How are ideas evaluated?

Evaluation criteria

Ideas will be evaluated against the following criteria:

  • Implementation Feasibility

  • Climate Impact

  • Scalability

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  • Emerging Markets (only for relevant prize)

  • Data Analytics (only for relevant prize)

Since each idea is unique, some of the detailed criteria and questions described below may not be entirely relevant. However, this should give you an idea of the evaluation criteria at each competition stage.  

  

Implementation Feasibility

  • Who are the key stakeholders involved, which stakeholder provides which services to another, and the flow of funds (e.g., investment amounts, project revenues, customer savings, etc.)?

  • How can the proposed project be implemented? What are the challenges? 

  • Is there a pre-existing mature market for the solution? If not, is the market in its infancy or is it non-existent today?

  • Is the idea financially viable? Demonstrate with a business case.

Climate Impact

  • How is the impact area critical to tackling climate change and other related challenges (i.e. biodiversity loss, humanitarian crisis, health crisis, etc.)?

  • If implemented, will the idea generate systematic change in industries or geographies? And how will this be achieved?

  • Could the project benefit a large number of people and/or species? (Specify the estimated scale based on relevant research)

  • In addition to climate impact, does the idea have social, community or other co-benefits? Can you justify these quantitatively or qualitatively?

  • If the proposal is not sector-specific, the proposed impact should be defined concisely. 

Scalability 

  • What is the go-to market strategy for the solution - the target customer segment, market(s) and channel(s)?

  • Can the proposal scale-up to other geographies and/or industries?

  • What resources are required to scale-up?

  • How does impact grow as the idea scales?

  • Specify any frictions and solutions that can be implemented in the near or medium-term.

Emerging and Developing Markets

  • The Emerging and Developing Markets Prize calls on students to use innovative financial instruments or existing financial tools to address an underserved climate change issue within a specific emerging or developing market. The proposed submission can be applicable to wider geographies and sectors too.

  • For a list of these markets, please refer to the list of emerging and developing economies published by the IMF.

  • Which emerging/developing market is targeted? 

  • Can the proposal be scaled in other emerging/developing markets with the same instrument or similar tools? 

  • Will the project be adapted across various emerging/developing markets, if possible? If yes, describe how.  

Data Analytics

Finance does not adequately consider climate and environmental risks, impacts and opportunities in investment/financial decisions. The winning team will tailor datasets, models or analytics (e.g. climate models, weather data, geospatial and satellite data) for making climate change part of the financial decision-making process. 

  • Discuss which existing climate and environmental science or analytics you are using. How are you translating this to help change the existing investment decision-making process in the financial industry?

  • How do you expect this to be delivered in an operational context and by whom? 

  • How do you expect to monetise your idea? 

  • Who stands to benefit most if your idea is successful?