A Proposal for the Crypto-Funding of Climate Change Mitigation and Conservation Efforts

Abstract

The impacts of climate change are increasingly felt globally, leading to an increasing demand of funding needs for climate change mitigation and conservation efforts, more specifically by emerging and low-income economies. While there are numerous mechanisms that have been proposed, their implementation have been slow, warranting the need for additional support mechanisms that are both innovative and can gain the trust of both private and institutional funders. One emerging asset which may offer a new structural perspective on this subject is that of cryptocurrencies, particularly bitcoin, where their increasing popularity is providing a new perspective on their prospects and on the evaluation of digital assets. This chapter thus offers a parallel between cryptocurrencies and questions their potential application in the funding of climate change and conservation efforts.