After years of focusing on missions like net zero and carbon neutral, there’s a new buzz word in town: nature positive. At the G7 Summit earlier this year, leaders highlighted this new approach, announcing that ‘our world must not only become net zero, but also nature positive, for the benefit of both people and the planet.’ And as COP26 kicks off this month, we’re expecting that nature positive messaging is going to be on the tip of everyone’s tongues.
But what exactly do we mean by this? In essence, nature positive is about enhancing the resilience of our planet and the societies that live in it to halt and reverse nature loss. In focusing on preserving our Earth, we’re stabilizing it and allowing it to heal itself. It switches our thinking from focusing on our individual footprints, to thinking about a more holistic approach to solving the challenges of a changing climate.
We’re delighted to see the dialogue changing. It’s something we at Handprint believe is crucial to the success of ongoing climate action: we need to stop focusing on the negatives and start looking at the positives. Our efforts shouldn’t stop once we’re ‘less bad’, instead we need to think about how we can be doing ‘more good’. Only then can we change our myopic focus on carbon and think more widely about the actions that will protect the planet.
At Handprint, we focus on being nature positive through our regenerative actions. We look at the different ways we can channel our energies into restoring, reserving and rewilding the world around us. Protecting rainforests, rewilding abandoned spaces, creating protected areas for ecosystems to recover – all of these are tangible actions that we can collectively get behind. And their effects are far-reaching. These actions enrich biodiversity, store carbon, purify water and reduce pandemic risk. They are also inspiring and engaging enough to drive the momentum that the climate movement needs at this critical juncture.
The nature positive approach has also been picked up by corporations this year who are keen to highlight their credentials in this space. Carbon tariffs and net zero targets were economic drivers designed to force businesses to change. However the idea that big businesses are spending money on regenerative actions that are unrelated to their key business drivers or targets may seem strange to some. Yet many businesses are realising that a nature positive approach can not only benefit the planet, but also their bottom line.
There is a new worldview gathering pace and people are demanding that the brands and companies they use prove they are in the fight against climate change. Responsible emissions management is expected and no longer a differentiator – educated consumers are now looking for more. The same goes for employees who are seeking out more altruistic employers committed to helping the planet. If that isn’t enough, shareholders are interrogating businesses’ ESG claims and focusing investment into those with long-term regenerative plans.
So how can Handprint help? We’re focused on making it as easy as possible for businesses to embed regenerative practices into everything they do. We harness the power of technology to make it simple and efficient to invest in regenerative projects across the world and build a lasting positive handprint.
- Easier: Our platform democratises access to a world of hand-picked regenerative projects. Pick from a number of grassroots organisations and learn all about their approach.
- Cheaper: Intermediaries in this space can absorb up to 80% of money dedicated for impact. Our technology and business model cuts this down to 5%, meaning that almost all of your money goes directly to funding action.
- Measurable: Our platform allows businesses to track every single contribution, making each action more visible and credible. Every action is recorded and presented in real-time, allowing you and your customers to watch your positive impact grow over time.
- Impactful: The mechanics of making donations and reporting back can sometimes become burdensome for some businesses, however at Handprint we embed the donations mechanic into everyday business processes. For example, planting a tree for every new customer sign-up can be automated, tying the success of the business to the success of the planet.
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If you’re interested in seeing how Handprint can work for your business, get in touch.