Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Earth Series
Building block(chain)s
for a better planet
September 2018
Building block(chain)s for a better planet is published by the
World Economic Forum System Initiative on Shaping the
Future of Environment and Natural Resource Security in
partnership with PwC and the Stanford Woods Institute for
the Environment. It was made possible with funding from the
MAVA Foundation. It forms part of a series of reports from the
Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth project, run in
association with the World Economic Forum Centre for the
Fourth Industrial Revolution.
About the ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution for
the Earth’ series
The “Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth” is a
publication series highlighting opportunities to solve the
world’s most pressing environmental challenges by
harnessing technological innovations supported by new and
effective approaches to governance, financing and
multistakeholder collaboration.
About the World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum, committed to improving the
state of the world, is the International Organization for Public-
Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost
business, political and other leaders of society to shape global,
regional and industry agendas.
About PwC
With offices in 158 countries and more than 236,000 people,
PwC is among the leading professional services networks in
the world. We help organizations and individuals create the
value they’re looking for, by delivering quality in assurance,
tax and advisory services.
Contents
Preface............................................................................................... 4
Foreword............................................................................................ 5
Acknowledgements .......................................................................... 40
Annex I: ........................................................................................... 41
The majority of the world’s current environmental Harnessing these opportunities and proactively
problems can be traced back to industrialization, managing these risks will require a transformation of the
particularly since the “great acceleration” in global current “enabling environment” for global environmental
economic activity since the 1950s. While this delivered management. This includes the governance frameworks
impressive gains in human progress and prosperity, it and policy protocols, investment and financing models,
has also led to unintended consequences. Issues such as the prevailing incentives for technology development,
climate change, unsafe levels of air pollution, depletion and the nature of societal engagement. This
of forestry, fishing and freshwater stocks, toxins in rivers transformation will not happen automatically. It will
and soils, overflowing levels of waste on land and in require proactive collaboration among policy-makers,
oceans, and loss of biodiversity and habitats are all scientists, civil society, technology champions
examples of the unintended consequences of and investors.
industrialization on our global environmental commons.
If we get it right, it could create a sustainability
As the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) gathers pace, revolution.
innovations are becoming faster, more efficient and
Working with experts from the environmental and
more widely accessible than ever before. Technology is
technology agenda, the “Fourth Industrial Revolution for
becoming increasingly connected, and we are now
the Earth” project is producing a series of insight papers
seeing a convergence of the digital, physical and
designed to illustrate the potential of Fourth Industrial
biological realms. Emerging technologies, including the
Revolution innovations and their application to the
Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality and artificial
world’s most pressing environmental challenges.
intelligence (AI), are enabling societal shifts as they
Collectively and individually, these papers offer insights
seismically affect economies, values, identities and
into the emerging opportunities and risks of this fast-
possibilities for future generations.
moving agenda, highlighting the roles various actors
There is a unique opportunity to harness the Fourth could play to ensure these technologies are harnessed
Industrial Revolution – and the societal changes it and scaled effectively. The papers are not intended to be
triggers – to help address environmental issues and conclusive, but rather to act as a stimulant – providing
transform how we manage our shared global overviews that provoke further conversation among
environment. Left unchecked, however, the Fourth diverse stakeholders about how new technologies driven
Industrial Revolution could have further unintended by the Fourth Industrial Revolution could play a
negative consequences for our global commons. For significant role in global efforts to build environmentally
example, it could exacerbate existing threats to sustainable economies, helping to provide foundations
environmental security by further depleting global for further collaborative work as this dynamic new
fishing stocks, biodiversity and resources. Furthermore, agenda evolves. This particular paper looks at blockchain
it could create entirely new risks that will need to be and the Earth. Previous papers in the “Fourth Industrial
considered and managed, particularly in relation to the Revolution for the Earth" series have looked at how the
collection and ownership of environmental data, the Fourth Industrial Revolution could transform ocean
extraction of resources and disposal of new materials, management, enable sustainable cities, and build an
and the impact of new advanced and automated inclusive bio-economy that preserves biodiversity, as
machines. well as examining how artificial intelligence could be
harnessed to address economic, social and governance
challenges related to Earth systems.
