ECO-STAR accelerates climate innovation by uniting AI, Indigenous wisdom, circular design, and regenerative business models.
The Innovation Framework Turning Bold Climate Ideas Into Scalable, Nature-Positive Ventures
When it comes to solving the climate crisis, ideas are everywhere—but impact is rare. Most climate innovations never make it past the whiteboard. What separates a hopeful sketch from a scalable solution is a clear, credible value proposition. That’s what the ECO-STAR framework delivers: a rigorous, no-fluff method for turning early-stage ideas into ventures that can actually move markets, restore ecosystems, and change lives.
What Is ECO-STAR?
ECO-STAR is an advanced evolution of the CO-STAR innovation framework, purpose-built for climate and nature-positive enterprises. It merges the original six-step structure with leading insights from climate science, circular economy models, Indigenous knowledge systems, and regenerative business design.
Co-developed by innovation experts Herman Gyr and Olaf Kuhlke and expanded in the second edition of Creating Value with CO-STAR, ECO-STAR is a proven framework for transforming bold ideas into credible, high-impact value propositions. It helps innovators clearly define who their idea serves, the problem it solves, and how it outperforms alternatives—while remaining grounded in feasibility, team readiness, and measurable outcomes.
The acronym stands for:
- Customer – Who are you creating value for?
- Opportunity – What unmet need are you addressing?
- Solution – What is your proposed innovation?
- Team – Who’s turning the idea into reality?
- Advantage – Why is your solution better?
- Results – What impact will it create?
Beyond the Pitch: A Tool for Regenerative Innovation
More than just a pitch tool, CO-STAR has evolved into a full-spectrum innovation accelerator, especially powerful in the context of climate solutions. It’s now being used to structure nature-positive, net-zero, and circular economy ventures, as highlighted in its integration with thought leadership from Project Drawdown, the BIODIFUL initiative, and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).
The second edition of the CO-STAR guide emphasizes its role in addressing systemic challenges like climate change and ecological collapse. It now includes pathways that flip traditional value creation on its head—treating nature as the customer and humans as stewards. This reframing encourages innovations that prioritize ecological regeneration rather than just reducing harm.
AI Meets Systems Thinking
One of the most forward-looking features of the updated CO-STAR is its synergy with generative AI. By integrating AI tools like ChatGPT into the innovation process, users can rapidly generate, iterate, and validate ideas based on real-world data and market signals. The book even offers a “RACES” prompt formula to optimize AI collaboration: Role, Assignment, Context, Examples, and Specifics.
The Indigenous Lens: A Vital Perspective
In a groundbreaking move, CO-STAR also centers Indigenous knowledge systems. The methodology recognizes Indigenous values—such as kinship, stewardship, and relational intelligence—as vital to solving today’s ecological crises. Innovation is not just about invention, but about cultural alignment and spiritual responsibility to Earth and each other.
Real-World Use Cases
CO-STAR has already guided a range of ventures—from clean energy startups to Arctic food sovereignty initiatives. It’s used by students, entrepreneurs, and organizations seeking to embed nature-positive thinking into the DNA of their business models.
Whether you’re redesigning ice-thickening technology for the Arctic, launching regenerative agriculture ventures in Manitoba, or prototyping an AI-powered arts application in Northwestern Ontario, ECO-STAR brings structure, clarity, and credibility to the process.
A Call to the Bold
If you’re an entrepreneur, intrapreneur, or changemaker with an idea worth fighting for—especially one that can help reverse climate damage—ECO-STAR offers the structure you need and the creative spark you’ve been waiting for.
Because in the end, no customer means no value. And no value means no innovation. But with CO-STAR, bold ideas don’t just survive—they thrive.
Click here to try it out today!
