"a negative impact on the planet." In both cases, the product is the lock. And in both cases, governance attempts to compensate for what the product cannot yet resolve. But Patagonia holds a structural advantage Michelin lacks: two complementary leadership voices . Current CEO Ryan Gellert carries the most lucid discourse in the sector — that of an architect who protects: complete transparency on failures, confrontation with power. Founder Yvon Chouinard carries an even more advanced discourse — that of a gardener who contributes: regenerative agriculture "saves the planet," Kernza® "repairs the soil," the Earth has become "the only shareholder." One manages the paradox of the current model; the other has laid the foundations for the next. The gap between them is the work programme for the N3→N4 transition. What the Capacity Score reveals is not "who is the greenest." It is: who has the structural capacity to sustain their transformation — and who risks plateauing. The link with Michelin The Michelin study (available on noussommesvivants.co) established the method. It showed that a CAC 40 industrial group, led by a unifying CEO with a powerful institutional network, could reach an overall N2-3 score — with N3 signals in governance (commandite par actions structure) and human dynamics (operator empowerment). Patagonia offers a striking structural contrast:
Dimension
Michelin
Patagonia
Size
CAC 40, 132,000 employees
Private company, ~4,000 employees Outdoor clothing (extractive textile)
Product
Tyre (carbon mobility)
Ownership structure
Commandite par actions (partially protective)
Purpose Trust + Holdfast (100% profits → planet)
Theory of change Federate peers (GPSNR, Global Compact France)
Model + open source (bottom-up exemplarity)
Relationship to politics
Institutional dialogue (Senate, CNRS)
Confrontation (lawsuits, refusal to engage)
Dominant vocabulary
Sustainable performance, all sustainable Protection, conservation, truth-telling (CEO) + Contribution, regeneration, "save the planet" (founder)
Overall CS score N2-3 N3 (with N4 signals) The value of this comparison is not to rank the two — it is to show that radically different organisations hit the same lock: the product. Michelin and Patagonia have advanced governance, lucid leaders, and real financial commitments. But as long as the tyre remains a tyre and the jacket remains a jacket, transformation plateaus. N4 arrives when the product itself becomes the vehicle of regeneration. The Capacity Score in brief The Capacity Score is a diagnostic tool developed by Nous Sommes Vivants . It does not rate a company's environmental performance — it assesses its capacity to pursue and deepen its transformation towards a regenerative model . The central question is not "is the company doing well?" but "does the company have the structural capacities to go further?" A high score does not mean everything is fine — it means the conditions for transformation to continue are in place. A low score does not mean the company is "bad" — it means locks are preventing the trajectory from unfolding. Four maturity levels: N1 — Limit. The company is subject to regulatory and market constraints. Sustainability is a cost to minimise. The discourse is defensive. Transformation has not begun — or is cosmetic. N2 — Reduce. The company integrates impact reduction into its strategy. It optimises processes, measures its footprint, and engages in structured CSR approaches. The vocabulary is one of efficiency: reduce, optimise, offset. But the business model remains unchanged. N3 — Restore. The company questions its model. It explores structural alternatives (new materials, new governance, new partnerships). The vocabulary is one of transformation: restore, rebuild, rethink. The leader is lucid about limits. But the activity remains extractive — even if "less bad." N4 — Regenerate. The economic activity itself contributes to the vitality of the ecosystems and communities on which it depends. The product is the vehicle of regeneration, not merely its funding. The vocabulary is one of contribution: regenerate, co-evolve, contribute to the vitality of living systems. Stakeholders (communities, ecosystems) are integrated into governance. Six analytical levers: 1 — Personal Leadership. What the leader says, embodies, and does not name. Their vision, theory of change, and renunciations. 2 — Ecosystemic Intelligence. The capacity to understand and map dependencies on living systems. The data used — and how it guides decisions. 3 — Supply Chain. The relationship with suppliers, customers, and territories. Circularity, end-of-life, localisation. The degree of
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