Education is the key to driving sustainability in blockchain and beyond

The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, brings together global leaders and thinkers across various industries to grapple with global issues every year. As the world of crypto and blockchain continues to push into the mainstream view, it has also become a topic of discussion at the old event.

Cointelegraph Editor-in-Chief Kristina Lucrezia Cornèr moderated a panel on January 17, which touched on sustainability efforts in the blockchain industry.

Although not all panelists come from the same background, they unanimously highlighted education and learning as the key way to drive sustainability in new technologies during “The emergence of Breakthrough Technologies” panel.

The focus of the panel saw sustainability in the blockchain industry through two lenses. One of them is in the “green” sense of the word – more energy efficient and sustainable for the environment. While the other talks about the long-term effect of projects and initiatives in the wider Web3 area.

Mark Mueller-Eberstein, CEO of business consultancy Adgetec Corporation, pointed out that the industry suffers from “greenwashing”, but verification standards that can be derived from the blockchain can bring productivity to sustainability practices in the industry.

“Knowing that we can trust the data is extremely important. This is why I think blockchain in particular is so important.”

He went on to say that educating society, especially the next generation, will be the “cornerstone for all of us, as a society and as individuals.”

Related: From Games to Piggy Banks: Educating the Future of “Minor” Bitcoin

Christina Korp, the president of Purpose Entertainment and founder of SPACE for a Better World, pointed out the importance of education also in older generations with an example of a US congressman over 70 who started to educate himself about artificial intelligence.

“How can all these people make the decisions about what happens to the laws when they don’t even understand the technology or this new world?”

Hedera Foundation CFO and Treasurer Betsabe Botaitis also touched on trust as a foundation for a more sustainable industry, especially, she said, as the blockchain industry can sometimes have a bit of a negative reputation.

“We have to be careful about that because it’s easy to think that a new idea can be immediately funded. And that is not always the case.”

Botaitis used carbon credit tracking as an example of a trust-building niche, where blockchain can be used for this transparency and verification.

“It’s an honor to see how companies come together to really build this infrastructure of trust, an immutable layer.”

Botaitis went on to say that creating and leaving a sustainable legacy for the next generation is not just about wealth, but having a safe environment for that wealth and education, once again, the key.

“There’s very, very little technology provided for wealth management education. I think it’s the private sector that needs to have that education, the regulators and everybody having that conversation.”

Education continues to be an important focal point in the Web3 space, with many brands and initiatives focusing on educating users alongside technical development.