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Project Positive

Regenerative Design Informed by Nature for a Thriving World

Project Positive is a group of change agents dedicated to raising the bar on what acting sustainably means—driven by a sense of urgency to move beyond arbitrary reduction goals, to science-based targets and actions that are actually generous to the ecosystems, employees, and communities in which we operate. 

The work of Project Positive builds on the vision of our co-founder, Janine Benyus—“when a city [or manufacturing site] is functionally indistinguishable from the forest or wildlands next door, we’ve reached true sustainability”. To be “functionally indistinguishable” requires that we design and create spaces that perform as well as an existing local healthy ecosystem.

“We have a choice; our impact on the environment can be positive.” -Janine Benyus

Nature is Positive

Amid the urgency of biodiversity loss and the emergence of a dynamic regulatory environment to address it, organizations around the world are asking: How do we choose which nature positive actions will yield the intended outcomes? What does success look like? These questions are addressed in our newest thought leadership paper, “Nature is Positive”, centered around a core tenet of biomimicry: Nature as Measure. Developed in collaboration with our partner EcoMetrix Solutions Group, this paper introduces the proven biomimicry approach demonstrated through our work at Project Positive: Evaluate the ecosystem performance of solutions against Nature’s proven benchmarks.  

A Regenerative Built Environment

This white paper, developed in partnership with the renowned professional services firm Jacobs, delves into the transformative potential of biomimicry in shaping the built environment as a driving force for a regenerative world. For several years, Biomimicry 3.8 and Jacobs have been collaborating to spearhead extensive built environment projects that learn from nature, aiming to provide ecosystem benefits and enhance the well-being of all Life. Now is a pivotal moment to shift the ever-expanding built environment from a threat to climate and biodiversity into a showcase for regenerative design—and to benefit from the transformation.


What is Regenerative Design?

Healthy ecosystems produce ecosystem services—these are the benefits humans get for free (free!), that are essential to life—i.e. clean air, filtered water, healthy soils, pollination, biodiversity, etc. All species in an ecosystem contribute to ecosystem services simply by living there. Humans are a part of nature. As such, our designs—from the simplest product to the largest manufacturing system or city—should contribute to the wellness of the ecosystems around them, shifting human impact from negative to positive. They must be regenerative.

Regenerative design is no wishful thinking or utopian fantasy. Our Factory as a Forest project with Interface is an early example, and it has become a success story for others to follow. Read the Interface case study below and check out the info deck to learn about our methodology for location-based design projects.

A Design Revolution is Here

Is it possible for a factory to function like a forest? In this case study, we explore how Biomimicry 3.8 and Interface took climate solutions to the next level with our science-based, data-driven Positive Performance Methodology (PPM). This 4-step framework aligns business performance goals with the well-being of employees, the environment, the local community and beyond. PPM is flexible enough for any organization to follow and robust enough to generate the breakthrough innovation our planet demands. Learn how Biomimicry 3.8 works with its partners to demonstrate a pathway to move any organization towards being regenerative.

What is Project Positive?

Biomimicry 3.8 launched Project Positive in 2019 with a group of organizations passionate to apply our methodology to generate value for all stakeholders—including nature. The group has completed over 20 large-scale projects so far, demonstrating that factories, headquarters, campuses, cities, and urban developments can be redesigned to deliver ecosystem services, support ESG goals, compliance reporting, achieve a social license to operate, and elevate employee engagement and stakeholder trust. Our clients are celebrating the first outcomes and writing new, authentic stories to share with the world.

Together we are demonstrating that a regenerative future is possible, and with nature as our guide, we know how to get there.

Founding change agents represent the following companies and institutions:
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