TLDR

Starting with six words – Air, Water, Soil, Biodiversity, Equity, and Carbon – the Ecological Benefits Framework (EBF) is a holistic approach for aligning economic activity with the regeneration of our planet. The mission of this grant proposal, ReFi EBF, is to intertwine and enhance this work within the ecosystem of Regenerative Finance (ReFi) and Web3 technology. Together we aim to pioneer a future where finance and technology is a driving force for breathing life into ecosystems, enhancing biodiversity, promoting equity, and restoring balance to our world. We seek to fuel a transformative initiative, uniting diverse stakeholders under a common language and framework, and propelling us from an era of extraction to the age of regeneration.

Background

For the past 12 thousand years, we have perfected an economic system based on extraction.

Now, everything is converging …

• Climate change.
• Water scarcity.
• Biodiversity loss.
• Rampant inequity.
• Lack of trust in carbon markets.
• Fractured ESG reporting.

... and everything’s at stake.

Where do we go from here?

In the face of a complex web of existential crises, carbon and other impact markets have the potential to be a key part of the solution. Yet carbon markets themselves face a number of fundamental challenges currently hindering their impact and growth - opacity, misinformation, extraction, fragmentation and the resulting lack of trust - to name a few... Furthermore, it is abundantly clear that carbon remains only one part of the challenge. In overcoming 'carbon tunnel vision', holistic approaches are desperately needed to tackle biodiversity loss, growing inequality, and a range of other social, environmental and economic challenges.

As a species, how should we value carbon alongside other social and ecological impacts? Can we express the value of our ecosystems holistically? Can we realign human activity with the health of people, planet, and the biosphere? Can we get out of doing less bad and focus on doing more good?

A New Paradigm

In September 2022, hundreds of stakeholders across carbon markets, ReFi, blockchain, Web3, conservation, regenerative agriculture, and corporate ESG reporting began an activator led by The Lexicon to develop a more equitable framework in response to climate change (and much more).

Read more about the activator

Based on the on the shared insight that the health of our societies, economies, and all life on earth, depend on the health of our air, water, soil, biodiversity, equity, and atmospheric carbon, the process mobilzed experts across distinct value chains to activiate a new framework that can align carbon markets, financial decision making, ESG reporting and the expansive impact economy.

Introducing EBF. The Ecological Benefits Framework - a framework for a regenerative paradigm - and it starts with six words:

• Air.
• Water.
• Soil.
• Biodiversity.
• Equity.
• (And carbon.)

Starting from here, EBF can provide a foundational new architecture to radically transform global carbon and ecological benefits markets both by increasing transparency, trust, quality, and equity, and by accelerating the coordinated delivery of positive financial and environmental impacts. By developing a shared framework, EBF can create alignment across public and private sectors to support the rapid deployment of strategic capital for activities that create measurable, holistic and life-affirming ecological impacts.

Bluetooth is an enabling technology. It is the digital handshake that lets your mobile phone talk to your car, your refrigerator, and even your front door. Can we create a digital handshake for the planet?

Progress So Far

Through a combination of funding from Ripple, BxC, and others, and since the previous EBF Gitcoin Grant, many key milestones have been reached. Phase 1 of the EBF roadmap is concluding.

Key highlights include:

Completion of 24 EBF Case Studies from Around the World - An open call for ecological benefit projects from across the globe led to hundreds of submissions, from ocean plastic removal in Indonesia to forestry projects in Sri Lanka. The activator selected and on-boarded 24 diverse project case studies with an EBF analysis that showcases their unique contributions and impacts.

Launch of CanYouChangeTheFuture.org with highlights including:

• DIGITAL FINGERPRINTS FOR EBF PROJECTS: A groundbreaking step forward has been the creation of digital fingerprints for EBF projects. This innovative approach provides a standardized yet personalized format for entities to express their positive impacts visually and interactively. The use of Lex Icons further enhances this by providing a clear and standardized language to improve literacy and decision-making across the entire value chain.

Explore EBF Case Study Fingerprints 🔗

• “FINANCING ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS” INTERACTIVE SIMULATOR: The interactive simulator developed by EBF, titled “Financing Ecological Benefits,” aims to elucidate the complex dynamics between the financial markets and ecological projects. Leveraging the insights from our 24 case studies, this tool demonstrates the mechanisms through which financial instruments can value ecological benefits, thereby shaping how various purchasers — from sovereign nations to philanthropic institutions — can support and invest in these vital attributes.

Explore the Simulator 🔗

The momentum gained and the progress achieved since the last Gitcoin Grant have been substantial. By continuing to work collaboratively, EBF is making strides towards a framework that not only values but actively enhances ecological and social well-being.