Blockchain1 is a foundational emerging technology of the This report focuses on the application of blockchain to
Fourth Industrial Revolution, much like the internet was address pressing environmental challenges such as
for the previous (or third) industrial revolution. Its climate change, biodiversity loss and water scarcity. It
defining features are its distributed and immutable looks at emerging applications, including those that
ledger and advanced cryptography, which enable the might be the biggest game changers in managing our
transfer of a range of assets among parties securely and global environmental commons, while assessing the
inexpensively without third-party intermediaries. It is potential challenges and developing recommendations to
also democratized by design – unlike the platform address them. Some of these applications could
companies of today’s internet – allowing participants in dramatically improve current systems and approaches,
the network to own a piece of the network by hosting a while others could completely transform the way
node (a device on the blockchain). Blockchain is more humans interact with – and manage – our environmental
than just a tool to enable digital currencies. At its most stability and natural resources.
fundamental level, it is a new, decentralized and global
Throughout this assessment, it is emphasized that the
computational infrastructure that could transform many
potential for blockchain lies in its architectural ability to
existing processes in business, governance and society.
shift, and potentially upend, traditional economic
Blockchain has received considerable hype, ranging from systems – potentially transferring value from
“cryptomania” in the trading markets in 2017 to shareholders to stakeholders as distributed solutions
widespread discussions about the breadth and depth of increasingly take hold.
its potential impact across public and private sectors and
If harnessed in the right way, blockchain has significant
society in general. It has also invited scepticism related
potential to enable a move to cleaner and more resource-
to its scalability and the high-energy use of early
preserving decentralized solutions, unlock natural
blockchain platforms.2 As of early July 2018, the total
capital and empower communities. This is particularly
cryptocurrency market cap (spanning 1,629 currencies)
important for the environment, where global commons
stands at about $254.67 billion.3 As the architecture for
and non-financial value challenges are currently
this transformational technology matures and as both
so prevalent.
the blockchain hype and scepticism begin to rationalize,
there is a significant opportunity to shape how However, if history has taught us anything, it is that such
blockchain is developed and deployed. transformative changes will not happen automatically.
They will require deliberate collaboration between
A number of blockchain applications and platforms are
diverse stakeholders ranging from technology industries
becoming widely known, starting with Bitcoin, which
through to environmental policy-makers, underpinned
pioneered cryptocurrency (and crypto-assets), followed
by new platforms that can support these stakeholders to
by Ethereum, which as a platform for building
advance not just a technology application, but the
decentralized applications through smart contracts has
systems shift that will enable it to truly take hold. It is
inspired a whole new “token economy”. The emergence
our hope that the following overview of the
of applications in voting, digital identity, financing and
opportunities, risks and suggested next steps will
health illustrate how blockchain can potentially be used
stimulate stakeholders to embark on an exciting new
to address global challenges.4 There is now also
action agenda that builds blockchains for a better planet.
emerging enthusiasm about blockchain’s potential to
support global efforts to advance environmental
sustainability. To date, however, there has been little Dr Celine Herweijer
appraisal of the use-cases or systematic orientation to Partner, PwC UK
vital environmental opportunities and challenges, much Innovation and Sustainability Leader
less of how to build the public-private collaborations and Dominic Waughray
platforms that will be needed to realize these nascent Head of the Centre for Global Public Goods,
opportunities. World Economic Forum
Sheila Warren
Project Head, Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology
World Economic Forum’s Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution
5 Building block(chain)s for a better planet
Executive Summary
13 15 17 19 21 23 25 27
14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28
Source: PwC
Healthy oceans
Clean air
While blockchain offers exciting potential in terms of Broadly speaking, these challenges relate to blockchain’s
building a sustainable future, as with many emerging maturity as a technology, stakeholders’ trust in the
technologies, there are a number of risks to manage and technology and the blockchain network, and their
challenges to overcome in order to harness its full willingness to invest in applications.80 For example,
capabilities in addressing environmental challenges. doubts exist about blockchain’s reliability, speed,
security and scalability. Managing and overcoming the
following risks and challenges will require stakeholders
to work together to develop solutions that are effective,
holistic, relevant and deployable.
