ACCELERATING THE REGENERATIVE ECONOMY WITH FINANCIAL INNOVATION

Mar 27

Summary

Industrialization, quantitative growth economics and mass consumerism are causing destruction of ecosystems, depletion of natural resources, escalating supply chain costs, and ever-increasing environmental and economic risks for businesses worldwide. These factors are not only detrimental to the well-being of the planet and humankind, but are also negatively impacting the bottom line and valuations of many companies exposed to the environmental, social and supply chain risks resulting from these factors. There is a rapidly growing awareness that “business as usual” and “profit at all costs” is no longer serving people, planet, business or investors and that systemic transformation is required.

The growing awareness that transformation of business and our economy is required to maintain not only a healthy planet, but also to increase profitability, has led to increasing commitments of corporations and business to environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) goals and policies. Additionally, institutional investors, family offices, pensions, ETFs, mutual funds and asset managers now have almost $12 trillion USD of ESG assets under management (“AUM”) in the US and over $30 trillion USD globally.

While commitment to ESG should be applauded as a step in the right direction, much of the $30 trillion of ESG investment has gone into large public companies that continue to perpetuate the centralized supply chain, fossil fuel burning, greenhouse gas emissions, extraction and exploitative practices. The ESG commitment and the massive investment into ESG are just not enough to address the urgent transformation we require.

In our society, money is a major stimulus to almost all action. In order to accelerate the transformation required to reverse the damage to our ecosystems and foster a thriving society, trillions of dollars need to be put to work in funding and accelerating Core Regenerative Enterprise & Projects (“CREPs”). CREPs are characterized as projects that promote the health and thriving of people and planet with measurable and quantifiable regenerative criteria and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”) of the United Nations.

CREPs are economically viable businesses and both public and private projects that directly, most rapidly and positively transform our world. CREPs will contribute significantly to the largest, most abundant and thriving economy in the history of humankind — the “Regenerative Economy.” As will be discussed in greater detail, CREPs that directly support and accelerate the multi-trillion-dollar Regenerative Economy, include, by way of example, the following:

1. Pure Potable Water & Aquatech

2. Nutritious Food, Agtech, Agroforestry and Mariculture

3. Clean, Renewable and Affordable Energy & Fuels

4. Biomaterials & Bioscience

5. Wise, Regenerative and Resilient Cities

6. Bio-Energetic Soil, Water & Environmental Remediation and Restoration

7. Optimal Health, Wellness & Thriving

8. Waste Recycling and Upcycling

9. Regenerative Learning, Training and Behavior Changes

10. Ethical Governance and Financial Systems

In order to accelerate and exponentiate the development of CREPs, a new asset class, Regenerative Impact Investments (“RIIs”), is needed.

Investors have typically had two primary motivators — higher returns and lower risk, however, there is a growing number of investors also seeking ESG returns. Delivering higher returns with lower risk for RIIs can be accomplished through multi-stakeholder cooperation and private-public partnerships that include governments, Intergovernmental Organizations (“IGOs”) and non-profit Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), (“Public Sector”) and investors, lenders, bond purchasers, bond underwriters, service providers, vendors and entrepreneurs (“Private Sector”), collectively (“Regenerative Stakeholders”).

RIIs are economically compelling investment vehicles including bonds, loans, equity purchases, royalty arrangements, inventory financing and hybrid investments in CREPs that address the urgent need for economic transformation from the industrialized economy to the “Regenerative Economy.” RIIs provide (1) increased economic return on investment with committed government incentives (“ROI”); (2) reduced risks of investment with credit enhancement, guarantees and default insurance; (3) Market-Rate-Risk-Adjusted (“MRRA”) returns equal to, or greater than, current traditional and ESG investing; and (4) measurable eco-social returns.

As described in greater detail below, the Regenerative Stakeholders can make RII more compelling for investment by combining (1) the regulatory, taxing and permitting authority of government, (2) non-dilutive accelerated grants, research, convening and support from NGOs, (3) guaranties from IGOs that reduce such things as political, currency and environmental risks and provide credit enhancement, (4) true cost accounting and qualitative metrics of value, (5) low-interest loans from financial institutions that create greater feasibility and return on projects, (6) discounts on goods and services from EPCs, vendors and service providers, (7) liquidity through regenerative exchanges created under regulations that fast track and minimize regulatory hurdles for regenerative business and projects, and (8) an online platform that algorithmically and efficiently matches capital with projects that meet investment criteria and ensures integrity and transparency of the investments and performance of recipients.

Economic Transformation and Growth of SRI and ESG

In response to the growing awareness that our economy and the way we do business needs systemic transformation, Sustainable, Responsible Impact (“SRI”) investing, including its subset Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”) investing, have seen substantial adoption and growth over the last 20 years, but have skyrocketed in the last 8 years. SRI is now responsible for $1 out of every $4, or $11.995 trillion, of Assets Under Management (“AUM”) in the U.S with a CAGR of 38%.[1]

Globally too, SRI is seeing significant growth and adoption totaling $30.683 trillion in AUM with CAGR (depending upon country) ranging between 6% in Europe to 308% in Japan.[2]

Unlike SRI, which mostly utilizes negative screens, such as not investing in alcohol, tobacco, oil or firearms, ESG is based on investing in companies that have made commitments to support ESG programs and goals in their business, including the following:

Environmental:

· Climate change commitment, policies and actions

· Supply chain efficiencies

· Reduction and/or offsetting greenhouse gas emissions and pollution

· Water, soil and ocean conservation

· Mitigation, elimination, recycling and/or upcycling of waste

· Use of renewable energy

· Environmental incentives and benefits for employees

· Relationship and past history with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other environmental regulatory bodies.

· High-quality, built to last, non-toxic products

Social:

· Fair treatment of employees (e.g. pay, health programs, education, training, insurance and benefits)

· Employee safety policies (e.g., respectful and safe work environment).

