Net Positive Impact Score: impact, measured seriously
In the world of sustainability, much is promised and little is measured. The Net Positive Impact Score (NPIS) is Simbial's answer: a transparent and potentially certifiable methodology that assigns every project a score based on real physical outcomes, not declarations.
The formula: Handprint minus Footprint
Every project generates positive impacts (handprint: energy saved, CO₂ avoided, materials recovered, people trained) and negative impacts (footprint: resources consumed to carry it out). The Net Positive Impact Score is the difference: NPIS = Handprint − Footprint. One single number — honest and comparable.
Three dimensions: environment, society, economy
Indicators cover the three dimensions of sustainability: environmental (emissions, energy, water, waste, biodiversity), social (training, inclusion, health, community), and economic (efficiency, local supply chains, quality employment). Each indicator is expressed in its native physical unit.
Physical indicators, public coefficients
The certifiable truth lies in physical units: kWh, kg of CO₂ equivalent, tonnes of material, hours of training. Conversion into points is carried out using public, versioned coefficients inspired by international reference methodologies: anyone can verify how a score is generated.
Four levels of certification
Each indicator declares its own confidence level: estimated, AI-assessed for plausibility, validated with evidence, certified with documentation. Field validation is entrusted to Certifiers who are independent from the project, through a recorded validation act: anyone reading a score can trace back to who verified it and on what evidence. The higher the level, the more weight the data carries — and the more it can be used in corporate reporting.
And for people: the Talent Score
Each talent accumulates the impact of the projects they have contributed to along with their individual merit (quality of deliverables, consistency, collaboration). The two values always remain separable: anyone viewing a profile can see how much comes from collective results and how much from the individual's personal journey.
Sustainability challenges for companies → · Impact as a service: the model → · How certification works →
Frequently asked questions
Is the Net Positive Impact Score certifiable?
The methodology is built to be: physical indicators with method and evidence, public coefficients, explicit verification levels. The highest level requires documentation that can be checked by third parties; for regulatory use, validation by the company's auditors is required.
Who calculates the scores?
Calculations are performed exclusively on Simbial's servers based on the indicators register: no score can be modified by participants. The AI assesses the plausibility of declarations; evidence remains tracked.
How is it different from other sustainability scores?
Three choices set it apart: it starts from native physical units rather than self-assessments; it explicitly subtracts negative impacts (footprint); it makes conversion coefficients public. Net Positive Impact Score is a proprietary methodology of Simbial (Magnisi srl).
How is an Impact Score calculated?
It starts from the project's physical indicators — energy saved, emissions avoided, waste diverted from landfill, people trained — each with a calculation method and supporting evidence. Public, versioned coefficients convert them into points; points from the negative footprint are subtracted. The result, Handprint minus Footprint, is the Net Positive Impact Score of the project.
What does net positive mean?
An activity is net positive when it generates more value than it consumes: the benefit created (handprint) exceeds the footprint left behind (footprint). It is the step beyond traditional sustainability — reducing harm is not enough: what is measured is the net, positive contribution to the planet and society.
What is the difference between a Net Positive Impact Score and an ESG rating?
An ESG rating evaluates a company's processes and policies, often based on questionnaires and self-assessments. The Net Positive Impact Score measures the results of specific projects in verifiable physical units. They are complementary: the rating captures how you work, the score demonstrates what you have changed — and feeds ESG questionnaire responses with defensible numbers.