Crypto sustainability and green solutions highlighted at COP26

Cointelegraph’s Editor-in-Chief, Kristina Cornèr spoke at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday about the positive impact of the cryptocurrency ecosystem on environmental objectives.

Arriving in Scotland's second-largest city following panel hosting duties at Lisbon's Web Summit last week, Cornèr spoke on a wide range of topics ranging from establishing interoperable relationships between people and technology to the mining impact of Bitcoin (BTC).

Commenting on the disparity between the implementation of climate change initiatives between the traditional energy sectors and the crypto community, Cornèr argued that the emergence of new technology provides an opportunity to learn, stating:

“Decentralization is an alternative to campanilism, or as it’s known in the English language, parochialism. This is a local, small mindset versus a global vision of a decentralized world.”

Before she transitioned into the cryptocurrency space, Cornèr established an illustrious background working in the environment sector as a Communications Manager for the Union of French Entreprises for Energy Efficiency and Ecology and continued on to study international energy politics and green technologies as a Research Fellow at the ENERPO Center at the European University.

Discussing the often hypocritical tendencies at global conferences and summits to advocate for universal behavior change at the consumer level, instead of governmental or corporation-led action, she stated:

“The key to big historical shifts is not in completely changing or shifting, but in new synergy between people, technology and education.”

Related: How will blockchain technology help fight climate change? Experts answer

Non-profit environmental group, Germanwatch shared their latest iteration of their annual Climate Change Performance Index 2022. The expert panel of authors spoke to a global audience about the performance of 60 nations which account for 92% of the global emissions.

Offering her opinion on the misconceptions surrounding Bitcoin's mining activity, and the impact of tarnishing a nascent industry for its early flaws, instead of recognizing its future potential for energy efficiency, Cornèr stated:

"Of course there are pitfalls as there is with every new industry, but we are on the way to creating more green solutions. What is really important with the blockchain space is that people are ready to think with a new mindset and searching for the solutions and the climate change coalition is a great example of that.”

The Crypto Climate Accord is an environmentally-focused initiative collating over 150 firms from the crypto, blockchain, tech and energy industries who seek to establish a unified approach to supporting sustainability, as well as making pledges for net-carbon output by 2030. Notable participants include Consensys, Web3 Foundation, Ripple, Near Protocol and Pixl8, amongst others.

Concluding her speech, Cornèr shared a unifying message about the inherent value of humanity, amid the rise in technology, in securing the future prosperity of Earth's ecosystem:

“The crypto community is ambitious, daring and full of potential. Innovation is about synergy. It’s beyond technology and about people. It’s about us.”