· Hiring practices that include diversity, inclusion and fair pay

· Ethical, integral and responsible relationships and behaviors with the company’s stakeholders (e.g., customers, suppliers, vendors, service providers, shareholders, community, planet)

· Commitment to social good as part of company’s mission and practice

· Contributions to the local community including such things as education, parks and facilities

Governance:

· Executive compensation, bonuses and perks in alignment with value and performance metrics tied to ESG

· Diversity of the board of directors and management team

· Enforcement of policies to prevents conflicts and self-dealing by the Board and executives

· Equitable stock structures and incentive plans

· Transparency and full disclosure of policies and objective measurement of performance thereon

· Elevating skill over authority and holacracy and situationally adaptive organizations over bureaucratic organizations.

· Management plays by the rules they create and impose on their stakeholders

ESG also incorporates more traditional investing metrics such as balance sheet, profits and loss statement, management experience, market size and growth, market share, industry leadership, intellectual property, strategic partnerships, performance trajectories and ability to innovate along with risk analysis including market risk, technology risk, environmental risk, regulatory risk, political risk and currency risk.

With the demand for ESG investments rapidly accelerating, more companies are adopting ESG into their organizations to differentiate themselves, enhance their brands and attract the capital investment flowing into ESG companies. While ESG is a positive step toward companies being more environmentally and socially conscious, most ESG investment today is being made into existing public companies that have committed to implementing some aspect of ESG into their business, but whose core business is not environmental or social. For example, according to Investment News[3], Truevalue Labs, an alternative data analytics firm that measures ESG momentum rated the following companies in the Top 10:

1. McCormick & Co. (MKC), a food processing company, was awarded the top ESG company by Truevalue by saying it would aim to reach 100% recyclable plastic packaging and engaging in a partnership to help small farms.

2. Corning (GLW), a leading glassmaker, boosted its ESG score by being awarded the Horizon 2020 Materials for Clean Air Award, for it mobile emissions particulate filter technology.

3. Autozone (AZO), an auto parts retailer, was recognized for its ESG momentum by committing to phase out paint stripper products containing chemicals like methylene chloride

4. United Rentals (URI), an industrial and commercial equipment rental company, was recognized for diversity by four members of the company’s board being recognized by WomenInc.

5. United Continental Holdings (UAL), the third largest U.S. airline, made a deal with a biofuels producer to buy 90 million gallons of biofuel per year and reduce its greenhouse gas emission by 50%. (The U.S. airline industry uses approximately 17.87B gallons per year[4]).

6. Ball Corp (BLL), manufacturer of cans and containers, committed to increase energy efficiency, purchase renewable energy and zero-waste-to-landfill.

7. BorgWarner (BWA), auto parts manufacturer, unveiled a new propulsion solution to more easily convert internal combustion cars into hybrids

8. Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) committed $30-$32B into investments to provide housing and small business related, Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) donations and diversity hiring.

9. Kraft Heinz (KHC) for acquiring organic, fair trade coffee roaster, Ethical Bean Coffee and committing to making its packaging recyclable

10. Iron Mountain (IRM), a secure data storage company, committed to a power purchase agreement with a Kansas wind farm that brought IRM’s renewable energy usage to 75%.

Other examples of celebrated ESG companies include:

· Nike (NKE) for hiring a chief sustainability officer that oversees its environmental efforts such as its sustainable Flyknit and Flyleather products. Nike also has vowed to utilize 100% renewable energy by 2025.

· Accenture (ASN) has made a commitment to diversity and inclusion with a goal to have 50% female and 50% male employees by the end of 2025, as well as having at least 25% female managing directors by 2020.

· Intuit (INTU) has achieved a 40% diverse board and guidelines that executives must own 10 times their annual salary in stock, and non-employee directors must hold 10 times their annual cash retainers in stock.

While the commitment to ESG is a step in the right direction and should be applauded, most ESG commitments being made today are a far cry from the systemic environmental, social, governance and economic impact needed to heal and regenerate our ecosystems and create a thriving and healthy world for people and planet, let alone reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reverse climate change.

Systemic Transformation by Stimulating the Regenerative Economy and CREP/RII Investments

“Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight. We must connect the dots between climate change, water scarcity and energy shortages. Solutions to one problem must be solutions for all.” ~Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

Industrialization, over-consumption, extraction, burning fossil-fuels for energy, the global centralized supply chain and waste are major causes leading to the collapse of ecosystems, climate change and the threats to the sustainability of human life.

Isolated and symptomatic “solutions” have not solved challenges like climate change, pollution, poverty, hunger, disease and ecosystemic destruction. These challenges are systemic and require systemic approaches.

This systemic transformation requires holistic solutions at the nexus of environmental remediation, renewable energy, agriculture, water, waste, materials, supply chain, smart cities infrastructure, currency and finance.

By decentralizing/localizing water, food, energy, materials and manufacturing, we can create significant increases in efficiency, health, quality of life and local abundance while reducing the impacts caused by the inefficiencies of, and pollution from, the fossil-fuel grid and centralized supply chain. It is also critical that we evolve education, training, media and communications to support the changes in beliefs, behaviors and skills required to fulfill the opportunities presented by the multi-trillion-dollar economic opportunity known as “The Regenerative Economy” (described in greater detail below).

The Regenerative Economy: Pragmatism, Market Size & Opportunity

“In order to change an existing paradigm you do not struggle to try and change the problematic model. You create a new model and make the old one obsolete.” ~Buckminster Fuller

If we want to see true change, it is required that we transform systemically. At the core of almost all systemic dysfunction is fear and disconnection leading to beliefs and behaviors that are expressed in overconsumption, hoarding, greed, profit-at-all-costs, war, destruction, extractive industries, quantitative metrics and exploitation of people and planet. Rather than on focusing on the problems while keeping the system that creates the problems intact, it is critical that we focusing on creating world and system that fosters love, connection, beauty and ecosystemic thriving — the Regenerative Economy.

