Who We Are
The Lake Oswego Sustainability Network (LOSN) is a community-based, non-profit organization run by volunteers with the purpose of promoting sustainability in Lake Oswego. The network includes businesses, community partnerships through individuals and nonprofit organizations, faith communities, educational institutions, and government entities—all committed to creating a community that values environmental quality, social equity, and economic vitality.
How We Work
We hold events, engage the community through outreach, and have multiple action teams. Some of our teams are a schools team, an interfaith team, a transportation team, a climate team, and a natural resources team.
We work with partners throughout the city on projects to increase clean energy, reduce waste and toxics, promote clean water and air, reduce climate emissions, and more.
LOSN team members have served on school committees to promote sustainability in the curriculum, energy efficiency and resilience in school buildings, and incorporating sustainability in the district strategic plan. We helped pass the city climate plan, we have advocated for electric cars, and electric landscaping equipment.
We help educate our community through our newsletters and forums on sustainability topics such as sustainable building principles, affordable housing, soil health, alternative renewable energy, etc.
We nurture a sustainable community through our annual celebration event, community discussion groups, regular faith-based get-togethers, monthly social hours and much more.
What is Our Model for Sustainability?
Our model for sustainability comes from The Natural Step and their system conditions which we incorporated into our Sustainability Framework for making decisions. This framework governs how we approach our work and is the basis of our partnerships with other organizations.
- For a quick overview of The Natural Step and Sustainability watch the two minute video shown here.
- For a more in depth overview, dive into THIS DOCUMENT describing The Natural Step Framework from Stanford.
Our Sustainability Framework
Our sustainability framework for decision-making is based on the four Natural Step system conditions for a sustainable society.
We are committed to a just transition. As we transform to a clean energy, non-toxic future, we will strive to ensure that investments, costs, and other hardships are distributed fairly and don’t disproportionately fall on low income groups or people of color. As needed, we will strive to assist those with fewer resources.
We also support actions that allow the benefits from the transition to be shared by all.
Lake Oswego Sustainability Network is a 501(c)3 organization.
Our community will:
- Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to fossil fuel dependence and to wasteful use of scarce metals and minerals. Use renewable resources whenever possible.
- Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to dependence upon persistent chemicals and wasteful use of synthetic substances. Use biologically safe products whenever possible.
- Reduce and ultimately eliminate our community’s contribution to encroachment upon nature (e.g., land, water, wildlife, forests, soil, ecosystems). Protect natural ecosystems.
- Support people’s capacity to meet their basic needs fairly and efficiently.
