forecasting and traditional planning, and C) providing forums for collaboration, collective impact, capacity building, and the emergence of systemic solutions to local and global challenges. Through their research the authors performed a literature/field review, reviewed organizational documents, and analyzed a select set of Lab theories, processes, and cases. Additionally the authors interviewed leading experts in Lab design/facilitation, sustainability, the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), systemic change, and transformative action. The synthesis of this research is offered to emerging Lab designers, practitioners, and facilitators interested in moving society toward a sustainable, regenerative, and thriving future.

This thesis aims to increase the knowledge and capacity of Canadian communities and their small businesses in order to enable their transition towards sustainability. This was accomplished through interviews with Canadian Community Economic Development (CED) experts, and surveys from Small Business (SB) operators in Canmore, Alberta, Canada. We suggest the potential roles for CED proponents and SB operators include: (1) Shared development of community vision; (2) Local business networks for sustainability; (3) Community capacity building through dialogue.

Climate change is one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, as it threatens the survival of human civilisation. With the increasing number of initiatives trying to address climate change, it is important to examine how effective they are and what other roles these initiatives can serve in transitioning society towards sustainability. This thesis investigates the role of one such initiative, carbon neutrality, within a strategic approach to sustainable development, based on the case study of the North American Credit Union (NACU). A scientific understanding of climate change and sustainability provide a strict evaluation of the carbon neutrality concept with its benefits and challenges, including the role of carbon offsets. Within this context, recommendations are provided for roles and actions that a financial organisation such as NACU can take in order to set high standards in this new and still evolving market of voluntary carbon offsets, while striving for full sustainability and leadership within the community.

With society’s growing population and the earth’s limited resources, the current world food system is unsustainable. Slow Food USA (SFUSA) is an existing food-related Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) focusing on the expansion of Good, Clean, and Fair food. This research aims to help SFUSA to strategically support society’s move towards sustainability. To do this, the authors used the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) to examine the current reality of SFUSA, where the opportunities and challenges for the organization to strategically plan toward sustainability were identified. The authors then used Leverage Points (LPs) to identify opportunities for how SFUSA can strategically intervene in the world food system to create change and the challenges that exist in doing so. The results of this research allowed the team to create a list of recommendations. Of these results, five were picked as the most strategic recommendations for SFUSA: 1) Co-create a shared common vision of sustainable food for society 2) Define a common language and branding among chapters that are in alignment with SFUSA 3) Implement a strategic planning process founded in a principle-based definition of sustainability 4) Expand educational outreach to specific targeted groups at the chapter level 5) Advocate for policy changes to remove barriers to widely available and affordable, sustainably produced agriculture.