Figure 6: High-level summary of blockchain risks and challenges
Blockchain for the Earth principles blockchain-based solution for a defined environmental
problem and to guide investors in considering if a
Today’s excitement surrounding blockchain can lead to a
prospective blockchain application is actually needed or
temptation to try to use blockchain to solve everything. A
not. Below are three principles to guide such an
reasoned and structured approach is needed to help
assessment:
practitioners assess whether and how to deploy a
Figure 7: Blockchain principles
1) Will blockchain solve your environmental or • Is decentralization vital to your solution? Can a
natural resource security problems? Consider blockchain-enabled decentralized solution
whether blockchain is actually needed to solve the improve environmental performance relative to a
problem by asking what the problem is and how centralized system? What other advantageous
might distributed ledger technology realize your decentralization characteristics does the new
envisaged solution. system need that blockchain may support,
including, for example, peer-to-peer transactions,
• Is blockchain the most suitable tool to address
demand-supply balancing, transaction efficiency
the challenge? Is blockchain the only solution to
and speed, enabling participation of wider market
the problem, or are there other simpler or more
participants (consumers and devices)?
appropriate tools? And in parallel, which aspect of
the technology is most needed for this particular • Are you looking to access new sources of
solution? finance for sustainability outcomes? Blockchain
is an enabler for accessing project finance from
• Is transparency and traceability an important
wider investor types (including the wider public),
part of your challenge/proposed solution?
or creating financial value and trade from non-
Blockchain facilitates transparent and traceable
traditional asset classes (e.g. natural capital,
transactions. Is data on provenance, movement
water). Is this a requirement of the application?
and ownership something that would be valuable
What are the distinct advantages relative to
for the solution?
crowd-financing or other established financing
solutions?
We would like to acknowledge the valuable contributions of the following people in the development of this document:
Lead authors
Celine Herweijer (PwC UK), Benjamin Combes (PwC UK), Jahda Swanborough (World Economic Forum), Mary Davies (PwC UK)
Contributing authors
Jennifer Hanania (PwC US), Kurt Fields (PwC US), Jennifer Zhu Scott (Radian Partners), Lisa Sexton, Giulia Volla (PwC UK)
Other contributors
Victoria Huff (PwC US), Sheila Warren (World Economic Forum), Leanne Kemp (Everledger), Santiago Siri (Democracy Earth
Foundation), Veronica García (Bitlumens), Heather Clancy (GreenBiz), Jessica Wrigley (PwC UK)
Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth Initiative:
Advisory Group
Celine Herweijer (PwC UK), Dominic Waughray (World Economic Forum), Steve Howard (We Mean Business Coalition), Jim
Leape (Stanford University), Usha Rao-Monari (Global Water Development Partners)
Project Team
Celine Herweijer (PwC UK), Benjamin Combes (PwC UK), Sarah Franklin (PwC US), Jerica Lee (World Economic Forum),
Victoria Lee (World Economic Forum), Jahda Swanborough (World Economic Forum)
About the Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth Initiative
The World Economic Forum is collaborating with PwC as official project adviser and the Stanford Woods Institute for
the Environment on a major global initiative on the Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth. Working closely with
leading issue experts and industry innovators convened through the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council
on the Environment and Natural Resource Security, and with support from the MAVA Foundation, this initiative
combines the platforms, networks and convening power of the World Economic Forum and its new Centre for the
Fourth Industrial Revolution in San Francisco. It also brings Stanford University’s Woods Institute for the
Environment’s researchers and their networks in the technology community together with the global insight and
strategic analysis on business, investment and public-sector issues that PwC offers. Together with other interested
stakeholders, this partnership is exploring how Fourth Industrial Revolution innovations could help drive a systems
transformation across the environment and natural resource security agenda.
