EU Move To End PoW Technology By Limiting Crypto Carbon Footprints
Enabling A Clean Environment
The European Commission has taken a decisive step to address crypto mining operations’ possible negative environmental impact. It has earmarked 800,000 Euro ($842,000) to award a research contract to develop the appropriate technology to curb the harmful effects of miners’ operations on the environment.
The study is critical to the commission’s quest to ensure environmental sustainability throughout the bloc. The primary goal is to develop robust standards that will serve as the foundation for future EU policies to limit the impact of cryptocurrencies on climate change.
Furthermore, it will help to develop novel energy-efficient techniques explicitly tailored for the blockchain industry. This forward-thinking approach is part of the European Commission’s commitment to shaping a sustainable digital landscape, focusing on reducing blockchain technologies’ environmental footprint.
EU’s Environmental Research
By implementing these standards, the EU hopes to set a good example by encouraging responsible innovation while protecting the planet’s ecological balance. Meanwhile, the bid for the study grants is expected to end on November 10.
According to the European Commission’s bidding document, there is substantial evidence to show that mining crypto-assets have the potential to cause harm to the climate and environment. Hence, the commission worries that these operations won’t let the bloc achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Accordingly, the commission has hinted at incorporating new sustainability standards into future legislative frameworks. The EU’s proactive approach shows the bloc’s drive to tackle the environmental implications of digital assets mining.
In addition, the move aligns with its efforts to combat climate change and preserve the planet’s ecological balance.
Furthermore, EU legislators are increasingly concerned about the energy-intensive nature of the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus mechanism that serves as the foundational framework for blockchain protocols such as Bitcoin.
MiCA And Environmental Concerns
It’s worth noting that the union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation contained several eco-friendly measures that some critics claimed were an outright prohibition on cryptocurrency. One such step is that MiCA requires issuers to disclose their environmental footprint to the relevant agencies. However, the regulatory bill hasn’t defined the exact methodology for this disclosure yet.
Nevertheless, observers see this as a significant step toward greater environmental accountability in the crypto space. Moreover, the forthcoming EU study will examine various environmental concerns surrounding cryptocurrencies and the technology they use.
This research project will delve into critical aspects of the crypto space, such as water utilization, waste management, natural resource conservation, and, most importantly, energy consumption. The European Commission hopes to gain a thorough understanding of the ecological footprint produced by the crypto industry in the future.
Thus, it can make more informed and sustainable regulatory decisions. The energy consumption of the crypto sector has come under scrutiny from the US government for some time.
According to a 2022 report from the White House, prominent crypto assets contribute approximately 0.3% to global greenhouse gas emissions. However, cryptocurrency advocates have countered this argument, stating that mining operations could contribute to the decarbonization of power grids.
This debate lingers as supporters and critics state their reasons for or against crypto mining carbon emissions. This discussion has revealed the complex interplay between the cryptocurrency industry and clean environment advocates.
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