In our most recent meeting, Martin and I decided to develop the theme of the Ecosystem Restoration Corporation. This marked our entry into the second divergent phase of the Double Diamond design process—the “ideation” phase. This stage focuses on generating concrete proposals to transform our concept into a functional model.
The chosen theme (with options outlined in the article Business as Unusual: Crossing the Boundaries of the Known):
💡 8. Ecosystem Restoration Corporation
Concept/Metaphor:
“Ecological Corporation” – an economic model that transforms positive environmental impacts into economic value. This approach redefines profit to reflect ecological benefits such as ecosystem restoration, making it the foundation for economic transactions.External Relationships:
The model connects individuals, businesses, and non-profit organizations that jointly finance and implement ecosystem restoration projects, such as reforestation, water conservation, or soil revitalization. Participants are rewarded with “ecological credits,” which can be used as currency or exchanged for benefits such as tax relief, discounts on eco-friendly products, or access to other services. Blockchain technology tracks the contributions and ensures transparency.Governance and Ownership:
Projects are managed by non-profit organizations, cooperatives, or communities in collaboration with experts. A participatory funding model ensures that investors receive a share of the environmental benefits, while local communities maintain autonomy. Transparent governance minimizes the risk of corruption and builds trust among all parties.Value:
This model supports environmental responsibility by linking economic activities to sustainability. Profit is redefined to reflect direct benefits for nature and society, moving the economy towards long-term sustainability and regeneration.Uniqueness and Innovation:
- Originality: Ecological credits introduce a new way to measure and reward environmental contributions. This model replaces traditional capitalist principles with a value system focused on restoration and regeneration.
- Technological Innovations: Blockchain ensures transparency and tracking of project impacts. AI could be used to predict ecological benefits or optimize project selection.
- Challenges: A key issue will be defining how ecological credits function, including their tradability, and establishing clear rules for managing projects and distributing benefits.
Feasibility:
The model is easily applicable to smaller pilot projects, for example, in regions where ecosystem restoration initiatives are already in place. Partnering with local businesses and government incentives, such as grants or tax relief, could accelerate implementation. Blockchain and other technologies make the model efficiently implementable.Application Example:
A company could initiate a reforestation project in degraded land, where individuals and businesses invest in tree planting. Ecological credits would reflect the amount of CO₂ captured and could be used to reduce tax liabilities or traded on a platform with other participants.This concept changes how we perceive value, placing responsibility to nature at the heart of economic activity. It offers a practical, scalable, and technology-supported path to creating a more sustainable and regenerative economy.
🧩 Key Elements of the Model
Concept and Value
- “Ecological Corporation”: An economic model that transforms positive environmental impacts into economic value. Profit is redefined to reflect environmental benefits, such as ecosystem regeneration, which become the foundation for economic transactions.
- Participatory Approach: Connecting individuals, businesses, and non-profits to fund and implement projects. Participants are rewarded with “eco-credits,” which can be used as currency or exchanged for benefits, such as tax incentives or access to additional services.
Governance and Ownership
- Projects are managed by non-profit organisations, cooperatives, or communities in collaboration with experts.
- Transparent governance, supported by blockchain technology, minimises corruption risks and enhances trust among all parties.
Technological Innovations
- Blockchain: Ensures transparency and tracking of project impacts.
- AI: Predicts ecological benefits and optimises project selection.
This innovative concept has the potential to redefine the economic system in favour of sustainability. The key aspects of the proposal include:
🔥 Inspiration from Existing Projects
- Carboneg
A Czech initiative investing in regenerative agriculture and offering carbon credits.
“The name expresses big ambitions – to achieve carbon negativity – not just reducing emissions but actually ‘pulling down’ existing ones from the atmosphere, which humanity has emitted over more than 200 years since the Industrial Revolution. This represents an almost unimaginable figure: 1.3 trillion tonnes of CO₂.” [2] - EFK Platform
Blockchain technology and virtual worlds supporting ecological projects for non-profit organisations.
“The EFK platform promotes a positive environmental impact on our world through blockchain technology and virtual worlds. It supports non-profit organisations and their ecological projects, striving to ensure that virtual worlds are part of active change towards a greener future.” [3] - CO2IN
A European tool for offsetting carbon footprints using certified credits.
