Please describe your proposed solution.

Problem introduction:

Traditional ESG rating systems are insufficient in evaluating the social, governmental and environmental impact of digital assets. These systems are designed for evaluating the impact of traditional assets such as stocks and bonds, which have different characteristics and operating principles than digital assets. Most digital assets operate within a decentralized ecosystem and can have unique social, governmental and environmental impact criterias that are not accounted for by traditional ESG metrics.

Solution:

The proposed solution is the development and implementation of the Impact Measurement System (IMS) as a comprehensive evaluation tool for rating digital assets in the Cardano Blockchain. The initial team has self-funded the project to create the basis of the IMS, which aims to address the gaps in evaluating the impact of digital assets on society, government, and the environment. The IMS considers key factors such as SDGs, IRIS+, Alignment to Impact Investment, Impact (Positive and Negative), Organization, Strategy, Risks, Technology, Industry, Governance, Business Model, Risk Management, Environmental Impact, and more.

To ensure the effectiveness and transparency of the IMS, it is crucial to thorough reviews, collaborative debates and diverse perspectives from the community. The goal is to refine the model and scoring methodology through expert guidance and input from various stakeholders. The intention is for the IMS to be an open-source tool, developed and used by the community to rate digital assets on the Cardano Blockchain based on their impact on the ecosystem.

By pushing the boundaries and providing a clearer and robust rating method, the IMS aims to facilitate transparency and direct evaluation of digital assets' impact.

Benefits and Impact:

The IMS will empower stakeholders to make informed decisions and drive positive change, will enhance transparency and credibility in evaluating digital assets' impact and will foster sustainable practices and responsible investment in the digital asset ecosystem.

The main points we are focusing on to strengthen the model are:

Rebalancing of methodology, weightage and score through volume testing

• Devise overall measurement systems and their respective category groups and indicators in order for us to add, remove or complement information.
• Devise scoring for each measurement system, category group and indicators.
• The methodology, weightage, and scoring must be further stabilized through volume testing to establish the resilience of the model through various data samples and situations.
• ~ 60% of overall attributes across Manual & GSRM tabs require stabilization.
• Testing 15 Cardano Digital Assets will reasonably stabilize the majority of indicators for Cardano

How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The benefits of the IMS for the Cardano ecosystem are significant. It enables stakeholders to make informed decisions, promotes transparency, establishes accountability and aligns the projects to the UN goals of 2030. By offering a standardized evaluation process and fostering collaboration, the IMS strengthens the ecosystem's trust and inclusivity.

Overall, the IMS enhances the sustainability and resilience of the Cardano ecosystem. It encourages the development and adoption of digital assets that prioritize social and environmental considerations, driving positive change and contributing to a responsible and impactful blockchain ecosystem.

How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

Success of the project looks like into different key indicators:

1. Adoption and Usage: SSuccess for the project is characterized by widespread adoption and usage of the Impact Measurement System (IMS) within the Cardano ecosystem.
2. Positive Feedback and Satisfaction: Stakeholders express satisfaction and provide positive feedback on the IMS's effectiveness in evaluating the impact of digital assets.
3. Improved Decision-Making: The IMS contributes to informed decision-making, enabling stakeholders to make more impactful choices. It enhances transparency and trust by providing a clear methodology and fostering credibility.
4. Enhanced Transparency and Trust: The IMS drives ecosystem growth and positive impact by attracting new participants and promoting socially responsible initiatives.
5. Ecosystem Growth and Impact: Ultimately, success is achieved when the IMS becomes a recognized and trusted tool that drives positive change, informs decisions, and contributes to the sustainable growth of Cardano.

We intend to measure it by develoment phases.

First, we need to devise overall measurement systems and their respective category groups and indicators in order for us to add, remove or complement information.

Second, we need to devise scoring for each measurement system, category group and indicators.

Third, once the the methodology, weightage, and scoring are advanced, we must stabilize the tool

through volume testing to establish the resilience of the model through various data samples and situations.

Finally, we intend to test different Digital Assets to keep stabilizing the model and start giving projects an impact score.

Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

First, a product roadmap will be created to provide a general perspective and to keep a close follow up, we will be using agile methodologies.

A Communication and marketing team will be the ones responsible for creating an identity on social media for the IMS, where it will regularly communicate project milestones, updates, and the ratings of digital assets to stakeholders, fostering transparency and trust.

Metera Protocol and Sustainable ADA will be also sharing the rating results and pushing the IMS within their platforms.

