Blockchain Bulletin: Unchained invites some of the leading figures from the industry to explain, analyse and breakdown some of the key themes and news stories transpiring in real-time in an ever-evolving sector.
In the debut episode of Blockchain Bulletin: Unchained, Kirsteen Harrison, Sustainability Director at Zumo, reveals the environmental impact of Bitcoin mining and why electronic emissions are as high as the total emissions of some country’s.
Harrison compares some of the carbon emissions emitted from the payments and traditional finance space to the blockchain industry’s electronic emissions, as finance emissions are “quite easy to hide” in relation to the transparency of blockchain.
Environmental issues have also been a topic of discussion in geopolitics, and while Donald Trump is intent on making the US the ‘crypto capital of the world’, has he considered the environmental impact of mining Bitcoin in the US?
Harrison reveals why US-based companies have rolled back sustainability initiatives, and conversely, highlighting what Europe has included in the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework to ensure its sustainability guidelines are met by licensed operators.
Not only working as a Director for Zumo, Harrison has also served on global committee’s and other non-blockchain organisations in a bid to improve discussions around sustainability. She reveals why Environmental and Social Governance (ESG) can no longer be viewed as a ‘box-checking’ exercise and why sustainability initiatives are now directly embedded int he commercial incentives of a business.
To close out, Harrison explains why it is not too late for companies within the blockchain industry to act now as the sector is still in its infancy and companies have the agility to manoeuvre issues as they arise, and have the capabilities to find the solutions quickly by leveraging the same technology.
Watch the full interview in full above.
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