We built Eco Finance during PayHack 2024 to show estimated carbon emissions alongside everyday spending. It was a 24-hour prototype using OpenFinance transaction data and dummy emission factors.
Estimating a transaction’s footprint
The proposed calculation uses the merchant category code (MCC), an emission factor, and the amount spent. For example, a dummy factor of 0.5 kg CO₂ per RM gives an estimate of 50 kg CO₂ for a RM 100 transaction.
Real use would require research into the factors for each merchant category. We considered surveys and work with DOSM; the hackathon version did not validate those estimates.
The proposed business model
We explored pooling users’ estimated savings, certifying carbon credits, selling them to companies, and rewarding users. Bursa Carbon Exchange was the market reference. This was a proposal to investigate, not an implemented or validated credit system.
What we built
We made a customer interface and an admin view. The demo is no longer maintained, so these screenshots record the prototype.
We didn’t make the final round T.T. I wrote more about the build, mentoring, and deadline problems in my first hackathon experience.