The multi-trillion-dollar Regenerative Economy, built on the pragmatism of serving the thriving of our planet and humankind, will be the largest economy, and provide the greatest social, environmental and economic returns, in the history of humankind.

According to The Nature Conservancy[5]. . .

“Each year, our planet’s complex land and water systems — a “natural living infrastructure” — produce an estimated $72 trillion worth of “free” goods and services essential to a well-functioning global economy.”

Moreover, research conducted by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)[6] reveals. . .

“US $1.3 trillion — a year to greening economic sectors will produce a higher global GDP within ten years, compared to a business-as-usual scenario. It will also reduce the ecological footprint and resource intensity of current growth models. The economic cost of failing to transition is far greater. True cost puts the annual cost in natural capital degradation and negative environment externalities at US $7.3 trillion a year.”

Given $72 trillion of annual natural capital with $7.3 trillion dollars of annual degradation, we have about 10 years before we have reached the point of no return — the point where no technology, money, education, media or behavior change will save us. The time to transform from an Industrial Economy to the Regenerative Economy is now.

Pragmatism is defined as a practical and logical approach based upon reality rather than ideological and theoretical considerations.

Our planet provides our next breath, water, food, shelter, energy, materials and is the basis for all life and wealth. Without our planet bestowing its gifts upon us, there would be no life, no society and no economy. The most pragmatic things we can experience is our next breath, the hydration of water, the nutrients of food and the comfort of shelter. All of nature enjoys these gifts without money, yet our society has been conditioned to believe money and profits are more important than preserving the source of our life. We extract, rape, exploit, over-consume, destroy and toxify that which gives us the gift of life.

The so-called “economic pragmatists” in our world actually adhere to an economic system based upon ideological and theoretical agreements where fiat money backed by nothing of value has value and where profits, consumption and growth are elevated above the truly pragmatic services and goods provided by our planet, as well as the health and long-term survivability of people and planet. Destroying that which gives us life, health and abundance (our planet’s ecosystems) for short term profits, electronic journal entries and worthless paper, is clearly not pragmatic at all. In fact, in the event of imminent death from dehydration, most billionaires would give every dollar they had for a glass of water.

Real pragmatism is protecting and serving the planet and the health of its ecosystems. Our health and survival as a species are completely dependent upon the earth and its ability to continue to support the thriving humankind.

The Regenerative Economy is a fundamental shift in the way we live our lives and engage in industry. The Regenerative Economy will transform the way we obtain, produce, ship, deliver, consume, monitor and/or control such things as water, food, energy, materials, housing and waste, as well as radically improving the efficiencies, regenerability, resilience, circularity, sustainability and ecosystemic impacts of human activities. Such profound shifts in our society create massive economic opportunities to serve the health and thriving of people and planet.

Below are a few examples of regenerative opportunities and their respective projected market size to support the statement regarding that the Regenerative Economy represents a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity and will likely be the largest, most resilient and sustainable economy in the history of humankind. Please note that the examples below is far from an exhaustive list.

· Internet of Things (“IoT”)

IoT is largely based upon the convergence of information and innovation to create greater efficiency, conservation and productivity in our cities, infrastructure and lives. Using sensors, data, monitoring, automation and collaborative consumption, IoT and Smart Cities promise such things as healthier environments, healthier locally grown food, greater convenience, improved healthcare, smart personal transportation (e.g., driverless cars) and mass transit (e.g., smart trains), abundant renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, tidal, zero point), energy efficiency, and supply chain efficiency.

The market size and opportunities surrounding IoT alone are staggering[7] as noted in the following examples:

· $60 Trillion by 2030 for Industrial IoT[8]

· $41 Trillion over the next 20 years of smart cities IoT[9]

· $9.96 Trillion in economic value across industries worldwide by 2025[10]

· $158 Billion for medical IoT in 2020[11]

· Clean Energy

According to the World Bank, “In just the last decade, clean technology has emerged as a major global market. Over the next 10 years, an estimated $6.4 trillion will be invested in developing countries. Of the total market in developing countries, some $1.6 trillion will be accessible to SMEs, according to the report. China, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa are the top three markets in the developing world for SMEs in clean technology, with expected markets of $415 billion, $349 billion and $235 billion, respectively for sectors such as wastewater treatment, onshore wind, solar panels, electric vehicles, bioenergy, and small hydro.”[12]

Investments of about $2 Trillion annually by 2035, will be required for both energy efficiency and clean energy. Currently, the world invests less than $400 Billion in clean energy while all fossil fuel investments were around $U.S. 1.1 trillion in 2013, and fossil fuel subsidies account for another $2 trillion.[13]

· Water Technologies

As global population increases dramatically and incomes grow, so does demand for clean water. Merrill Lynch reports in its Thematic Investing, Blue Revolution — Global Water Primer: “Increasing water demand is set to overshoot supply by 40% in the next 20 years. A perfect storm is brewing, water is the 21st century oil.”