Permissionless ledger • Participants in this ledger system may remain completely anonymous. Although most
permissionless ledgers are public ledgers, they could also be private. Anyone in the network has
read and write ability.
Consensus Mechanism • Process by which all of the validators within a distributed ledger system reach an agreement on
the state of that ledger.
Cryptography • Science of taking information and transforming it in a manner in which it can be deciphered only
by the intended recipient. Cryptography is a process used primarily to protect sensitive
information.
Proof of authority • An algorithm that validates transactions through a consensus mechanism that relies on identity as
a form of stake.
Proof of Importance • A mechanism used to determine which nodes are eligible to add a block to the blockchain, a
process known as “harvesting”.
Proof of history • An algorithm used to create a historical record that proves that an event has occurred at a specific
moment in time.
Public distributed ledger • Distributed ledger system that is open to all interested participants and can be appended by all
participants. The Bitcoin blockchain is an example of a public distributed ledger.
Private distributed ledger • Distributed ledger system in which all participants are known, and access to the ledger can be
limited to approved parties.
Smart contract • Computer protocols that facilitate, verify or enforce the execution of a contract. At a fundamental
level, smart contracts are analogous to a series of if-then statements applied to the details of a
transaction.
Tokens/Tokenization • Digital representation of a real-world asset/the concept of tying information about an asset to a
blockchain. From there, participants can interact with the asset by selling or trading it, for
instance.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth Revolution technology clusters, will seek to leverage
initiative their various networks and platforms to:
The Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth initiative • Develop a set of insight papers, taking a deep dive
is designed to raise awareness and accelerate progress into the possibilities of the Fourth Industrial
across this agenda for the benefit of society. In the first Revolution and each of these issues
phase of the project, specific environmental focus areas • Build new networks of practitioners and support
will be considered in depth, exploring in detail how to them to co-design and innovate for action on the
harness Fourth Industrial environment in each of these issue areas, leveraging
Revolution innovations to better manage the world’s the latest technologies and research that the Fourth
most pressing environmental challenges. Initial focus Industrial Revolution offers
areas will include: • Design a public-private accelerator for action,
• Air pollution enabling government, foundational, research
organization and commercial funds to be pooled and
• Biodiversity deployed into scaling innovative Fourth Industrial
• Cities Revolution solutions for the environment.
• Climate change and greenhouse gas monitoring • Help government stakeholders to develop and trial
the requisite policy protocols that will help Fourth
• Food systems
Industrial Revolution solutions for the environment
• Oceans to take hold and develop.
• Water resources and sanitation. The Fourth Industrial Revolution for the Earth initiative
will be driven jointly out of the World Economic Forum
Working from these thematic areas, the World Economic
Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in San
Forum, supported by Stanford University and PwC (as
Francisco and other Forum offices in New York, Geneva
project adviser) and advised by the members of the
and Beijing.
Global Future Councils on the Future of Environment and
Natural Resource Security and specific Fourth Industrial
Clean power Peer-to-peer renewable energy Blockchain – based peer-to-peer A peer-to-peer system reduces the
trading systems energy platform for trading solar need to transmit energy over long
energy and other renewables, distances, reducing household
allowing a decentralized energy energy storage needs and
market for efficient household diminishing energy loss in the
energy use (e.g. SunContract, transmission phase from power
SOLshare and LO3 Energy) plants to consumers.
Crowd-sale for renewable energy Blockchain based energy system Users will receive a return from
investment provides a platform for people to investing in renewable energy
invest in renewables that installations and finance is
otherwise are unlikely to attract provided for renewable energy
investment (e.g. EcoChain and Sun projects that require investment.
Exchange)
Optimized distributed grid A distributed energy utilities The distributed network aims to
management system through which households provide communities with
can buy and sell energy affordable, reliable, and clean
electricity to reduce carbon
emissions at a global level.
Authentication of renewable The use of blockchain for verifying Blockchain gives more confidence
energy certificates renewable energy certificates that the renewable energy
(RECs) has the potential to boost certificates being sold represent
buyer confidence in REC real green power, helping to
authenticity, eliminating the need support the renewable energy
for expensive third-party certifiers market.