Metera Protocol will include the final rating in thair DApp to promote impact investing among the Community.

We will achieve this through the following strategies:

1. Publication and Documentation: We will produce comprehensive reports and documentation outlining the methodologies, findings, and key insights of the project. These resources will be made available on our project website and other relevant platforms to promote transparency and enable wider access to our research and development.
2. Community Engagement: We will actively engage with the Cardano community through various channels, such as forums, social media, and community events. Workshops, webinars, and presentations will be organized to share the project's outputs and results, fostering discussions, gathering feedback, and encouraging collaboration.
3. Open Source Contribution: As an open-source project, we will encourage community contributions to the project's codebase, allowing for continuous improvement and incorporating diverse perspectives. This collaborative approach will enhance the functionality and usability of the project, benefiting the entire community.
4. Partnerships and Collaborations: We will seek partnerships and collaborations with organizations, research institutions, and impact-focused initiatives. These partnerships will facilitate the sharing of project findings, as well as explore opportunities for further advancements and wider adoption of impact evaluation practices.
5. Awareness Campaigns: We will launch targeted awareness campaigns to raise awareness about the project and its benefits. Through marketing efforts, content creation, and collaborations with influencers and industry experts, we aim to reach a broader audience and generate interest in impact evaluation and sustainable investing.

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

We have developed with own funds the basis of the IMS tool alongside some third parties experts on the field. Now, we want to keep onboarding the right people to keep guiding us in the correct direction to make this tool fully robust and usefull in the Ecosystem.

A partnership between Metera and Sustainable ADA will help with the growth and success of the IMS being used far and wide in the crypto ecosystem:

We will build the IMS into its own product and service to be used for any Cardano community member. We believe with the partnership between Metera and Sustainable ADA we will be able to make a large impact in the Cardano ecosystem helping create a more defined standard for measuring the impact of tokenized assets.

Metera Protocol, an asset managment DeFi protocol with an impact thesis, built on the Cardano blockchain that enables the creation and support of tokenized portfolios known as Metera Tokenized Portfolios (MTKs) which has a solid community of more than 2500 supporters, solid partnerships such as Mlabs, TxPipe, Clarity Dao, Osmium Dao, VyFi, more than 2 years building the product and a solid track record of first delivering and then asking for funds to keep improving.

Metera protocol documentation: https://metera-protocol.gitbook.io/documentation/

Metera Dashboard: https://demo.metera.io/

Sustainable ADA has a successful and dedicated track record in the Cardano community. By Metera and Sustainable ADA partnering to expand the work around the IMS they will be able to together create greater impacts across the ecosystem.

Sustainable ADAs pre-funding activities and impact measurement experience:

Sustainable ADA has been focused on Impact Measurement since fund 7, and the team has past experience with in-depth universal impact assessments like the SDG, B-Impact, and GINN assessment including many others.

During Fund 6:

With the Cardano Aim team we helped with the research of adding SDG ratings to proposals in the Catalyst ecosystem.

Add SGD Ratings to proposals: https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/6/f6-partnerships-for-global-adoption/add-sdg-ratings-to-proposals-aim

Research in Applying Frameworks: https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/6/f6-partnerships-for-global-adoption/research-in-applying-frameworks-aim

During Fund 7:

Sustainable ADA during fund 7 did research to evaluate and look at different Impact measurement frameworks to find what works best for blockchain technology. We also did research on creating a token called the Sustainable Goals Token and idea was to from this research create a framework and platform for impact investing and evaluation.

We created a white paper for both the Impact Measurement Tool & the Sustainable Goals Token

Impact Measurement Tool: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFC7zRNrdg/em1s_yQDnNU6sPW6KJ8hnA/view?utm_content=DAFC7zRNrdg&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

SGT White Paper: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFE9HA3qQ8/IvJ93aosRmlIKZ9_17Izcw/view?utm_content=DAFE9HA3qQ8&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink

Impact Measurement Tool: https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/7/f7-improve-and-grow-auditability/impact-measurements-tool-research

Sustainable ADA Goals Token: https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/7/f7-miscellaneous-challenge/sustainableada-goals-token-research-5d5d2

During Fund 8:

Partnership Generation

• <https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-cross-chain-collaboration/cross-chain-impact-lead-generator>
• <https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-business-solutions-b2b-and-b2c/community-lead-generation>

Onboarding new Users:

• <https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/8/f8-new-member-onboarding/the-impact-onboarding>

During Fund 9:

During fund 9 we were able to take out past research for the Impact Measurement Tool

Cardano Impact Report 2023

We have had a lot of success while growing Sustainable ADA over the last few years. We have been closely connected to the Cardano community through our Project Catalyst proposing experience.