This Grant - ReFi EBF

Under leadership from Monty Merlin of ReFi DAO and with support from a diverse variety of ReFi stakeholders, ReFi EBF is a strategic partnership with The Lexicon to infuse the Ecological Benefits Framework (EBF) into the heart of the ReFi ecosystem. With the money raised from this grant proposal, we will be specifally focussing on supporting the development and deployment of EBF in ReFi projects, tools and initiatives.

Mission & Vision

Our mission is to seamlessly integrate the Ecological Benefits Framework with Web3 and the ReFi ecosystem, fostering a community fluent in EBF and enabling a fully EBF-empowered ReFi landscape. Through the application of EBF, the ReFi ecosystem can unlock an array of tools, ideas, oppertunties and connections to achieve substantial progress in realizing regenerative impact goals.

Aims and Outcomes

The ReFi EBF project aspires to:

• Support & Incubate: Catalyze and support EBF-aligned projects and initiatives within the ReFi ecosystem.
• Educate & Communicate: Deploy educational campaigns and utilize media to spread the EBF mission.
• Fund & Foster: Direct grant funds to encourage and assist promising ReFi EBF projects and initiatives (❗️with an aim towards a ReFi EBF quadratic funding round when match funding can be raised!)

We believe that EBF will function as an essential structure for evaluating ecological impacts within the Web3 & ReFi domain, and beyond. This framework will be instrumental in:

• Reducing emissions & enhancing ecological benefits
• Establishing a coherent reporting and valuation methodology
• Unlocking additional funding streams

Case Studies & Collaborations

Current progress within the ReFi sector has demonstrated a strong appetite and growing adoption for EBF. Notable initial developments include:

• Regen Network is charting new territory by creating inclusive markets for ecological benefits that recognize and value not just carbon but also biodiversity, water, and social contributions. Such a pioneering approach hinges on a unified language that unites a spectrum of stakeholders.
• Open Earth Foundation is tackling the intrinsic valuation of nature and ecological systems, leveraging EBF as a common language to articulate shared natural value.
• Basin DAO is utilizing EBF to craft a compelling narrative for impact, natural capital, and real value in the ecosystem services domain.
• Hack ReFi is aligning its hackathon efforts with EBF, uniting forces to advance the regenerative finance movement.
• Sunflower Eco-Tech is implementing EBF in their Adaptive Agroforestry methodology for smallholder farmers to issue practice-based ecological assets that are contextualized into each bioregion. "Using EBF as a way to contextualize the health of that bioregion is something I am incredibly excited about!" - Sev Nightingale
• Hypercerts, Silvi & dMeter are in the early stages of collaborating around on-chain MRV and ecological asset creation, exploring the potential of hypercerts and new impact funding systems in this approach.

Progress to date in educational & commuincation efforts also include:

• ReFi DAO Blog publication introducing the intersection of EBF activator work with the ReFi ecosystem -> A Common Framework for ReFi | EBF Activator x ReFi DAO 🌱
• ReFi Podcast featuring discussions with Douglas from The Lexicon, expanding on the shared goals of ReFi and EBF.
• ReFi Week presentations, workshops, and discussions, e.g. Unlocking the Ecological Benefits Framework (EBF) for ReFi & Web3 | Monty Merlin @ ReFi Week
• More coming soon!

This grant will be a catalyst, driving the continuous development and assimilation of EBF into ReFi, shaping an ecosystem where education, communication, and funding coalesce to spawn innovative EBF applications. We're ready to support the ReFi projects poised to redefine the regenerative impact space.

Conclusion

As we stand at the pivotal crossroads of history, the choices we make today will echo through generations. It is not just an opportunity but an imperative that we shift gears from the Age of Extraction to the Age of Regeneration, fostering a world where ecological and societal benefits are intertwined with economic prosperity.

The Call to Collective Action

The journey towards a regenerative future is not a solitary one. It requires the confluence of innovative minds, committed organizations, and dedicated individuals all working in unison. Our shared mission to establish a common language and framework for ecological benefits is more than just a collaborative effort—it is a movement that thrives on the collective support and action of each one of us.

Through the ReFi EBF grant, we are extending an invitation to you—to be part of a transformative force that redefines our interaction with the planet. By investing in a common framework, we are setting the stage for a unified approach to regeneration, creating systems that are not just sustainable, but thrive on restoring and revitalizing our natural world.

Your support for this grant signifies more than just a financial contribution; it is an affirmation of belief that a regenerative future is possible. As we support and develop the EBF within the ReFi ecosystem, we are paving a path for education, communication, and innovative funding mechanisms to flourish. Together, we will empower the ReFi projects that hold the promise of reimagining the landscape of regenerative impact.

Transformational new systems for public good require collective action AND collective support.

Join us in this quest. Support the ReFi EBF grant, and be a part of shaping an ecosystem of regeneration, resilience, and rebirth for our planet.

Together, let's turn the Age of Regeneration into our new reality. 🌱