Smart cities and homes Blockchain-based land, corporate, An accurate record of land This would allow for easier and
civil and asset registries conservation efforts can be more reliable identification of
facilitated through blockchain, conservation areas, overcoming
increasing reliability and coverage issues of corruption and other
of such activities (e.g. Bitland inefficiencies.
platform in West Africa)
Secure paperless transactions An online encrypted database to Electronic transactions allow the
facilitate the digitization of complete removal of paper,
processes that currently use paper resulting in a reduction of the
ecological footprint of transaction
processing.
Citizen loyalty and reward A blockchain-based loyalty and This loyalty and rewards platform
platform rewards platform can reward can be used by governments to
individuals for their 'green' incentivize certain
contributions (e.g. recycling waste) environmentally friendly actions
to cities. (e.g. Nature Coin) from citizens.
Decentralized voting platforms for A voting platform based on This blockchain software can
climate action blockchain technology and backed enable democratic, immutable and
with transparent crypto anonymous votes on
algorithms, enabling a secure environmental issues.
online voting system and optimized
election processes. (e.g. Polys)
Smart transport systems Smart parking system for Blockchain-powered sensors As parking technology advances
optimized mobility management attached to vehicles for accurate, there will be fewer cars searching
real-time detection and location of for parking, which will result in a
available parking spaces (e.g. reduction of greenhouse gas
NetObjex) emissions from road transport.
Data ledger for optimized A blockchain platform can enhance Optimizing transport logistics to
transport logistics public transport services by increase efficiency of public
facilitating the exchange of transport and lower emissions.
transport services and logistics
companies data (e.g. the blockchain
platform Omnitude)
Peer-to-peer vehicle sharing This blockchain – enabled payment The platform synchronizes empty
system allows private car owners seats with transportation needs in
to get paid when sharing their real-time, enabling better use of
journey with others (e.g. LaZooz existing resources by reducing the
and Arcade City) number of vehicles on roads.
Sustainable land use Blockchain–enabled sustainable Cobalt is given a digital fingerprint Transparent mining operations to
mining that is then tracked by blockchain ensure ethical cobalt sourcing and
through its supply chain, giving a more sustainable mining practices.
forgery-proof record of where it
has come from (e.g. BHP Billiton)
Data ledger of environmental In-field sensors collect data on soil Transparent and immutable
conditions to inform agriculture quality, field applications, weather record of agricultural conditions.
financing and farming practices. Blockchain This is used to inform sustainable
data ledger for access to farm management.
information (e.g. RipeIo's
blockchain-based platform)
Automation of data collection and The tool uses blockchain for an Automating sustainability data
management for better accurate verification of collection and management (such
sustainability accounting sustainability-related data to as GHG emissions) through smart
provide unprecedented levels contracts in order to access real-
of accountability. time, trustworthy data and
minimize fraud.
Sustainable production Blockchain–powered platform for The technology provides By tracking the carbon offsets
and consumption carbon offsetting consumers with accurate acquired from products consumed,
information on the level of carbon and making individual's footprints
offsets they’re buying from visible, the platform aims to
products, enabling to trade up or encourage more sustainable public
down their own offsets (e.g. Ben & consumption of carbon.
Jerry's)
Ledger for collection and The global ledger ensures The technology ensures an
verification of ESG data verifiable and immutable data on accurate assessment of a
corporate sustainability to provide company's social and
an accurate picture of companies' environmental performance,
social and environmental providing useful information that
performance. can be used to create more
relevant actions for reducing
impact on climate change.
Soil properties data collation from Dashboard with a transactional It provides immediate data on
distributed sensors ledger for e-waste recycling - recycling to policy makers, leading
connecting parties involved in the to improved resource efficiency
recycling supply chain and and expenditure.
increasing efficiencies.
