On October 31st, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) commenced in Glasgow. Many politicians have added to the promises they made at the 2016 Paris Climate Accord, even though they have yet to try and fulfil these commitments. This reality has added fuel to a burning fire and caused many to feel the COP26 has misdiagnosed the problem.
The climate crisis is here. #COP26 must be a turning point to protect people and the planet.
Leaders, the world is watching and urging you to rise to this moment. There’s no time to lose. #ActNow. https://t.co/zruhUorFCX @UN @antonioguterres @COP26 pic.twitter.com/U0Q7ijYNOf
— Leonardo DiCaprio (@LeoDiCaprio) October 31, 2021
New Zealand has a significant presence in this year’s event. James Shaw, the nation’s climate change minister, has been selected to represent the country at COP26, which the media has heralded as New Zealand’s best chance to show regional leadership on climate change. New Zealand has lived up to expectations, announcing plans to increase its contribution to the global climate target by reducing net greenhouse emissions by 50% by 2023. This has got us thinking about what else the country is doing to help with the crisis. It turns out there are some unique ways New Zealanders are helping resolve the climate crisis.
Unique Ways New Zealand Is Fighting Climate Change
Online Gambling
Online gambling is a growing industry in New Zealand, which helps reduce carbon footprints as there aren’t as many people driving to land-based establishments. Even further, gambling companies trying to lessen the effects of climate change are heavily supported by New Zealanders. For instance, William Hill, where users play everything from online slots like Fishin’ Frenzy and Eye of Horus to traditional table games like poker and blackjack, is one of the most popular casino brands in New Zealand. It’s also an extremely environmentally-conscious brand. William Hill, a global online gambling company based in the United Kingdom, is a carbon-neutral business that switched to 100% Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) electricity in October 2020, in order to reduce its carbon footprint. That means the company can report zero emissions for electricity under the GHG Protocol Corporate Standards. As was reiterated at COP26, every little bit of action helps.
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
Speaking of every action, New Zealand legend Dan Carter has taken the climate crisis into his own hands. Earlier this year, Carter, a three-time World Rugby Player of the Year, launched his online NFT marketplace, named Glorious Digital. The Auckland-based app promises to auction digital assets from famous New Zealanders such as Six60, all while remaining carbon neutral. The NFT landscape can remain carbon neutral by using CENNZnet’s Proof of Stake protocol, making the proof of stake blockchain platform 99 per cent more efficient than platforms such as Bitcoin. In other words, because Glorious’ NFTs don’t require physical mining to create the energy required, they are greener than proof of work blockchains.
When it comes to COP26, New Zealand’s increased responsibility makes sense. The details ironed out at the 2016 Paris Accord (limit global warming to under 2 degrees Celsius) are particularly critical to New Zealand, hence the country’s new target of reducing 50 per cent by 2023. Whether this will happen, only time will tell. Either way, in a world where climate meetings produce nothing but promises, it was interesting to see how New Zealanders outside of the government are involved in climate change.