The existing challenges facing humanity due to lack of clean water are expected to intensify in the coming decades. While we look to the present, the negative effects of clean water scarcity are already affecting our planetary society in a myriad of unacceptable ways:

2.1 billion people lack basic sanitation services[14]
844 million people don’t have access to clean water[15]
31% of schools globally are lacking clean water access[16]
800 children under 5 die each day on average from diseases caused by poor water, sanitation and hygiene.[17]

The market size and opportunities for water are massive and the need is urgent:

· $7.5 Trillion of investment is needed in water infrastructure globally by 2030 to meet global demand[18]. In the U.S. alone, estimates of needed water and wastewater infrastructure investments range from $1.3 Trillion to $4.8 Trillion by 2030.[19]

· $652 Billion in municipal and industrial water and wastewater market by 2025[20]

· $280 Billion bottled water market[21]

· $138 Billion for water and wastewater treatment by 2020[22]

· $13.8 Billion for water desalination[23]

· $45.3 Billion in 2022 for water purification[24]

· $918.9 Million for atmospheric water[25]

· Agriculture & Food Technologies

The market size of the global food and agriculture industries combined is $8 Trillion market with the food industry alone being worth $1.327 Trillion.[26] Areas of focus include the following:

· $73 Billion for Innovative food processing equipment[27]

· $11.23 Billion for “Smart Agriculture” [28] including Precision Farming, Livestock Monitoring, Fish Farming, Smart Greenhouse, GPS, Drones, Sensors, RFID, LED Grow Lights, Phase-Change Materials.

· $1.37 Billion to $2.5 Billion in 2022 for Agricultural Robotics [29]

· 4.25 Billion to $8.05 Billion in 2021[30] for Regenerative Agriculture and Soil Carbon Sequestration

· Biomaterials and Biomimetic Industries

“Biomaterials” and “Biomimetic Industries” (mimicking nature’s 4.5 billion years of wisdom and processes) are just one example of a regenerative sector that provides a massive market opportunity projected to be $425 billion by 2030.[31]

Terrapin Bright Green’s research paper entitled Tapping into Nature — The Future of Energy Innovation and Business[32] reports. . .

“Companies that leverage bioinspired innovation can increase revenues, reduce costs, and meet global needs. They can also increase their environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) rating, attracting investments from the $45 trillion managed by firms supporting this trend in financial markets.”

“Bioinspired innovation has the potential to transform large segments of the U.S. economy by increasing both gross domestic product (GDP) and employment. The Fermanian Business & Economic Institute estimates that bioinspired innovation could account for approximately $425 billion of U.S. GDP by 2030 (valued in 2013 dollars). Beyond 2030, the impact of bioinspired innovation is expected to grow as knowledge and awareness of the field expand.”

· Waste to Energy and Waste Upcycling

Global solid waste management is currently a $180B market and is expected to grow to $300B by 2023.[33] While waste disposal and management are huge industries, PFT is focused on the conversion of waste into valuable commodities such as energy, biochar, compost and bio-materials. Waste-to-Energy is a $25B industry.

· The Restoration Economy

Storm Cunningham, author of The Restoration Economy, defines the Restoration Economy as a $1 Trillion economy devoted to restoring or upgrading damaged and obsolete resources, such as degraded forests, watersheds, oceans, cities, communities, buildings, transit and infrastructure.

· Environmental Remediation

The global environmental remediation technologies market is estimated to $80.5B in 2019, 123.13B by 2022 and $155B in 2025. This includes the clean-up of natural resources affected by environmental contamination including surface water, groundwater and soils.[34] RHF is focused on bio-energetic in-situ solutions for soil and water remediation.

In order to successfully and systematically transform our economy and the way business is done, there is a critical need to foster the Regenerative Economy by supporting and investing in CREP. Examples of CREP investment opportunities are included in the following Top 10 Regenerative Investment Opportunities:

Top 10 RII Opportunities

1. Pure Potable Water & Aquatech

o Water Purification and Optimization

o Atmospheric Water Generation

o Wastewater Recycling & Treatment (e.g. Gray-Black Water Recycling and Reuse)

o Desalinization

o Water infrastructure

o Localization and Pumping Efficiency

o Water Conservation & Capture

o Affordability and Accessibility

2. Nutritious Food, Agtech & Mariculture

o Soil Regeneration & Carbon Sequestration

o Agroforestry & Permaculture

o Sustainable Fisheries

o Kelp & Algae Cultivation & Circular Biorefining

o Smart Farms (e.g., Robotics, Real-Time Sensors/Data)

o Natural Repellents (e.g., EMF Solutions, Non-Toxic Applications)

o Algae Growth & Harvesting

o Quality Food Processing & Co-Packing

o Humane Treatment of Animals

3. Clean, Renewable & Affordable Energy & Fuels

o Solar

o Wind

o Geothermal

o Tidal

o Waste to Energy

o Zero-Point

o Biofuels

4. Wise, Regenerative & Resilient Communities & Cities

o Regenerative Infrastructure & Localized Supply Chain Efficiency

o Water

o Food

o Energy

o Waste

o Materials

o Power

o Transportation

o Smart-Living Buildings

o Internet of Things (“IoT”)

o Sensors & Monitoring

o Innovative Building Materials

o 3-D Printing

o Resource Energy Efficiency

o Resilience from Climate, Natural and Health Disasters

5. Bio-Energetic Environmental Remediation and Restoration

o Natural Remediation Processes (e.g., plants, microbes and fungi and electrocoagulation, vs chemicals)

o Rebuilding Healthy Soil & Forests (e.g., agroforestry, reforestation, permaculture, pasture herds)

o Watershed Restoration

o Restoration of Ocean, Reefs & Fisheries

o Composting of Organic Waste

o Deserts to Grasslands

6. Waste Upcycling

o Zero Waste

o Waste-to-Energy

o Waste-to-Materials

o Recycling

o Reuse

7. Biomaterials & Bioscience

o Biomimetic Design and Solutions

o Bioplastics

o Bio-Building Materials, (e.g.,biocrete, biosteel, wood/plant-fibers, biopolymers)

o Biocompatible Medical Products (e.g., materials for skin, bone, teeth and collagen replacement)