Habitat restoration and Cryptocurrency for investment in Blockchain – based payment By rewarding active community
conservation habitat restoration and species platform to facilitate the clean-up members with cryptocurrency
conservation of oil-polluted lands, by providing compensations, the blockchain-
community members with enabled platform seeks to
cryptocurrency payments through encourage the clean-up of oil-
a secure, non-corruptible, payment polluted regions.
system (e.g. Sustainable
international platform Sela)
Tracking geographic reach and Blockchain ledger to track, tag and The technology is used to record
movement of endangered species record the health, geographic real-time information on the
reach, and movement patterns of health, locations and movement
endangered species (e.g. The WEF patterns of endangered species to
Amazon Bank of Codes and Care, inform conservationists on most
NGO Uncared platform in planning) appropriate mitigating actions.
Pollution control Recording of pesticide use on Blockchain – based platform The platform provides the public
agricultural land enables farmers to record the with information on farmers'
pesticides they use, how often they pesticides use influencing
used them and the location of use consumers' purchasing decisions
and mitigating environmental
impacts from agricultural
activities.
Incentivized system for responsible The platform enables users to earn The system aims to tackle waste
waste management coins by exchanging plastic and sorting and management issues to
aluminum bottles and by sorting ensure a safer and cleaner
waste correctly (e.g. the Recereum environment.
platform)
Realising natural capital Timber and other natural Blockchain ledger to collate and The systems enables verification of
resources provenance tracking store data on the provenance of the origin of timber, diamond and
timber at a global level. (e.g. BVRio other natural resources to
has developed a platform called the encourage sustainable harvest
Responsible Timber Exchange) practices.
A decentralized natural asset The solution permits the creation An emerging online platform
exchange platform and transfer of verified and offering efficient, transparent and
protected digital assets called democratic connections between
‘ether’ that can be used to purchase producers, buyers and consumers
Earth tokens of natural capital assets, fueling
demand for environmental
solutions.
Sustainable trade Transparent monitoring of supply The solution enables farmers to Blockchain has been deployed to
chain transactions track real-time data and more assist farmers in monitoring and
effectively manage crops as they managing their supply chains,
move through the value chain. (e.g. enabling efficient crop
platforms by BanQu, AgriDigital, management and reducing
Grassroots and Bext360) generated waste.
Real-time traceability of supply Blockchain–powered app enables The solution empowers consumers
chains manufacturers, retailers and to make purchasing decisions that
consumers to track products can support ethical supply chain
throughout their entire supply practices.
chain. (e.g. Carrefour have
introduced an application)
Fishing sustainably Tracking fish provenance Blockchain – based mobile app for The tool empowers retailers and
scanning tuna packaging, helping to consumers to select responsibly –
track fish origin throughout their caught fish and contributes to
supply chains (e.g. WWF increasing sustainable fishing
Blockchain Supply Chain practices.
Traceability Project)
Monitoring of illegal fishing The blockchain solution gives the More accurate information on
activities ability to upload information about fishing activities at a global level
the global commercial fishing fleet will enable scientific researchers,
onto a decentralized and environmental advocates, and
irreversible system policy makers to create better
management strategies for
protecting marine species.
Impacts of climate Incentivized collection of data on A blockchain – based data The solution enables scientists and
change (including ocean conditions collection system on the pH level in resource managers to monitor,
acidification) water bodies, aimed at monitoring understand, and respond to ocean
acidification, and providing acidification.
insights for creating mitigating
strategies where necessary (e.g.
Fishcoin)
Incentivized investments in ocean Crypto and charity have come This opens up new sources of
conservation together to auction off items, such finance accelerating ocean
as digital art, to raise funds for conservation efforts
ocean conservation (e.g. The Hondu
Kitty)
Real-time monitoring of ocean Wireless sensors can monitor pH Climate change is likely to have a
temperature and pH levels in the ocean and store data significant impact on ocean pH
on a blockchain-based data levels and temperature – this will
platform monitor these changes.
