• About ACSI
• Project Charter
• ACSI History
• About Sustainability
• About The Natural Step
• The Atlantic Context
• Contact Information
• Coordinating Organization
• Founding Organizations
• Network Partners
• Steering Committee
• Sustainability Partners

The Atlantic Context

The four Atlantic Provinces, while distinct from each other, together have many similarly unique features which make the Atlantic Canadian region particularly suitable for piloting a proven method of advancing sustainable development. Governments, communities, and businesses in Atlantic Canada are already thinking about sustainability. Provincial governments have begun to incorporate sustainable development concepts into their policies and planning. Communities in the Atlantic region, such as Wolfville, Halifax, Saint John, and Antigonish, have begun to implement their own sustainability initiatives. The business sector is also beginning to embrace the concept of sustainable development, and some Atlantic Canadian businesses have taken significant steps down the road to sustainability, putting into action such projects like greening operations, producing fair-trade goods and becoming more energy-efficient. There is growing interest in sustainability from all sectors, and recognition of the need to take action in order to ensure long-term prosperity.

The Atlantic Canada Sustainability Initiative could be extraordinarily beneficial for the Atlantic Canadian region as a whole, as it becomes known nationally and internationally as an exemplary case of regional movement towards sustainability. The systematic application of The Natural Step framework in Atlantic Canada will likely attract enormous interest, generate remarkable export opportunities, and provide a competitive advantage for the region as sustainable practices of necessity become the norm.

The special features of Atlantic Canada, such as local community economies, a relatively small population, extraordinary natural beauty, and small, manageable provincial entities, are particular advantages in sustainable systems, and indicate that the region already has many of the assets required to become a model of socially, environmentally, and economically responsible development. What is needed now is the right framework, the right leaders, and adequate resources to help the region move forward.