8. Optimal Health, Wellness & Thriving

o Ethically Aligned Regenerative Healthcare, Genetics and Biotech

o Ethical Advanced Medical Devices, Procedures & Drugs

o Disease Cure and Prevention (rather than treatment)

o Economic Alignment with Wellness (rather than with sickness)

o Epigenetics as a Pathway to Optimal Wellness

o Advanced Diagnostics

o Life-Long Heath and Quality of Life

o Quantified Self, Lifestyle Transformation Tech & Incentives

o Abundant and Affordable Superfoods & Next-Gen Nutrition

o Optimal Wellness & Life Transformation Centers

o Whole & Healthy Workplaces

o Conscious & Healthy Products & Company Certification

o Wellness Apps

o Health Insurance Reforms and Incentives

o Environmental Health Innovation

9. Ethical Governance and Financial Systems

o Blockchain Integrity and Transparency

o Single Rule of Law/Governance Applied

o Regenerative Stock Exchange

o Decentralized Blockchain Technologies & Cryptocurrencies

o Zero-Point Reputation-Based Economy

o Supply Chain Efficiency & Payment

o Biometric ID & Remittances

o True Cost and ESG Metrics

o Peer-to-Peer Exchange

10. Regenerative Learning, Training & Behavior Change

o Practical and Applied Learning

o Personalized Learning through Online, Mobile Apps & Gamification

o Practical Application (e.g., Biology on the farm and in the forests, Chemistry in the biofuels lab, Math in business and computer programming, Geometry and Calculus in building design, Physics in energy, water and materials applications, Life skills in construction, farming, animal husbandry, creativity and collaboration in art, music, dance and theatre, Lifestyle Wellness through diet, nutrition, exercise, sports, food preparation, mindfulness and breath training)

o Edutech

o Regenerative Innovation and Life-Long Learning, Training and Certification Centers

o Regenerative Capacity and Skill Building

o Conscious Consumer Incentives

o Personal and Community Wellness

o Emotional Literacy & Collaboration

o Environmental Health

Making CREP/RII a Highly Attractive Investment Class

There is a rapidly growing demand for CREP/RII opportunities. For example, according to the 2019 Soil Wealth Report[35] the opportunities for regenerative agriculture alone could generate nearly $10 trillion in financial returns over the next 30 years. Also, there are currently $321 billion AUM in sustainable food and agriculture and $47.5 billion AUM in regenerative food and agriculture.

“The increasing urgency of addressing climate change has added to this mounting interest in regenerative agriculture and “carbon farming.” To realize the carbon sequestration and climate mitigation potential associated with implementation of regenerative agricultural practices, more than $700 billion in estimated net capital expenditure over the next 30 years will be needed. Based on our analysis of Project Drawdown’s published data, projected out to 2050, implementing climate-friendly agricultural practices could mitigate nearly 170 GtCO2 e, while generating a nearly $10 trillion net financial return.”

Despite the strong growth of ESG and impact investment, the adoption and growth of RII and CREP investment has been slower and could be said to just starting to gain momentum. This is largely because high-quality RII and CREP opportunities are not public, earlier stage and therefore are harder to find and evaluate. Due to these factors, CREP and RII opportunities have typically been associated with increased risks (e.g., economic, management, technology and market), higher amounts of due diligence and decreased liquidity.

While RII and CREP opportunities will provide much greater and focused impact than SRI or ESG, to create a highly attractive asset class for RII and CREP opportunities, it is important to create professionally managed funds, aggregated portfolios, higher returns and lower risks. These goals can be accomplished by (1) understanding the motivations of, and benefits to, an ecosystem of Stakeholders interested in CREP/RII opportunities; (2) providing investment instruments and opportunities that utilize private-public partnerships, economic incentives and other valuable structures to de-risk investments, improve security of collateral, provide risk adjusted market returns, and accelerate liquidity; (3) providing an algorithmic Stakeholder matching platform with crowdsourced and professional due diligence that connects private investment and capital markets with compelling and curated CREP/RII opportunities and Stakeholders; and (4) developing accelerators that provide CREP businesses and projects the resources they need to succeed including management, capital, mentoring, professional services, market networks and property.

1. CREP/RII Stakeholders

Investors

Investors generally desire the highest returns in the least amount of time with the lowest risk of default or devaluation for their investments. Investors also want to efficiently find companies that meet their financing criteria regarding such things as differentiated solutions, experienced management, market size, geography, industry, stage of company, market share of company, ability to innovate, and ability to execute. The private-public partnerships, the Matching Platform and the CREP Accelerators can effectively provide investors with the RII opportunities that meet their criteria.

Lenders

Lenders provide debt financing in the form of promissory notes, bonds, lending contracts, mortgages and other instruments that provide for the payback of the loan. Typically lenders make interest on their debt at a rate reflective of the risk of default. Thus, normally the lower the default risk, the lower the interest rate. Lenders generally make lending decisions on factors including credit, income, balance sheet/assets, cash flow and collateral. Thus, by providing lenders with credit enhancement, default insurance, collateral enhancement, liquidation/creditor preferences and superiority, the cost of capital can be lowered to allow more CREP businesses projects to obtain loans to help fulfill these impactful businesses and projects to succeed.

Foundations

Foundations typically provide funding and support for other charitable organizations through grants, but may also engage directly in charitable activities. Foundations are often endowed by an individual, family, corporation or community. Foundations are required to pay out at least 5 percent of their assets each year in the form of grants and operating charitable activities. Also, a growing number of foundations have been making low-interest loans and project related investments to for-profit businesses that have positive social and/or environmental impact. Foundations seek the most relevant and impactful opportunities for their granting activities. Foundations want efficient ways to find, rate, diligence and determine which grantees meet their criteria and most effectively fulfill their mission.

CREP Entrepreneurs, Business Owners and Project Developers

This group of persons and organizations desire to see their business mission, milestones and objectives fulfilled and most require financing in order to do so. They spend massive amounts of time, energy and resources in fundraising. This group needs funding sources (e.g., investors, lenders and grant providers) that keep their word about timelines and are fair about valuations and terms with a minimum amount of bureaucratic hurdles and delays. Both this group and their equity investors are interested in protecting their equity from undue dilution and seeking more funding from non-dilutive sources of financing such revenues, licensing, joint ventures, distribution exclusives, grants and low-interest loans.