Pollution Control Incentivized ocean plastic recycling Aimed at single-use plastic bottles Through the mobile app,
initiatives and aluminum cans, the solution individuals are more incentivized
leverages a blockchain based to recycle, and tokens ensure a
mobile app to allow the exchange secure and cashless method of
of recyclable waste for tokens, reimbursement.
which can be exchanged for goods
and services (e.g. RecycleToCoin)
Transparent ledger for faster, safer A blockchain-based data platform Increased efficiency in shipping
and more efficient shipping and smart contracts can make the can significantly reduce emissions
shipping process faster, safer and from the sector. Smart,
more efficient with quick paperless transparent contracts can also
transactions and reliable cargo ensure ships are applying
tracking (e.g. APL Ltd is testing a universal safety standards.
blockchain-based shipping
platform)
Protecting habitats Decentralized and open source Decentralized cloud storage, built This ensures that ocean data is
ledger of ocean data on blockchain software, for free, stored on an open blockchain so
open-sourced data storage any significant or damaging
(e.g. Storj) changes, such as significant spikes
in temperature, can be easily
identified.
Protecting Species Fundraising for marine wildlife Social funding and management Transparent and trustworthy
conservation platforms built on a blockchain can charitable investment can
incentivize transparent, charitable encourage funding for wildlife
investment. conservation projects.
Adequate sanitation Asset-backed token system for Asset-backed token systems where Blockchain – powered payment
clean, accessible drinking water users will donate 0.1% of each system enabling users to
transaction to improving water contribute to providing access to
systems in developing countries clean drinking water for those in
(e.g. Clean Water Coin) need.
Hyperlocal water data for The platform stores hyperlocal Hyperlocal water data provide
monitoring water quality water data that can be used to actionable insight into water
efficiently track and monitor quality, enabling better
potential water contaminants (e.g. management of water assets.
Aquagenuity and WaterChain)
Efficient water treatment systems Smart contracts with a specialized Increases cost efficiency of
water coin utilized to make transactions and reduces
industry transactions faster and water loss.
transparent
Catchment control Water quality control in catchment Blockchain technology provides an Accurate and immutable water
areas immutable record of data collected quality data facilitates evidence-
by different parties on the quality based decision making around the
of water in catchment areas. allocation, quality, risks and use of
water, ensuring water safety in
catchment areas.
Drought planning Automated crop insurance for A blockchain – based mobile wallet The phone – based automated
drought periods offering an automated crop insurance system enables farmers
insurance smart contract that to sustain their farming activities
protects farmers against droughts, when natural disasters occur.
floods and tropical cyclones.
Precipitation intensity monitoring Decentralized weather sensors can A blockchain – based data platform
and forecasting measure precipitation intensity can ensure precipitation data is
and forecast future weather, available for optimized drought
storing the data on a public planning.
blockchain.
Water efficiency Blockchain – enabled peer-to-peer A blockchain platform to collect The creation of a trading system
trading of excess water resources data from smart metering of water can make water usage more
and convert water rights into efficient.
digital assets that can be traded
(e.g. AQUA rights)
Cryptocurrency-enabled smart The blockchain solution will be The system encourages people to
meters able to help city planners better adopt sustainable water practices.
allocate water supply in areas with
minimal infrastructure.
Water supply Water monitoring and Leverages smart contracts and a Enables consumers to make
management token management system to informed decisions around when
ensure efficient use and to conserve water, and ensures
distribution of water (e.g. Civic transparency around water
Ledger has developed Water availability and quality.
Ledger)
Micro-payments for water meter Blockchain enabled donations by a Transparent record for
donations large number of individuals, for management and tracking of
instance to finance specific water donations, providing confidence,
meters (e.g. Bankymoon) and incentivizing individuals to
fund smart meters.
Clean fuels Cryptocurrency payments for EV Mobile phone app linked to a The innovative charging system
public charging blockchain-based network to provides readily – available
provide electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure to incentivize
owners with a seamless charging uptake of EV's for reducing
system that manages the payment harmful emissions into the
process automatically environment.
