Sustainability 2.0
by Sean McClowry
One of the areas I have been working for some time is the idea of Sustainability 2.0: Applying Web/Enterprise 2.0, Information Management and Open Source concepts to Sustainable Development. I’ve recently launched www.open-sustainability.org, the primary goal of which is to provide an open and collaborative approach that organizations can apply to introduce better Sustainability practices into their existing corporate delivery practices. The approach is called FISDEV (Framework for Integrated Sustainable Development) and it is an open standard to which anyone can contribute.
FISDEV is in the very early stages of development and at this stage most of the content merely provides a general framework for delivering an open source methodology, as opposed to specific content for Sustainability. Now that the “infrastructural content” is in place, there is a framework for building functional content in the context of an open method. This includes mashing up content from sites with lots of great content around Sustainability (especially on the environmental side) like Appropedia. The approach is summarized in this overview on Sustainability 2.0.
FISDEV takes a systems and architectural-based approach to Sustainable Development. The goal is to facilitate the creation of a new competency for Sustainable Development that can be implemented in an organization, starting with a strategic approach.
It references content from the MIKE2.0 Methodology under the Creative Commons, which used these same techniques and technologies to create a new competency for Information Development.
I’m optimistic that collaboration, transparency and an evidence-based approach can help shape this needed standard and that Enterprise 2.0 and Open Source can make it easier to fill a major need in helping companies improve their practices around Sustainable Development.
