ENVIRONMENT AND SYSTEM THINKING

EXERCISE:
THE SUSTAINABILTY COMPASS

For effective sustainability work,

please choose a framework that ...
is adequately comprehensive and
systemic
fits into the culture of the target
system (organization, community, etc.)
will produce the outcomes you want
in the short and long term
can be widely understood and
embraced by the key people /
stakeholders involved

The Compass

The Nature Principle:

The physical and biological limits of Earths
ecological systems must be respected
We cannot negotiate with the laws of physics
and biology.
Negative impacts on the environment and
ecosystems should eventually be reduced to
zero.
Goal-setting in the Nature dimension should
take this into account.

The Economy
Principle:
Human societies, communities, and
organizations need functioning
economies to provide for their needs
and toand
support
aspirations.
Economic
financialtheir
systems
should be
organized in ways that meet our best
understanding of the requirements for long-term
sustainability
Most systems today are not organized in this way
Goal-setting in this dimension generally focuses
on changing systems, while maintaining
economic vitality, financial security, jobs, etc

The Society Principle:

Social systems should be organized in
ways that promote equity, fairness,
resilience, and opportunity for all
Our communities, organizations, and
institutions must provide the basic stability and
high-quality functioning that are essential to
long-term sustainability (a condition captured
elegantly by the single word resilience)
The Compass approach takes a stand on what
constitutes a good society (based on
research and ethics) and advocates setting
goals accordingly

The Wellbeing Principle:

Human beings have a right to be to be
safe, to have access to healthcare, and to
have the opportunity for self-expression,
self-development, and a good quality of life

This principle is anchored in the United

Nations Universal Declaration on Human
Rights (UDHR) and is explicitly ethical in nature
It also reflects a rising tide of research, policy,
and management science on the value of
human wellbeing and subjective
happiness/qualify of life

The Integration
Principle:
All four dimensions of the
Sustainability Compass are
interconnected in a web of cause-andeffect relationships. They are
Theinterdependent
Compass approach
grounded
oniseach
otherin the
science of system dynamics and in
general understanding of how complex
systems behave

In recognition of this principle, governance

and management systems should strive to
achieve optimal results across all four
Compass Points in an integrated way

INTEGRATION

INTEGRATION