Learn more about all of our past funded projects here: https://sustainableada.com/catalyst/

Sustainable ADA has created: 48 individual stories on projects building in the Cardano community and making the world a better place.

More info here: https://sustainableada.com/news/

Sustainable ADA also created the Cardano Impact Report where they highlighted over 65+ Impact Project buildings on Cardano to make the world more sustainable and equitable for all.

Free Version can be found here: https://sustainableada.com/cardano-impact-report/

Reports Value:

“For those who are not in the Cardano community, this report is not just about Cardano. This is about an awakening to the wider global issues we face today, and a clear call to action, that our time has come to address these issues, head on. The report offers a path forward towards a sustainable and equitable future. By engaging with the innovative projects and initiatives presented here, you can also contribute to positive change and find solutions to the complex issues that burden our world, and at a minimum get inspiration to create your own projects, wherever you are in the world, and you can count on our community to guide you.” - Dr Mihaela Ulieru, Blockchain Pioneer, President at IMPACT Institute, World Economic Forum Expert and Chief AI Alchemist at SingularityNet

Sustainable ADAs Partners and Advisors:

Partners, advisors and supporters:

Dr Mihaela Ulieru - Chief AI Alchemist SingularityNET | Former Head of Strategic Impact at IOG

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihaelaulieru/>

Alex Ross - Talk to Loop Lead | Former International Director of Programs and Partnerships at British Red Cross

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-ross-61453a3b/

https://talktoloop.org/

Sunny Basra - CEO of SoundRig

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunnybasra/>

<https://linktr.ee/soundrig>

Affendi Samsudin - Co-Founder at Streets of ADA - A Samsudin Brothers Projek team

<https://twitter.com/TR1PL7>

<https://asamsudinbrothersprojek.gitbook.io/streets-of-ada/>

Alain "Fusion" Clapham - FRSA | Curator | Educator | Public Speaker | Facilitator

The self-professed ‘Transformative Storyteller’ has presented shows for MTV and Sky, hosted events at Wembley Arena, interviewed the likes of Beyoncé, Dr Dre and Marvel-mastermind Stan Lee, and shared his story on the TED stage.

An experienced public speaker, educator and creative producer, he is now a lead facilitator for YouTube, empowering thousands of young people to become better Internet Citizens, and helps award-winning CEOs discover their own stories of transformation.

The driving force behind creative currency initiative #IITSPIRATION and founder of BMT and BWT – an immersive live experience celebrating the ‘awesome everyday’ stories of black men and women - Alain takes on all challenges with irrepressible energy, curiosity and a desire to get to the heart of the matter.

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/alain-fusion-clapham-b8824b29/>

<https://www.instagram.com/iitstagram/?hl=en>

<https://www.instagram.com/bmtstories/?hl=en>

Sarah Margono-Samsudin | International Development Practitioner - Education for Sustainable Development Section@UNESCO and Secretariat Member of Mission 4.7 Organisation -

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-margono-samsudin-a1b41b99/>

Fabrizio Shao - Adaptive Athlete | Disability Advocate | Web3 Brand Ambassador

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabrizio-shao/>

<https://www.instagram.com/tv/CYHlrYXIEwC/> - Cardano Summit 2021 Keynote Speaker

What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goals are to:

1. Improve, test and rebalance the model.
2. Open source the tool
3. Rate digital assets.
4. Communicate progress and promote the project

Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: System Design and Development (Estimated Timeline: Month 1-2)

Tasks:

1.1. Kickoff: Roadmap creation, form the initial team, talk to mexican universities for the intern program, set up the tools needed and explain how are the sprints going to work. The team neads to understand the needs and expectations for the IMS.

1.2. System architecture design: Define the overall structure and components of the IMS.

1.3. Technical development: Implement the necessary functionalities and features of the IMS, specially on the GSRM and Manual rating Systems, including data collection, evaluation criteria, and scoring algorithms.

1.4. User interface design: Improve the user-friendly interface for stakeholders to interact with the IMS.

Milestone 2: Testing and Refinement (Estimated Timeline: Month 3-4)

Tasks:

2.1. Data gathering and integration: Collect relevant data from digital assets on the Cardano blockchain to feed into the IMS. Find the right way to present and digest the data collected in order to facilitate the universities intern tasks of rating the assets.

