Net Positive Business

The Massive Business Opportunity to PROFIT MORE by making the World better than it was before.

DISCLAIMER: "Making the World better than it was before" (= Net Positivity ) is not the same as "being sustainable" (= failing at achieving Zero Impact). It is - in fact - totally different. Check out “Sustainability is a Scam ” for more on this.

A Net Positive Business is a business that makes the World (measurably) better than it was before. Getting there is the goal.

Why would a business want to become Net Positive?

One main reason: because it's more profitable. Yes, you read that right. Net Positivity is a morally AND economically superior choice. This represents a huge shift in mindset. For practical reasons: if we want virtually 100% of all businesses to adopt Net Positivity, we need an efficacious approach. In the real world, virtually 100% of businesses will only adopt Net Positivity if it's the more profitable choice.

Sustainability a Competitive Disadvantage

Sustainability is - for the most part - only a moral approach. The argument is to "do your part". It asks the business to incur an extra cost - even if it is to the detriment of the business - to "save the planet". As we discussed in “Sustainability is a Scam ”, this approach does not work.

For example, it is actually cheaper to use virgin plastic rather than recycled plastic. Hence, there is a financial incentive not to use recycled plastic. That is why our recycling rate is a mere 10% globally. The only time "Sustainability" campaigns end up working is when they make the business more money. Examples include "Save Water to Save the Planet" or "Reuse your Towel to Save the Planet" campaigns in hotels - they save the hotel money, which is why they promote them.

This is also why introducing a "Carbon Tax" would be considerable competitive disadvantage. Companies that operate in locations with higher costs, become less competitive than those with lower costs. It's that simple. This is not to say we should ignore the climate challenges we are facing; we just need a better way to solve them. So what is the solution? To make Net Positivity (= making the World better) more profitable than Net Negativity/Sustainability.

Net Positivity a massive Competitive Advantage

As we described in our article on "Plastic Net Positivity ", there is substantial business, brand, product, and marketing value to be GAINED from going Net Positive.

It turns out that making the World better than it was before is very desirable. A Net Positive product or service outperforms any Net Negative product or service at a comparable price/value ratio: People like contributing to making the World better.

A Net Positive Product or Service outperforms any Net Negative Product or Service at a comparable Price / Value Ratio

Example: Imagine two plastic water bottles. They are the same size and have the same kind of water inside. Everything is the same; they only differ in one way: one is Net Positive (= makes the World better), and the other one isn't (= makes the World worse).

Which one would you rather buy?

For most people, the answer is: “it depends”. They’d like to buy the Net Positive One, but ultimately, their financial reality affects their decision. If the Net Positive bottle is $3 and the Net Negative bottle is $1, then most would probably go with the Net Negative one. If it's $1.50 to $1, some people would already start to buy the Net Positive one. There comes a point, whether it's $1.25 to $1 or $1.05 to $1, where most people would buy the Net Positive one. Here's the interesting part, though: There is a point where both cost the same, $1 and $1, where something very special happens. The Net Negative bottle becomes obsolete. It loses its "right of existence." Think about that! This has massive implications. This means a Net Positive version of any product/service has ultimately (at a similar price/value ratio) a substantial and lasting competitive advantage over its destructive counterpart, to the point of making the destructive counterpart obsolete.

In other words, this means that Net Positivity WILL - given enough time - take over the entire marketplace.

The only prerequisite for this to work is that "Net Positivity" has a net positive effect on the company's bottom line. Meaning, if the amount of "gain" (profit) from going Net Positive is greater than the amount of "loss" (cost), then it makes sense to go Net Positive.

Ultimately, the way forward is to reduce the cost (= make it as affordable and easy as possible to go Net Positive) and maximize the gain (= help Net Positive companies achieve maximum profits). Yes, Maximum Profits are a GOOD thing when it is a Net Positive Company. I know this might be hard to digest for some, but it’s true.

Net Positive Pioneers

There are already first pioneering companies that have started to understand this. The German company HIPP - the international baby food market leader - for instance, is going “Climate Positive”1 with its Company.

They know that they stand to gain a massive competitive advantage over the entire baby food market by pursuing Net Positivity.

Just like them, there are already hundreds - maybe thousands - of companies on the path towards Net Positivity.

Starting with Climate Net Positivity, Plastic Net Positivity and finally we will arrive at General Net Positivity. This is happening! It's possibly the most hopeful tendency within our global economic development. There is in fact a movement towards a Net Positive Economy - how cool is that?!

The question that might arise is: What can we do to accelerate this process?

Net Positivity as a Service

What if we could help companies achieve Net Positivity more easily? The answer to this question is a big part of what projects such as the Paradise Syndicate , Net Positive Partner , or PlasticPositive.org are looking to answer.

Net Positivity as a Service (NPaaS) means offering services, which make Net Positive Companies more successful, including those that turn their net impacts positive. This way, the companies don't have to create positive impacts themselves, and the whole process becomes much much faster, easier and transparent.

What will it take?

More than anything at this point, it is raising awareness for Net Positivity itself. This new way of solving our issues is still in its infancy. We need help advocating, communicating, making connections. We need to find ways to connect to decision-makers and allow THEM to discover" this "new way of thinking". The beauty of this? Everybody stands to gain: people, profits, and planet.

Please comment & subscribe to stay connected. Join the Paradise Syndicate if you haven't yet. Tell your friends, especially those who run businesses.

Together, we are a force of nature.

Love, Dirk

1 Hipp going climate positive https://www.hipp.com/hipp-going-beyond-organic-because-organic-is-the-best-for-the-climate/lightboxes-climate-positive/mission-2025-klimapositiv/