Reports said that panelists at the recent MENA Climate Week 2022 examined how blockchain technology can contribute to green initiatives.
It has been reported that hosted by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and World Green Economy Organization, along with various institutions under the United Nations Environment Programme and in partnership with renewable energy groups, the event explored how to promote climate action using digital innovations.
However, in one session, a hybrid panel of experts in blockchain and climate action discussed how blockchain use cases could contribute to a greener future in the Middle East, North Africa and globally. The session, titled “Transformative Climate Action through Digitalization: Blockchain Technologies,” featured insights from prominent blockchain figures Marwan Al Zarouni of the Dubai Blockchain Centre, Jane Thomason of the British Blockchain and Frontier Technology Association, and Cointelegraph’s own editor-in-chief, Kristina Lucrezia Cornèr.
The report said that the blockchain figures were joined by climate advocates Sami Dimassi of the UN Environment Programme; Miroslav Polzer of IAAI; Tia Kansara of Replenish Earth; Princess Abze Djigma of Burkina Faso, who is also a member of the African Union and European Union Digital Economy Task Force; Massamba Thioye of the UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub; and youth climate action leader Ameera Al Haranki.
Likewise, each shared their perspective and knowledge on how blockchain can be connected to climate action initiatives. In his opening remarks, Dimassi highlighted several actions that can be done to “tap into blockchain use” to contribute to climate actions.
He noted promoting policy shifts, bringing technological evolution to the climate sector, and increasing community awareness and collaboration. According to Dimassi, because there are many growing climate issues in the world today, it’s necessary to promote government regulations and policies that enable people to adopt digital innovations such as blockchain technology.
The UN director noted that blockchain is itself just a neutral technology and that it’s up to the users what they do with it.
He added:
“Blockchain can improve efficiency and transparency in climate actions if it’s used in the right manner. Blockchain in itself is neither good nor bad for achieving climate targets. It depends on what we make of it.”
He said that the case for digital transformation is very “compelling” and that solutions like blockchain can be a great asset to support transformative climate action because of their inherent abilities. Apart from Dimassi, Al Zarouni also highlighted efforts within the UAE government to support the adoption of blockchain technology.
Al Zarouni noted the Dubai Blockchain Strategy, a government-backed effort to push blockchain adoption in the region. He also stated that his organization, the Dubai Blockchain Centre, works to help the ecosystem within the UAE understand blockchain technology and focus on discussions that bring together regulators, educators and community members to get to know the technologies behind blockchain.
Moreover, Thomason highlighted the many ways technological evolution is being brought to the climate sector through existing blockchain initiatives. According to Thomason, blockchain technology is currently contributing to climate action goals through green digital asset projects, smart grid management, nonfungible tokens (NFTs) and gamification, measurement and reporting, and the use of decentralized autonomous organizations for climate action.
Thomason also noted one of the inherent characteristics of blockchain, transparency, stating that blockchains can be used to automate the detection of environmental contributions and reward contributors with tokens.
Thus, she explained:
“Blockchains can automate measurement and remunerate those responsible for positive contributions to individual areas, which benefits the environment as a whole.”
Source: Cointelegraph
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