2.2. Model testing and evaluation: Assess the effectiveness of the IMS by applying it to a selected set of digital assets, deep dive into each category group and indicators to make a complete map of the IMS.

2.3. Feedback incorporation: Gather feedback from technical experts, subject matter experts, and key members of the Cardano community to identify areas for improvement and refinement of the IMS.

2.4. Model iteration and adjustment: Refine the evaluation criteria, scoring methodology, and system functionalities based on the feedback and testing results.

Milestone 3: Open Source Release (Estimated Timeline: Month 5)

Tasks:

3.1. Code review and documentation: Conduct a comprehensive review of the IMS codebase, ensuring its quality, security, and adherence to best practices. Document the codebase for future contributors.

3.2. Licensing and open-source setup: Determine the appropriate open-source license for the IMS and establish the necessary infrastructure for its release, such as a dedicated repository and version control system.

3.3. Community engagement: Launch the open-source IMS, actively engage with the Cardano community, and encourage contributions, suggestions, and collaborations.

3.4. Documentation and user guides: Prepare detailed documentation and user guides to help stakeholders understand and utilize the IMS effectively.

3.5 Asset rating process p. 1: Start working with university interns to rate 4- 6 assets and provide a score.

Milestone 4: Asset Rating and Communication (Estimated Timeline: Month 6)

Tasks:

4.1. Asset rating process p.2 : Continue working with the university interns to rate the rest of the assets to reach 15 assets rated.

4.2. Communication strategy: Devise a communication plan to inform stakeholders, investors, and the Cardano community about the asset rating process, the benefits of the IMS, and the importance of impact evaluation.

4.3. Progress reporting: Regularly communicate project milestones, updates, and the ratings of digital assets to stakeholders, fostering transparency and trust.

4.4. Feedback incorporation and continuous improvement: Continuously gather feedback on the asset rating process, address any concerns, and refine the IMS based on real-world experiences.

Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: System Design and Development

• Deliverables: Requirements document, system architecture design, functional IMS prototype, user interface design.
• Outputs: Clear understanding of requirements, functional IMS prototype.
• Outcomes: Well-defined system architecture, alignment with stakeholder needs.

Milestone 2: Testing and Refinement

• Deliverables: Data integration, evaluation reports, feedback documentation, refined evaluation criteria.
• Outputs: Tested IMS model, refined system based on feedback.
• Outcomes: Validated IMS performance, improved reliability.

Milestone 3: Open Source Release

• Deliverables: Reviewed codebase, open-source license, IMS repository, documentation and user guides.
• Outputs: Open-source IMS, community engagement channels, documented system.
• Outcomes: Active community involvement, increased accessibility.

Milestone 4: Asset Rating and Communication

• Deliverables: Rating guidelines, communication strategy, progress reports, improvement plans.
• Outputs: Consistent asset rating process, effective communication.
• Outcomes: Reliable ratings, stakeholder awareness, continuous improvement.

Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Assuming an average price of 0.30 USD/ADA during the project timeline, the total ADA budget for the project is 218,333 ADA.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Metera Protocol

Carlos Ernesto: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernesto-sampson/

COO and CoFounder of Metera Protocol. Business manager and strategist. With experience in the creation, development and administration on projects. Experience in planning, management, and daily operation of Fintech and Crypto projects.

Deep interest in new technologies and passionate about making things happen.

Daniel Sampson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-sampson-26966a225/

CEO & CoFounder of Metera

Entrepreneur and innovator in the web3 ecosystem with a strong background in traditional asset management. Experience in marketing, project management and investor relations.

Santiago Portela: https://www.linkedin.com/in/santiago-portela-4a789099/

CSO and CoFunder of Metera, Santiago is a strategic leader at Metera, guiding the protocol's overall objectives, vision and strategy, developing impact assessment systems, and developing Metera's tokenomics engineering for sustainable decentralized asset management.

Impact Web3 & Sustainable ADA

Cole Bartlett and Razali Samsudin Co-founded Sustainable ADA and Impact Web 3, and have been shaping it into what it is today.

It all started with the initial idea for Sustainable ADA back on April 20th of 2021 (Sustainable ADA 2021). Together, we co-founded it in June of 2021. We have backgrounds, professional experiences, and knowledge in education, economics, sustainability, and how blockchain technologies can be harnessed for good.

