HEC joined media organization Reporters d'Espoirs, consulting firm BeCitizen, and French TV channel TF1 to present the first annual Positive Economy Awards in a ceremony on March 22, 2007 at the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

With so many critical issues shaping the world today – from climate change and poverty to the rising costs of energy and raw materials – businesses are being forced to think differently. 'Positive economy' is a concept that empowers enterprises to find new opportunities for creating economic value while respecting and protecting natural resources.

The Positive Economy Awards recognize enterprises that have developed innovative business models to respond to these challenges. In the inaugural year, the awards focused on one of today's most pressing issues: the environment. Next year, the spotlight will be on the integration of consumers and entrepreneurs from the 'bottom of the pyramid', the term coined by University of Michigan professor C.K. Prahalad to describe the world's poorest citizens.

The Positive Economy Awards were conceived by renowned industrial designer Matali Crasset and the winners selected by a jury of creative entrepreneurs, NGO directors and journalists, led by Pascal Chaigneau, Scientific Director of HEC's Sustainable Development Management Masters program. The jury chose the winning businesses from a pool of candidates nominated by HEC Masters students and consultants from BeCitizen.

As Bénédicte Faivre-Tavignot, Academic Director of the Sustainable Development Masters Program, explains, "The shortlist was drawn up on the basis of extensive research by our Masters students, who identified 60 innovative business models and benchmarked them against 'positive economy' criteria. We always encourage our students to participate in hands-on research as it allows them to apply theoretical learning to real-life situations."

Ocean Power Delivery won the start-up prize for building the first power station to harness wave power to generate electricity. The second award of the evening – for a contribution by an established enterprise with the potential to make an immediate impact – was won by Precious Woods, which developed a business model for the sustainable development of tropical rainforests.

President of the CCIP, Pierre Simon, opened the ceremony and Maximilien Rouer, President of BeCitizen, spoke about today's major issues and the solutions offered by Positive Economy. Frank Riboud, the President of Danone, French deputy Nathalie Kosciusko Morizet, Hugo Ferreira, Founder and Director of La Compagnie Benjamin de Rothschild, and HEC professor Jean Loup Ardoin participated in the evening's roundtable discussion, entitled "Enterprises, Investors, Policies: the new drivers of Positive Economy?"

Today, more and more enterprises are adopting sustainable development policies, proving that the transition towards a positive economy is well underway.