“Certified voluntary carbon credits from CO2IN give everyone the opportunity to measurably impact the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Together, we can help our climate.” [4] - Agreena
Offers tradable carbon certificates for farmers as an incentive for sustainable farming.
“We are shaping the future of sustainable agriculture by providing technological solutions aligned with sustainability goals and contributing to a greener planet. We enable companies to achieve their sustainability targets and support farmers in transitioning to regenerative practices.” [5] - Ecosystem Marketplace
“Focused on increasing transparency and providing information on ecosystem services and payment systems.” [8] [9] Ecosystem services are valued and monetised through trading platforms. Companies can invest in restoration projects for wetlands that provide clean water or in biodiversity conservation to meet their environmental goals. - Bonneville Environmental Foundation
“We connect partners across all sectors of society to collaboratively create business solutions that address climate challenges through the restoration of freshwater ecosystems and catalyse a renewable energy future for everyone.” [10] - Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES)
“Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES), also known as payments for environmental services (or benefits), are incentives offered to farmers or landowners in exchange for their land providing specific types of ecological services.” [11]
It seems that our original idea was not as unique as we thought :-). These initiatives demonstrate that it is possible to connect economic activities with environmental benefits through technological innovations.
🖧 Blockchain
Blockchain can be imagined as a digital ledger shared among many people on the internet. This ledger records everything that happens—such as every transaction, every environmental project, or every tree planted. Blockchain ensures:
- Transparent transactions: Every trade involving environmental credits is traceable.
- Tracking the origin of credits: Information about the source and impact of projects is publicly accessible.
- Process automation: Smart contracts enable automatic transfers of credits or rewards for achieved goals.
Practical example: A company invests in a reforestation project. The blockchain records the number of trees planted and the environmental credits, which can then be traded or used for tax incentives.
Top Open-Source Blockchain Platforms
- Ethereum
- Use: Creating decentralised applications (dApps) and smart contracts.
- Consensus mechanism: Proof-of-Stake (PoS).
- Overview: Ethereum enables secure and transparent digital transactions and is widely adopted for projects focused on decentralisation and tokenisation. [6]
- Hyperledger Fabric
- Use: Private blockchains for the enterprise sector.
- Key features: Modular architecture and multiple consensus mechanisms.
- Overview: Designed for enterprise applications requiring high confidentiality and scalability. [6]
- Corda
- Use: Fast and cost-effective transactions, especially in finance.
- Key features: Transactions are not grouped into blocks, enabling real-time processing.
- Overview: Popular in sectors such as finance, healthcare, and insurance. [6]
- Tezos
- Use: Decentralised finance and smart contracts.
- Key features: Dynamic upgrades without requiring forks.
- Overview: Known for its efficiency and user customisation capabilities. [6]
- ConsenSys Quorum
- Use: High-speed applications in the financial sector.
- Key features: Robust security and private transactions.
- Overview: Quorum combines public accessibility with privacy elements, making it attractive to the corporate sector. [6]
- Avalanche
- Use: Decentralised applications and smart contracts.
- Key features: High scalability and performance thanks to a unique framework.
- Overview: Ideal for creating custom blockchain networks. [6]
- EOSIO
- Use: Fast and flexible platform for developing dApps.
- Key features: Governance system based on consensus.
- Overview: Suitable for both enterprise and public implementations. [6]
Practical Example in Our Context:
Imagine a company investing in a project that plants trees. Here’s how blockchain works in this scenario:
- When the company invests money in the project, this transaction is recorded in the ledger.
- The project plants 100 trees, and an independent auditor verifies that the trees have indeed been planted.
- This information (number of trees, location, time) is recorded in the blockchain—essentially adding a new entry to the ledger.
- The company automatically receives environmental credits, which it can use (for instance, to offset its carbon footprint).
⚠️ Challenges and Risks
- Definition of Environmental Credits:
Establishing clear rules for valuing and trading credits. - Regulation and Legislation:
Securing government support and creating a legal framework to facilitate trading of environmental credits. - Technological Complexity:
Implementing blockchain and AI can be challenging, particularly in regions with limited infrastructure. - Balancing Economy and Ecology:
Ensuring that environmental projects do not become a tool for financial speculation.
