Beyond

One Sky is an organization. But we are involved in numerous partnerships and networks that go beyond what we can do as an individual organization. Globally there is an entire movement that is shifting worldviews on issues of sustainable development and we are involved at various scales including regionally, provincially, nationally and globally. 

Holarchy and multiple scales

In 2005 the United Nations published the Millennium Assessment Report called Human Well Being and the Environment which has an excellent section outlining the nature of multiple scale problems. Multiple scale problems are essentially an expression of organizational holarchy. Essentially there are some issues, such as climate change, that cannot be tackled at anything less than a global scale and yet to tackle these issues globally each embedded holarchy (scale) needs to be addressed. A single nation, no matter how well intentioned, could not solve this challenge alone yet to tackle it globally we need the participation of nations. This is why One Sky believes it is important to work at a variety of scales, from the individual all the way up into the complexity of the global social change movement.

Multiple Scales in One Sky’s energy program

A good example of how One Sky puts theories about working at multiple scales into action, is through our involvement in energy issues.

Individually

Many One Sky members make energy choices to reduce their personal footprint - we support these individual actions through initiatives like providing a solar-powered hot shower at work for One Skyers who choose to bike in to work. At One Sky we have chosen renewable energy and energy conservation as priorities for a sustainable office.

Provincially

we are actively engaged in the BC Sustainable Energy Association.

Nationally

we play a key organizational role in the Canadian Renewable Energy Alliance and were a founding member.

Globally

we have identified key meeting points for the development of a global consensus on sustainable living, providing One Sky with outstanding opportunities to “promote sustainable living globally”. For example, we are connected to the largest civil society sustainable energy network in the world (CURES) and are the North American node for this important international network. We have also participated in important events like the World Summit on Sustainable Development and the biannual Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). And we have participated in international conferences on sustainable development issues like Energy For Development and the Beijing Renewable Energy Conference and Bonn Renewables 2004.