Cole Bartlett:

Co-Author of Recalibrating Value, Identity & Impact Through the Blockchain Cardano Impact Report 2023 | Bachelors in Economics and Sustainability | Blockchain/Sustainability Researcher | Social Entrepreneur | Co-Founder of Impact Web 3 & Sustainable ADA | Positive Blockchain Contributor | Impact Measurement Expertise | US Director for Yagazie Foundation | Blockchain Learning Center Core Member | Co-Founder of Vermont Fishing | Decentralized Lead Generation | UNITE 2030 Youth Delegate | Photographer, Videographer, Editor | Content Creation

Additional Activities by Cole:

• Member of SmartHubs and Founding member of P-Gen. The decentralized partnership generation model was designed by Cardano community members and first funded through Project Catalyst in Fund 8.

• <https://linktr.ee/smarthubs>

• Live Twitter Space Host every Thursday at 4pm UTC. Cardano For Good - We bring impact project in the Cardano community to the stage and talk about all the good happening in the Cardano Community.

• <https://twitter.com/CardanoSpot/status/1679222635891400704?s=20>

• Took part in the very first Catalyst Boost Camp held by Entreprenerdy.

• Experience: <https://sustainableada.com/news/cardano-catalyst-boost-camp-providing-invaluable-guidance-and-resources-for-funded-proposals/>

• Took part in a course by Grace Rachmany at DAO Leadership called "THE FUTURE AIN’T WHAT IT USED TO BE:

• <https://www.daoleadership.com/future-course/>

• Active Member of Cardano For Climate

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/cole-bartlett>

https://twitter.com/cole_vt

Razali Samsudin:

14 years of experience as an interdisciplinary Educator from early years settings to postgraduate level, with a background in social sciences, humanities, and sustainability. Freelance Writer, Editor, Digital Economy, Blockchain, Sustainability and Impact Measurements Researcher (#Blockchain4Good, #Cardano4Good, #NFT4Good), Social Entrepreneur, Catalyst Proposal Mentor. Wada UN SDG and Education Coordinator, Co-Founder of Sustainable ADA, Contributor at Cardano AIM, PositiveBlockchain, Cardano4Climate, Catalyst School and Adatruth.

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/razali-samsudin>

<https://twitter.com/Razlosophy>

More about the Sustainable ADA team:

<u>Catalyst Journey:</u>

We joined Project Catalyst, Cardano’s decentralized innovation fund, during fund 4. After applying and learning from both funds 4 and 5 along with lots of support from Cardano community members and teams, we were able to construct a strong proposal together that focused on our goals and ambitions for Sustainable ADA, and the Cardano community’s goals. We submitted a proposal focused on helping Grow Cardano, and Grow Africa.

With this funding, we had more capacity to focus on researching and sharing stories from change-makers in Africa and the diaspora, who are engaging with Cardano, creating a better tomorrow, today.

Thanks to the Cardano community and the use of their voting power from holding and staking ADA, we successfully secured the funding we were seeking. This helped us to take significant steps towards fulfilling our vision and mission having secured these crucial and helpful funds.

Through our time in the Project Catalyst ecosystem, we have been able to create a lot of strong and exciting partnerships with projects and businesses all across the world. This has led us to develop new ambitions for the work we do and to expand beyond education.

More about the projects we have been involved in: https://sustainableada.com/catalyst/

<u>Experience and Expertise </u>

The Sustainable ADA team has experience working with Figma, Canva, Wix, Final Cut Pro, Da Vinci Resolve 17, Adobe CC, Microsoft Products (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc).

Sustainable ADA has experience and backgrounds in Sustainability, Economics, Humanities, Social Sciences. Along with work with NGOs, Social Enterprises, Freelance journalism, and blogging.

The team has been a part of the Cardano ecosystem since 2020 and is very dedicated to the Cardano ecosystem. We created Recalibrating Value, Identity & Impact Through the Blockchain: Cardano Impact Report 2023”.

The team also has undertaken the first of its kind Cardano Impact Report.

The Cardano Impact Report is a comprehensive publication that aims to capture and showcase the positive impact generated by the Cardano community. It is designed as a book NFT (Non-Fungible Token) to leverage the unique features of blockchain technology, ensuring authenticity, transparency, and immutability of the content.

<https://sustainableada.com/cardano-impact-report/>

Sustainable ADAs community partners:

How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The cost of the project represents value for the Cardano ecosystem by providing:

1. Comprehensive evaluation of digital assets.
2. Informed decision-making for stakeholders.
3. Transparency and trust through a standardized evaluation framework.
4. Long-term sustainability by promoting impact-aligned assets.
5. Industry leadership in responsible blockchain development.