Building a Regenerative Economy with Robbie Schingler (Planet Labs)
Sep 11, 2023
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Robbie Schingler, co-founder of Planet Labs, discusses measuring nature's impact on the economy, their Earth data platform for real-time decision tools, aligning economic systems with nature, exploring the concept of regeneration, debt swaps for nature, New Zealand's future and natural capital, and building a regenerative future through collaboration and trust.
Building an Earth data platform that enables real-time decision-making in various sectors by capturing daily images of the entire land area of the Earth.
The importance of operating as a public benefit corporation and prioritizing the impact of products and services on society and the environment.
The need to shift the economic system towards recognizing the value of nature and exploring concepts like natural capital and debt swaps for nature to drive a regenerative economy.
Deep dives
The Importance of Natural Capital
The podcast explores the idea of having a natural capital balance sheet to measure the impact of companies and countries on nature. It emphasizes the need to shift towards a more regenerative economy by valuing and accounting for nature. The guest, Robbie Schingler, discusses the role of Planet Labs in building an Earth data platform that allows for real-time decision-making based on factual information about the planet.
The Role of Planet Labs in Monitoring the Earth
Robbie Schingler explains that Planet Labs is building an Earth data platform that uses a network of satellites to capture images of the entire land area of the Earth every day. By providing developers and data scientists with access to this data, Planet Labs aims to enable real-time decision-making in sectors such as agriculture, forestry, civil government, defense, and media. Schingler also highlights a partnership with the Norwegian government to monitor deforestation and forest management globally.
The Benefits and Challenges of Regenerative Finance
Schingler discusses the potential of regenerative finance and the importance of considering the public benefit in business operations. He explains that Planet Labs operates as a public benefit corporation, prioritizing the impact of its products and services on society and the environment. He also explores how natural capital accounting and transparency can incentivize behavior change, facilitate market shifts, and drive a transition towards a regenerative economy. Schingler acknowledges the challenges in avoiding unintended consequences and fostering a fair and equitable system, while still leveraging technologies like blockchain and web3 for transparency and traceability.
Shifting the Economic System to Value Nature
The podcast episode emphasizes the need to shift the economic system to better align with nature. Currently, the financialized economic system fails to recognize the intrinsic value of nature beyond its commodification. However, it is crucial to explore and intentionally make companies and countries see the value of nature rather than just what can be extracted from it. One approach discussed is the concept of natural capital, which involves bringing nature's value into the global economy. By incorporating true cost accounting and measuring the impact on nature in financial terms, it becomes financially logical for businesses to adopt regenerative practices while still maintaining a growth mindset within a more sustainable framework.
Debt Swaps and Philanthropy as Catalysts for a Regenerative Economy
Debt swaps for nature are highlighted as a key element in accelerating the transition towards a regenerative economy. With many developing countries burdened by debts that they struggle to repay, debt swaps offer an opportunity to forgive debt in exchange for the protection and restoration of natural assets. By measuring and monitoring the impact of activities on nature through platforms like earth data platforms, sustainable business models can be developed. Philanthropic funding plays a crucial role in spearheading such projects by providing initial investment and support for higher-risk systemic changes. The podcast also emphasizes the importance of strategic partnerships, leveraging technological innovations, and rethinking global monetary policy to reshape the way we value and protect nature.
