- The energy usage and carbon emission by blockchain projects are raising concerns.
- Solana’s carbon footprint dashboard aggregates data based on the location of the network validators.
Amid the hotly contested debate linking blockchains and carbon emissions, Solana has released a dashboard for tracking carbon footprints from the computers or nodes operating on its platform.
The dashboard, created by footprint calculator Carbonara, shows that the layer one network emitted 10,651 metric tons of carbon dioxide for the year ended April 1, 2023, estimated by Coindesk to be equivalent to emissions from eight flights from London to New York.
The unveiling of the emission dashboard comes at a time of increasing scrutiny on blockchain platforms in light of how their activities contribute to climate change. For instance, using proof of work transaction validation on Bitcoin, or mining, consumes a substantial amount of energy and contributes to carbon emissions. The realization is part of the motivation for the second-largest blockchain Ethereum to migrate to the proof of stake consensus model last year.
Austin Federa, Solana Foundation head of strategy, who shared his views during the unveiling, said that Solana’s topline footprint was estimated based on the location of the network’s validators, who manage transaction processing, and the RPC nodes that feed data into the blockchain.
How Solana’s Carbon Emission Dashboard Works
The dashboard would be updated regularly with data checking, among other things, the energy consumption on the network, the level of carbon footprint, and the network intensity. The data would be collected in real-time from software installed on the Solana validator nodes and updated every two weeks, according to the announcement.
Several jurisdictions have taken measures to limit energy consumption and carbon footprint in the blockchain space. Texas recently passed a bill capping energy consumption by Bitcoin miners. Buncombe County in North Carolina is contemplating a one-year ban on crypto mining over the negative impacts on the environment.