Thus, by stimulating CREP/RII entrepreneurs, businesses and project developers, the creation of jobs and economic growth from investment and support of these opportunities will be exponential.

EPCs, Product Vendors and Service Providers

CREP/RII opportunities will often require a whole slew of various product and equipment vendors, services providers (e.g., lawyers, accountants, computer programmers, system integrators, consultants, engineers, architects, distributors, packagers, manufacturers), and EPCs. This group of service and product providers will often provide discounts, investments and matching funds to obtain favorable bidding and other rights in expanding economic regions and growth opportunities.

Employees

The programs can require participating employers and providers of goods and services to pay employees fair wages, recognize employee rights, develop inclusion/diversity hiring practices, job training and advancement, and healthier and safer working conditions. Employees that are healthier, happier and paid a fair wage are more productive. Also, as the investment world and more consumers make their investment and purchase decisions based upon ESG practices, the more employees and employers benefit. By adding core regenerative opportunities and practices, employees, employers, humankind and the planet all receive exponential benefits.

Customers

Customers are becoming more aware and discerning about the products and services they purchase and there is a growing percentage of consumers that are making their buying choices based upon such factors as ESG, CSR, product materials, toxicity, durability and carbon footprint. According to a survey done by Futerra, 88% of consumers stated they would like brands to help them be more environmentally friendly and ethical.

NGOs

These organizations are usually non-profit public organizations that work independently from government organizations. NGOs desire to fulfill their social, environmental and/or political missions with the greatest impact and the most efficient use of resources (often coming through donations, grants and volunteers). Most donors and grantors donate only to NGOs that have low operating and marketing costs and spend most their money on projects. Therefore, demonstrating the greatest measurable impact per dollar donated gives NGOs an increase rating and likelihood of being awarded grants and receiving donations. Thus, NGOs often expend a great deal of effort seeking grants and marketing for donations while operating with understaffed organizations on insufficient budgets. NGOs can avail themselves of a regenerative flow of funds by taking hybrid approach such as starting, or partnering with, for-profit businesses, where the NGOs get distributions of profits, equity or donations based upon providing valuable service to the for-profit such as influence marketing, volunteer support, community and coalition building, research, endorsements, education and awareness campaigns. By leveraging hybrid models, NGOs can be more effective and can have well-staffed, highly functioning and marketed organizations.

IGOs

An IGO is most often an organization composed of sovereign states or governments. IGOs can have many different goals such as global, regional, cultural, health, financial and trade. Examples of IGOs include the United Nations (UN), the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, World Health Organization (WHO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and European Union (EU). Because IGOs are a diverse group with many different missions and interests, it is often a challenge to summarily and generally identify their interests as a cohesive group. However, it could be said that most IGOs do have at their core a mission to improve the quality of life and flourishing of humankind and the planet in some, whether it be the improvement of public health, improvement of financial condition, security and safety, protection and thriving of the planet’s ecosystems, preventing climate disaster, disaster relief, efficiency of trade, fair access to resources, protection of real, personal and intellectual property and/or world peace.

IGOs have significant ability to influence public policy and treaties; convene leaders, influencers, and innovators; provide financing; provide financial assistance, credit enhancement and risk reduction to promote investment and lower cost of capital; foster private-public partnerships; develop, deploy mission-based technologies and platforms; engage in, advance and fund research; bring celebrity and influencer support to impact projects; influence and integrate financial compelling financial instruments; provide ratings and certification systems; influence economic-social and political change; provide forums and summits that create solutions and build consensus; disseminate influential publications; and/or address large global issues like climate change and ecosystemic collapse.

By creating a highly efficient, yet standards-based, AI platform for organizing data, matching Stakeholders’ (including IGOs) interests and goals with rated and compelling opportunities, IGOs can more effectively leverage their macro perspective, power and influence to facilitate, accelerate and provide/obtain resources (e.g., investment, debt, sales, executives, advisors, personnel, volunteers, researchers, testing labs, certifying bodies, facilities, equipment) for on-the-ground projects and CREP companies that have been diligenced and certified on the platform.

Governments

Governments are generally formed to provide systematic governance and regulation of (1) persons (both natural and corporate), (2) ownership, possession and use of real, personal and intellectual property assets, (3) money issuance, monetary policy and systems of exchange, (4) elections, governance structure and distribution of power, (5) taxation, (6) national security, (7) immigration and citizenship, and (8) treaties and trade. Governance is normally accomplished through the application of social, economic, political and legal principles, doctrines, charters and regulations, which the government creates, administers and enforces. Most governments are formed with the intent of serving the health, welfare, peace, safety and security of the people and the lands they govern. Many governments are realizing that they can serve their economic and political interests more effectively by serving the well-being of people and planet.

Most governments generate revenues from taxation, fines, royalties, tariffs, property sales and leases. While many governments have economic development and investment programs for stimulating jobs, innovation and exports while also increasing tourism and attracting economic projects, these programs and investments are often subject to delays and insufficient resources. By developing CREP/RII private-public partnerships with cooperative governments, we can bring private investment of capital that will stimulate economic development, create jobs (especially those that are higher paying skilled labor) and foster innovation, as well as provide capital for government projects. We can demonstrate to governments that the CREP/RII private-public partnerships will not only bring much needed capital to their countries as well as increase employment, income taxes, property taxes, resilience, tourism, exports, royalties and innovation, but will also increase public health, productivity, quality of infrastructure, quality of education, and general quality of life for their citizens while decreasing environmental degradation, waste, hunger, poverty, pollution and corruption.

