Moving From ‘Green’ to ‘Deep Green’ With New Sustainability Report and Summit

Sustainability is a big word with many aspects. But when you break it down, it goes hand in hand with being a good Scout. Sustainability means the ability to endure. Conserving the land, forests, air, water, wildlife, and limited resources we all share is everyone’s responsibility. Reducing what we consume and recycling, repurposing, restoring, and repairing what we own all are parts of being thrifty, a key point of the Scout Law.

While we have always taken those words to heart, in 2014 the BSA began developing a comprehensive, multiyear strategy to adopt principles of sustainability at every level of our movement.

Rather than create another program, initiative, or emphasis, we are adopting a sustainability mindset that will guide everything we do as an organization. From the local unit to the council camp to the national office, we want to set an example for our Scouts, our communities, and ultimately our nation.

This effort included a Sustainability Summit, which gathered some of the foremost thinkers and doers in the field for several days of presentations and wide-ranging discussions aimed at creating a more sustainable world. It also included our first-ever Sustainability Report, which outlined the BSA’s efforts toward helping our members move from leaving no trace to leaving a legacy.

The BSA is committed to developing the next generation of environmental leaders and to working hard to integrate sustainability at every level of our organization. After all, Scouting was green when green was just a color. But today, as our inaugural sustainability report describes, we are moving from “green” to “deep green.”