Natural Capital at the Point of Transaction

This FAQ accompanies the Theory of Change developed through My Drop In The Oceans.

It is not a product FAQ for mydio.com.

If you are looking for practical updates, see our Blog and Contact page.

Its purpose is to clarify the underlying framework: how ecological value can become visible and shareable in daily decisions.

What is My Drop In The Oceans?

My Drop In The Oceans is a theory of change focused on aligning the economy with Nature at scale.

It starts from a simple observation: the economy depends on natural systems, yet the value of those systems is still largely invisible in the everyday transactions that shape human behaviour.

The framework asks what would change if ecological value were recognised directly in economic life — not only through reports, regulation, philanthropy or long-term targets, but through the decisions people and businesses make every day.

What problem is this trying to solve?

Many sustainability approaches ask people, businesses and governments to protect Nature even when the economic signal points the other way.

That creates a structural tension:

• sustainable choices often cost more,
• ecological benefits are often delayed or diffuse,
• financial pressures are immediate,
• and Nature remains treated as an externality.

The result is not simply a lack of awareness. It is a misalignment between value, cost and decision-making.

The theory of change therefore focuses on the point where value is actually exchanged: the transaction.

What does “visible and shareable — not tradable” mean?

Making ecological value visible means allowing it to show up in economic decisions in a concrete way.

Making it shareable means that the benefits of protecting and regenerating Nature can be distributed through the economy, including to citizens and everyday participants.

“Not tradable” is an important distinction.

The aim is not to turn Nature into a speculative asset, token or financial product. The aim is to create a non-speculative value signal that helps align real economic behaviour with ecological responsibility.

Is this a loyalty programme?

No — although early implementation layers may deliberately use familiar mechanics.

Loyalty programmes normally exist to increase brand preference, customer retention and consumption.

This framework is different. It is concerned with how ecological contribution can be recognised, circulated and redirected toward further ecological value creation.

The resemblance at early stages is practical: familiar interfaces reduce friction. But the underlying purpose is not loyalty. It is value recognition.

Is this a new currency?

No.

The framework does not seek to replace existing money or create a speculative parallel currency.

It is closer to the idea of a Citizen’s Dividend for Nature: a way for people to share in the value of protecting and regenerating shared natural capital.

The distinction matters. A currency is primarily a medium of exchange. A dividend is a distribution of value. This theory of change is concerned with the latter.

Is this carbon offsetting?

No.

Carbon offsetting usually compensates for damage after it has occurred, often through project-based accounting.

This approach works upstream of that logic. It asks how ecological value can influence economic decisions before damage is locked in.

The goal is not to offset harm after the fact, but to make better choices more economically accessible in the first place.

How is this different from natural capital accounting?

Natural capital accounting helps institutions measure and disclose dependencies, impacts and risks linked to Nature.

That work is essential.

But measurement alone does not necessarily change the choices people make at the point of transaction.

My Drop In The Oceans asks how that value can become economically meaningful in everyday life — how it can move from reporting frameworks into real decisions, prices, incentives and participation.

What is the Citizen’s Dividend for Nature?

The Citizen’s Dividend for Nature is the idea that citizens should be able to share in the value created when Nature is protected, restored or used responsibly.

It is based on a commons-trust framing: Nature is not merely an external resource. It is shared foundational wealth.

If the economy depends on that wealth, then the value of ecological stewardship should not remain invisible. It should be recognised in ways that support people in making more sustainable choices.

Where does the value come from?

At the highest level, the value comes from recognising that economic activity depends on natural capital.

In practical terms, the framework explores how part of economic value can be attributed to ecological contribution and redistributed through transaction-level mechanisms.

The full financial architecture is not presented here as a finished public blueprint. That is deliberate.

What matters at this stage is the principle: ecological value should not only be measured after the fact. It should become part of how economic benefit is shared.

Who decides what counts as ecologically responsible?

This is one of the central governance questions.

The answer cannot be left to a single company, platform or marketing claim.

A credible system requires:

• clear eligibility criteria,
• defensible methodology,
• independent validation,
• consumer clarity,
• and transparent governance over time.

This is why the theory of change includes the need for a legitimacy layer alongside any commercial implementation.

Does everything need to be measured perfectly?

No.

Perfect data is rarely available, especially for complex ecological and supply-chain questions.

The more realistic challenge is to build methods that are reasonable, transparent and defensible.

In some cases, this may mean using thresholds rather than pretending to calculate a perfect number. For example: an activity, product or business may qualify as an allocator of ecological value if it passes agreed criteria. If it does not pass, it does not qualify.

The goal is not false precision. The goal is credible direction.

How does the framework avoid greenwashing?

Greenwashing becomes a risk when ecological claims are vague, self-declared or disconnected from real outcomes.

This framework reduces that risk by treating legitimacy as a core design requirement, not as a communications add-on.

That means:

• not claiming the problem is solved,
• being clear about what is known and what is still evolving,
• separating commercial execution from independent validation,
• and building a pathway for scrutiny before mainstream rollout.

What role does mydio.com play?

mydio.com is an early implementation layer connected to this broader theory of change.

It is not the theory itself.

Its role is to provide a real-economy pathway through which ecological value can begin to become visible and shareable in everyday transactions.

This is a mindful rollout of part of the theory of change — not a claim that the full system is complete.

Why not move directly into the mainstream market?

The reality is: it may not be a choice.

With interfaces like SwissPass and potential large-scale partners, the system could become visible at mainstream scale very quickly.

That makes legitimacy the critical constraint.

Without a credible layer — governance, validation, methodology, and consumer clarity — rapid exposure would risk weakening the entire project.

Early traction shows demand. The challenge now is ensuring the system holds under that level of scrutiny.

What would success look like?

Success would mean that ecological value no longer remains abstract, delayed or invisible.

It would mean that people can share in the benefits of making choices that protect Nature and society.

It would mean that businesses have a practical way to recognise and support ecological contribution.

And it would mean that sustainable choices become less dependent on sacrifice, guilt or premium pricing — and more aligned with how the economy actually works.

Is the framework complete?

No.

It is a developing theory of change with a clear leverage point: the transaction.

The strongest next questions concern methodology, governance, institutional legitimacy and mainstream adoption.

Those questions are not weaknesses to hide. They are the work to be done.

Why engage with it now?

Because the current economy still largely treats Nature as a cost after the fact.

Meanwhile, billions of decisions are made every day through transactions that rarely recognise ecological value.

Until that changes, the outcome is unlikely to.

My Drop In The Oceans is an invitation to help build that missing layer — where ecological value becomes visible and shareable at the point where decisions are actually made.

Related reading: Theory of Change, Privacy, and latest articles.

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