To provide the benefits sought by the foregoing Stakeholders, it will be necessary to meet certain requirements for investment through private-public partnerships including the following:

· Convenience in Finding and Evaluating CREP Opportunities. This can be accomplished by creating an application that algorithmically matches CREP Opportunities with investors, NGOs, IGOs and governments to create greater efficiency in connecting relevant stakeholders. Combining an easy form-driven GUI, stakeholders can complete forms that allow for error-checking and secure entry into an efficient database connected to AI evaluation and algorithmic matching engines. Stakeholders can be conveniently and efficiently matched based upon criteria including industry; opportunity type; opportunity size; financial performance and projections; geographic location; type of investment (e.g., equity, debt, mezzanine debt, convertible debt, SAFE); projected returns (e.g., ROI, IRR, Cash on Cash, Coupon); liquidity; management experience; government, NGO, IGO and other incentives; IP; market size; market share; ESG and impact analysis and grading; and investors.

· Reduction of Risk. By engaging in public-private partnerships risks can be reduced and CREP investment rewards can be increased thereby accelerating and expanding investment motivation and momentum, as follows:

o Governments can provide incentives such as tax credits, accelerated depreciation, favorable land and facilities grants or leases, tax holidays, repatriation relief, customs and import tax relief, employee training and retention credits. As well, similar to the PACE program in the U.S., governments can use their taxing authority to create superior liens for private investment in CREP opportunities. Moreover, governments can provide fast-tracked exceptions and variances to antiquated zoning and permitting regulations.

o IGOs, such as the World Bank, can insure against political and currency risk in developing countries and provide low interest loans to decrease the cost of capital so that CREP projects can be more profitable and attractive to investors. The UN can provide research, convening, tech platform and information management and marketing, introductions to strategic relationships. IGOs can create and foster the adoption of new metrics for ESG performance and investment that increase the valuation of companies.

o NGOs and foundations can provide non-dilutive grants and awards that give CREP companies the ability to accelerate their success and attract capital.

o Private capital (e.g., Private Equity Funds, Family Offices, Venture Capital, High Net Worth Individuals, Bulge Bracket Firms) are likely to find the benefits of the CREP investments containing the foregoing benefits highly compelling.

· Increased Returns and Liquidity. By utilizing the foregoing tools, we can lower the cost of capital, reduce the foregoing risks, increase profits, decrease the need for dilutive follow-on equity rounds, accelerate time to market, and provide greater credibility to CREP companies.

· Securitizable Instruments. By creating instruments that provide consistent and predictable cash flow (e.g., collateralized bonds, royalty contracts, output contracts, secured loans), these instruments can be aggregated, rated and sold to pension funds, sovereign funds, insurance companies and other investors seeking a portfolio of highly secure ESG instruments that have superior security, low default risk and market-rate returns.

2. Instruments to Stimulate Regenerative Impact Investment

There are numerous examples of creative instruments that have been utilized to stimulate investment into environmental and social benefits, including those discussed below. By analyzing the financial engineering in the following instruments, as well as the successes and challenges of these instruments, we can develop new and more compelling instruments through public-private multi-stakeholders partnerships .

· Property Assessed Clean Energy Bonds (“PACE Bonds”)

Alternative bond financing that promotes investment in energy efficiency, clean energy generation, water conservation and other projects and retrofits deemed “for public benefit.” Based on 100-year-old public financing mechanism (“Muni-Bonds”), PACE utilizes tax assessment and the tax authority and enforcement of government to lower costs of capital and risk, by using property tax liens as collateral. Property tax liens have superiority over the 1st mortgage.

PACE also eases traditional funding requirements (e.g., Cash, credit, Collateral) by looking at the value of the property to be improved and the value of the PACE improvements. Thus, those that have poor credit, inadequate cash and/or property with high debt ratios, can still obtain PACE financing. Moreover, the tax assessment obligation runs with property and is not an owner obligation.

Because PACE bond portfolios are securitizable, high-performing with low default rates and have received AAA ratings from S&P, PACE bonds are very attractive to initial private capital and to portfolio purchasers such as pension funds and insurance companies seeking predictable, regular and secure returns at favorable interest rates.

· Conservation Easements

A conservation easement is a voluntary, legal agreement generally between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently protects land by giving incentives to those agreeing to put land into the conservation. These incentives can include tax credits, charitable deductions, zoning variances, expedited permitting and carbon credits.

The land is often maintained in private ownership pursuant to the terms of the conservation easement, which can require such things as land restoration, reforestation, conservation, animal sanctuaries, and/or maintenance for public use for specific allowed purposes (e.g., nature appreciation, hiking, fishing, hunting, camping).

Using tax incentives (e.g., credits and deductions), more landowners will be motivated to put their land, or a portion of their land, into conservation easements and engage in reforestation, conservation, restoration, remediation and beautification programs.

Governments can also utilize grants, subsidies, tax incentives and low-interest loans for projects involving reforestation, conservation, restoration, remediation and beautification of degraded, challenged and polluted lands and waters.

· Green/Climate Bonds

A green bond is a debt instrument that is created specifically to provide financing for environmental projects, including providing funds for climate change solutions such as greenhouse gas reduction, carbon sequestration and related projects or programs. These bonds are often linked to a project's ability to pay the bonds through profits or paid outcomes generated by the project or program. and backed by the issuer’s balance sheet, and are also referred to as climate bonds.

Green bonds provide investors a way to earn tax-exempt income while supporting positive environmental impact. The issuers of Green Bonds benefit from attracting the billions of dollars from a growing class of investors that want to see their money being used to make a positive impact on the environment in addition to providing financial returns.