(BlockCharge is a working
prototype for electric vehicle
charging created by RWE and
Slock.it)
Enabling safe and reliable AV Blockchain encourages the uptake The secure ledger platform
implementation of autonomous vehicles (AV) provides important information on
through providing more accurate autonomous vehicles to accelerate
safety information, bringing its adoption and encourage the use
forward the safety, efficiency and of sustainable transport modes.
convenience benefits of
autonomous driving technology
Early warning Automated air quality monitoring An openly governed platform to A blockchain – based asset
system track companies' air quality and management system to help
emission emitting sources businesses around the world
monitor and manage their
emissions of carbon and other
pollutants
Early detection of toxic chemical Portable, user friendly air sensors The solutions provides users with
leaks powered by blockchain to detect timely information in an accessible
and store the level of air pollution way to encourage mitigating
in buildings. actions where necessary, enabling
health and climate change issues
to be tackled.
Filtering and capturing Air pollutant data collation from Network of interconnected devices Citizens and governments who
distributed sources to collect air pollution data and have access to accurate
transfer pollution levels onto a information on air quality can take
decentralized network that is meaningful actions to fight air
accessible through a subscription pollution.
payable in crypto-currency. (e.g.
Filament developed The Tap, and
AirBie Blue)
Monitoring and Intelligent methane monitoring Smart decentralized sensors can be Methane is the second largest
capturing systems deployed near natural gas contributor to global warming
extraction wells and along after CO2 and early detection and
distribution pipelines to detect monitoring of methane levels can
methane levels in the air (e.g. IBM) reduce methane in the air.
Local and real-time monitoring of A decentralized peer-to-peer The system aims to incentivize
particulates and NO2 network to store and monetize community participation in
real-time pollution data, allowing monitoring air quality by
those who host sensing equipment providing a monetary reward
to be rewarded. (e.g. the live- system for sharing data on the
streaming data platforms Streamr pollution level of specific locations
and Smart Citizen) (e.g. households).
Early warning systems Real-time monitoring of IoT, blockchain and advanced Alerts for hazard response in
natural hazards sensor platforms together with order to ensure more resilient
predictive AI analytics to monitor communities.
real time natural hazards such as
tremors and sea level changes.
Decentralized weather sensors Decentralized weather cameras Local weather monitoring enables
generating automated alerts and sensors can provide accurate, alerts for hazard response.
local weather data through a
blockchain platform - generating
alerts in periods of extreme
weather (e.g. Weatherblock)
Financial instruments Management of transactions Blockchain to streamline and Provide efficient and effective
in response to extreme validate transactions during disaster response, in order to
weather event extreme weather response minimise the impact on local
instances. populations
Crowd-sale for adaptation Blockchain-enabled platforms and These attributes make climate-
investments processes could seamlessly manage related, infrastructure and other
complex financing environments sustainable development projects
that integrate a wide number of more attractive for investment.
stakeholders (e.g. Crowdwiz's
WizFund )
Prediction and Extreme weather impact analysis Access to weather information has Blockchain-enabled platforms and
forecasting always been fairly constrained and processes could seamlessly
costly. With blockchain technology it manage complex financing
is possible to offer different “tiers” of environments that integrate a
accessible information, depending on wide number of stakeholders
what consumers want.
Ledger to identify, verify and The platform stores real-time The system provides accurate
transact weather data weather data captured through location-based weather
smart weather camera stations for forecasting to improve community
actionable insights on extreme preparedness ahead of extreme
weather events (Weather Block) weather events.
Resilience planning and Enhanced emergency Fund management platforms that The system makes the delivery of
disaster response disaster response use permissioned blockchain to development and humanitarian
help donors, governments and aid more effective.
NGOs transfer and trace funds
through a value chain
Resilient infrastructure Decentralized mini-grids Using a blockchain load Decentralized mini-grids are more
improving disaster resilience management system with a peer- resilient against natural disasters
to-peer trading platform, mini- than an ageing centralized grid.
grids can become
more prevalent
Automatic rerouting of power to Blockchain enables the creation of This system makes power grids
prevent blackouts microgrids which are better able to more resilient to blackouts,
respond to failures (and prevent enabling them to reroute power if
blackouts) than traditional grids part of the grid or generation units
(e.g. LO3) are damaged by extreme weather
or disaster.
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