THE NATURAL CAPITALISM GROUP

(reported by Hunter Lovins)

In June 2002, Hunter Lovins, co-founder of the world-renowned Rocky Mountain Institute, joined with partners Walter Link and David Elliot to create a new organization: The Natural Capitalism Group (NCG). NCG’s mission is to implement the ideas of Natural Capitalism around the world. Natural Capitalism enables businesses to solve most of the environmental problems facing the world today–at a profit. It enhances core business value, inspires employees and builds brand equity while enabling the business sector to use the formidable power of the market to create an economy that is restorative and sustainable. These ideas were first presented in the book Natural Capitalism, co-authored by Hunter. Currently, NCG is consulting for companies, governments, academic institutions and communities on the economic advantages of behaving in more sustainable ways: identifying opportunities to reduce capital investment and operation cost through resource efficiency, renewable energy use, nature based designs, community economic development, ecotourism, and alternatives to traditional wasteful methods of doing business.

NCG staff and interns, now located in the new Boulder office, are working on a wide array of projects (see the website www.natcapgroup.org). David is leading a project with the International Finance Corporation, a division of the World Bank, to create a global network of sustainability experts. Such a network can assist in identifying and implementing sustainable capital projects around the world. NCG is also the lead consultant in the creation of the first accredited MBA program in “sustainable management” being offered this fall at Presidio World College in San Francisco. Hunter and Walter will lead the sustainability strand of the program. Other projects include providing sustainable living solutions to local residents in Jamaica and, working with The Natural Step to integrate our two approaches to sustainability. As always, Hunter is busy with consulting projects around the world, writing with Walter the forthcoming book, The Human Dimension of Natural Capitalism, and responding to teaching and lecture requests.

For a Hunter and Ken taped dialogue, see Integral Naked.