The first entity to issue green bonds was the World Bank, which began the practice in 2008 and has since issued over $3.5 billion in debt designated for issues related to climate change. In the ten years from 2008–2018, the World Bank’s green bond program surpassed over $10 billion from the issuance of green bonds, issuing over 130 bonds in 18 different currencies during the same ten-year period.[36]

With governments and financial powerhouses such as Blackrock, Van Eck and Allianz SE issuing and/or investing in Green Bonds, the market for Green Bonds has expanded significantly from $36.6 billion[37] 2014 to $167 billion in 2018 with an estimated $180 billion in 2019.[38]

· Hybrid Investment Instruments

Hybrid Investment Instruments (“HII”) utilize a mix of preferred equity, secured debt and/or royalties with objective performance metrics and outcomes to provide investors with (1) higher security, (2) greater diversification, and (3) mechanisms to ensure performance and liquidity. HIIs also provide entrepreneurs, early-stage companies and project developers with the benefits of (1) lower cost of capital, (2) reduced time and due diligence for receiving investment, and (3) clear deliverables and performance metrics that if achieved or exceeded will allow lower dilution and maintenance of control.

Also, HIIs can be constructed to put investors into a secured creditor position which converts into equity at the time of receiving specified payback and performance. Moreover, the secured convertible debt can be self-liquidating through a royalty structure, which alleviates defaults of the debtor in the event of delayed revenues and/or investment, market and regulatory changes and force majeure.

3. RII/CREP Investment Database & Stakeholder Matching Platform

The CREP/RII Stakeholder algorithmic matching engine and blockchain technology (“Matching Platform”), connects Stakeholders with an efficient platform to engage in relevant, secure, transparent, curated and credible CREP/RII transactions that specifically meet their criteria and are scored and rated based upon matching investment criteria to CREP/RII opportunities. The component parts of the Matching Platform include the following:

1. Marketplace. A transaction marketplace for the purchase, exchange of, and investment in, CREP companies, projects, products, services, and technologies. It is anticipated that the Matching Engine’s ability to connect Stakeholders for relevant and curated transactions will drive robust transactions into the Marketplace. As the regulatory environment for blockchain and digital currencies become more widely resolved and adopted, digital currencies with “smart contracts” and rules engines can be utilized to ensure that (1) investments, purchases and capital come from credible sources and provided to reputable recipients are who are complying with the law (e.g., KYC, AML and securities laws), and (2) funds are received by authorized recipients and used for their intended purposes, as well as creating transparency regarding the progress and delivery of projects and relevant milestones.

2. Crowdsourcing & Curation Engine. An incentivized crowdsourced and expert curation and rating engine will be provided to allow incentivized review, due diligence and rating of the best companies, products, technologies, services and projects (“Opportunities”). As Opportunities are filtered and rated through the funnel by incentivized crowdsourcing members, experts and analysts in the field will review the most highly rated and supported Opportunities, so they may efficiently be brought to the attention of the Stakeholders and capital providers seeking these Opportunities. Those that provide the crowdsourcing and curation services to the platform can be rewarded with points or digital currencies that can be exchanged for direct value on the network or for globally accepted currencies.

3. Resource Center. The Resource Center will be populated with both wiki and expert-curated content and data relating to geographically relevant CREP/RII opportunities as, well as market, resources, research, news, media, forums and data relating to such things as economic development, culture, market size and opportunities, bioregional appropriate technologies, incentives and programs to stimulate CREP/RII investment, businesses and projects.

4. CREP Investment Accelerators

There is significant value realized from taking companies from Seed to Series A and yet there is also significant risk. By having in-house teams of executives, professional services and staff to provide expert services and mentoring to CREP portfolio companies, we can increase the success rates and valuations of CREP portfolio companies. Accelerators can also reduce the failure rate of raising a follow on round after Series A from an average of 79.4% to 50%.[39] In traditional venture investing models, pre-money valuations of seed rounds typically range from $2M to $10M and average around $3.4M[40] with investors getting between 10–25% of the equity in the seed round.[41]

By funding, staffing and fostering CREP Accelerators, we can support, accelerate and exponentiate the success of brilliant, innovative and passionate CREP entrepreneurs. As a significant number of CREP entrepreneurs become successful, they will create a plethora of meaningful jobs, foster economic development, build companies that help transform our world and become champions of the Regenerative Economy.

By developing the CREP Accelerators regionally, yet having global processes, procedures and access to capital and resources, we can rapidly expand the influence and impact of the CREP Accelerators while also ensuring that the regional CREP Accelerators will have deep insights into the needs and culture of their region and be able to ensure project relevance and impact. Also, given the economics, education level, demographics and technological advance of each region, the regional CREP Accelerators can right size investment and support for the most relevant projects. We can incentivize the commitment and performance of management teams, mentors and support staff with integrated pay, equity and/or options.

The CREP Accelerators can attract very compelling CREP opportunities by both utilizing direct relationships and the strategic public-private partnerships, networks, instruments and matching platform described above. In order to make the CREP Accelerators more efficient and scalable, we will also be utilizing the technology of the Matching Platform to automate and streamline the funneling, due diligence, onboarding and investment process with creative terms and conditions that give entrepreneurs access to capital without long time delays, but provide for such things as supermajority voting preferred stock in the event that entrepreneurs don’t meet agreed objective performance milestones. The CREP Accelerators can create synergy among portfolio companies by cross-referral and patronage, as well as potential consolidation when it is best for the companies involved. We may also seek to do reverse mergers and Business Development Corporation acquisitions in order to provide earlier value and liquidity to the CREP investors.

Conclusion

To develop and gain significant adoption for the RII/CREP investment class and instruments will take substantial financial innovation and engineering, along with more in-depth research, planning, convening and collaboration, along with obtaining clear and binding agreements with the Regenerative Stakeholders.

Since money is often the greatest motivator and lubricant to action, by bringing capital to RII/CREP opportunities, we can accelerate the development of the Regenerative Economy, the greatest economic engine for good the world has ever known. While the solutions are simple they are far from easy. The 1,000-mile journey starts with the first step and time to start is now.

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