What is Regenerative Design?

What is Regenerative Design?

Regenerative design is a systems-based approach that creates built environments, products, and supply chains which actively restore, renew, and revitalize the ecosystems and communities they interact with. Unlike conventional sustainability—which aims to minimize harm—regenerative design seeks net-positive outcomes, where human activity leaves natural and social systems healthier than before. The concept draws on ecological principles, indigenous land management practices, and systems thinking to move beyond "doing less bad" toward "doing more good."

Why It Matters

Sustainability as commonly practiced has proven insufficient to reverse environmental degradation. Despite decades of corporate sustainability programs, global CO₂ concentrations continue to rise, biodiversity loss accelerates (the Living Planet Index shows a 69% decline in monitored wildlife populations since 1970), and soil degradation affects one-third of the world's arable land. The sustainability paradigm—reducing negative impact toward zero—cannot by itself restore what has already been damaged.

Regenerative design addresses this gap by reframing the goal. Rather than asking "how can we do less harm?" it asks "how can this project, product, or supply chain contribute to ecological and social recovery?" This shift has profound implications for how organizations design products, source materials, manage facilities, and structure supply chain relationships.

The business case is emerging clearly. Regenerative agriculture—a key application of regenerative design principles—has attracted over $5 billion in corporate investment commitments from companies including General Mills, Danone, PepsiCo, and Nestlé. These investments are driven by soil health economics (degraded soils reduce yields and increase input costs), climate risk (healthy soils sequester carbon and resist drought), and supply security (regenerative farms demonstrate greater resilience to extreme weather).

Market differentiation is another driver. As "sustainable" becomes table stakes, brands that can credibly claim regenerative practices access premium positioning. Patagonia's Regenerative Organic Certified sourcing, Kering's regenerative agriculture fund, and Interface's Climate Take Back program exemplify how regenerative commitments distinguish leaders from the sustainability mainstream.

How It Works / Key Components

Regenerative design operates at three scales: site, product, and system. Site-level regenerative design creates buildings and facilities that produce more energy than they consume, generate clean water, build soil, and enhance local biodiversity. The Living Building Challenge—the most rigorous green building standard—requires net-positive energy, water, and waste performance, along with demonstrated ecological and community benefits.

Product-level regenerative design considers the full lifecycle, selecting materials sourced from regenerative systems (regenerative organic cotton, agroforestry timber, pasture-raised leather), designing for biological or technical nutrient cycling (Cradle to Cradle framework), and ensuring that end-of-life pathways contribute to ecosystem health (compostable packaging that builds soil, recyclable components that maintain material value).

System-level regenerative design restructures supply chains and economic relationships to create positive feedback loops. Regenerative supply chains invest in supplier communities, restore degraded landscapes in sourcing regions, and build ecological infrastructure (watershed protection, pollinator corridors, coastal restoration) that strengthens the natural systems on which production depends. This approach recognizes that supply chain resilience ultimately depends on ecosystem health.

Implementation requires place-based understanding. Regenerative design is inherently context-specific—what regenerates a coastal ecosystem differs fundamentally from what regenerates a prairie or a tropical forest. Effective programs invest in ecological assessment, community engagement, and adaptive management rather than applying standardized solutions across diverse contexts.

Council Fire's Approach

Council Fire is deeply aligned with regenerative design principles, particularly in our work on ocean ecosystem restoration, coastal resilience, and climate adaptation. We help organizations move beyond sustainability compliance toward regenerative strategies that strengthen the ecological systems underpinning their supply chains, drawing on indigenous knowledge, marine science, and practical business experience to design programs that deliver measurable environmental recovery alongside commercial performance.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does regenerative design differ from sustainable design?

Sustainable design aims to minimize negative environmental and social impacts—reducing emissions, waste, and resource consumption toward zero. Regenerative design goes further, targeting net-positive outcomes where human activity actively improves ecosystem health, community wellbeing, and natural resource availability. The distinction is directional: sustainability holds the line, regeneration reverses degradation. A sustainable building minimizes energy use; a regenerative building produces surplus clean energy and enhances local biodiversity.

Is regenerative design practical for mainstream businesses?

Yes, though the depth of regenerative ambition varies by context. Regenerative agriculture is already operating at commercial scale across major commodity supply chains. Regenerative building design is advancing through standards like the Living Building Challenge, with over 130 certified projects globally. Product-level regenerative design is earlier stage but growing rapidly. The key is starting with the most impactful intervention points—typically material sourcing and facility operations—and expanding the regenerative scope over time.

How do you measure regenerative outcomes?

Measurement frameworks are evolving. Ecological metrics include soil organic carbon, biodiversity indices (species richness, habitat quality), water quality and quantity, and carbon sequestration rates. Social metrics include community health indicators, livelihood improvements, and cultural preservation. The Regenerative Organic Alliance's certification, the Living Building Challenge, and emerging natural capital accounting frameworks provide structured assessment approaches. The critical distinction from sustainability metrics is that regenerative measurement tracks improvement over baseline, not just reduction from a negative trajectory.