Developing the concept of the Ecosystem Restoration Corporation opens up opportunities to create a model that connects the economy with environmental conservation. The key to success lies in pilot implementation, legislative support, and the integration of technological tools such as blockchain. This concept has the potential to serve as the foundation of a regenerative economy of the future—one that not only avoids harm but actively restores the world around us.
🌱 Proposals for Pilot Projects on Ecological Credits
When introducing an innovative concept such as the ecological credit system, it is crucial to select a pilot project that is easy to understand and accessible to a wide range of participants. While complex solutions are vital for long-term plans, the pilot phase should prioritize simplicity to encourage acceptance by the public and stakeholders.
The goal is to demonstrate that ecological credits can integrate seamlessly into daily life, creating scalable examples. We aim to focus on activities relatable to ordinary people—from cafés and schools to the gaming industry. At the same time, these projects should deliver measurable ecological impacts and connect with the real economy through innovative technologies like blockchain.
Summary of Proposed Pilot Projects
- Schools and Libraries: EduCredits for Community Activities
Ecological credits that reward students and the public for participating in environmental and social initiatives, such as tree planting, volunteering, or organizing workshops. - Video Games: Play and Change the World
Gaming mechanisms where players complete environmental missions, and their activities fund real-world ecological projects. - Bottle Recycling: ReThink Recycle
A reward system for recycling plastic and glass bottles, utilizing blockchain to track impact and gamification to boost engagement.
Detailed Development of Proposals
The following sections detail three proposed pilot projects that connect ecological credits with everyday activities. Each project is designed to be intuitive, accessible to a broad audience, and deliver measurable ecological and economic impacts. Additionally, all initiatives leverage modern technologies like blockchain to ensure transparency and system credibility.
💡 Schools and Libraries: EduCredits for Community Activities
Concept:
Individuals earn ecological credits by participating in community projects such as tree planting, waste collection, or organizing educational events focused on ecology. These credits can be redeemed for benefits like library passes, discounts on educational courses, or eco-friendly products.
Technology:
Blockchain will be used to record activities and allocated credits, ensuring transparency and trustworthiness.
Practical Example:
- A student organizes a sustainability workshop → earns 5 EduCredits.
- These credits can then be redeemed for a discount on another educational event or for purchasing school supplies.
Advantages:
- Encourages active participation in ecological activities.
- Easy implementation in partnership with schools and libraries.
💡 Video Games: Play and Change the World
Concept:
Players complete environmental missions within a game to earn “ecological points,” directly linked to funding real-world environmental projects such as tree planting or wetland restoration. These points can be exchanged for in-game rewards or tangible benefits.
Technology:
Blockchain ensures transparent tracking of how in-game activities translate into real-world ecological impacts. Players can monitor how their virtual efforts support actual projects.
Practical Example:
- A player completes a mission to clean a virtual beach → earns 10 points.
- These points help fund a real-life beach clean-up project, which the player can track through the game app.
Advantages:
- Engages younger generations and gaming communities in environmental conservation.
- Links entertainment to tangible ecological benefits.
💡 Bottle Recycling: ReThink Recycle
Concept:
Individuals earn ecological credits by recycling plastic and glass bottles. Each returned bottle is recorded on blockchain, ensuring transparency and traceability of the recycling process.
Technology:
A mobile app connected to blockchain tracks every recycled bottle and generates corresponding credits.
Practical Example:
- A user returns 20 bottles to a recycling machine → earns 20 credits.
- These credits can be used for discounts on eco-friendly products, event tickets, or as in-game currency.
Advantages:
- Boosts motivation to recycle.
- Ensures process transparency and enhances participation through gamification.
✅ Conclusion
Pilot projects such as EduCredits for Community Activities, Play and Change the World, and ReThink Recycle offer simple yet effective ways to link environmental goals with the real economy. These proposals focus on activities that resonate with everyday people, are easy to understand, and scalable.
Each of these projects has the potential to demonstrate how ecological credits can motivate individuals and businesses to adopt sustainable behaviors. Additionally, the integration of blockchain ensures transparency and traceability, enhancing trust and appeal for all stakeholders.
For initial implementation, I recommend starting with EduCredits for Community Activities due to its straightforward integration with schools and libraries and its strong capacity to engage the public. This project can deliver visible results quickly and lay a solid foundation for further initiatives.