What if your company…? Natural Capital. Value. (Weekly Shorts, 4/29/13)

One big idea: Last week I asked: “If your company were focused on building regenerative capacity—its own, of its value chain, of its communities, of the local and planetary ecosystems that support it—how might you do your business differently? What new opportunities might emerge?”

It seems the theme’s a meme. It’s there in The Upcycle, the new book from Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart, and Flourishing, the latest gem from John Ehrenfeld. It’s even on many lips at FortuneGreen this week.

Think about it:

  • What if the extraction of the raw materials that make up your product or that enable your service built soil and revitalized ecosystems? Or what if there was no primary extraction at all?
  • What if your manufacturing or service delivery processes were “net zero” consumers of energy and water? Or “net positive” producers of renewable energy and clean water?
  • What if your embrace of “extended producer responsibility” (or total producer responsibility) not only eliminated your non-product output but also glued your customers to your business?
  • And what if all this delivered exceptional financial results, as well as the satisfaction of a job well done?

That’s what I’m talking about these days with our clients.

Tweet of the week: A big deal! RT @grist: None of world’s top industries would be profitable if they paid for the natural capital they use! ow.ly/keEAI

Opportunity: Natural Logic is inviting just 3 companies to join us in a business experiment—a phased, disciplined, and frankly confrontive exploration of the massive business value available at the intersection of your business, your purpose and what the world needs from you. Will yours be one of them? (Negotiations with several companies are now underway. We’ll close the experiment once 3 companies have signed on, so if yours might be interested, please let me know now.)

If you’d prefer to take a more gradual step into your possible future, consider what difference individual and team coaching could make in building the effectiveness of your sustainability leaders—and emerging leaders. And yours.

Events: Just added: I’ll be keynoting the Sustainability Applied conference in Toronto in October. Coming soon: join me online for “Making Change Irresistible” at the Spring of Sustainability series. (And here’s how you can book me to keynote your next event

With best regards,
Gil

Gil Philip Friend
President & CEO Natural Logic Inc.
Building value at the intersection of profit, brand, risk and purpose.
Tel: 1-510-248-4940 | Cel: 1-510-435-6346 | Skype: gil_friend | Blog | LinkedIn | Twitter | About.Me

PS: JUST RELEASED: The Green Business Field Guide, the new audiobook based on my acclaimed Truth About Green Business. Download a copy today—and let me know what you think!