If you’re familiar with Cardano, then you already know that it’s not your typical blockchain. It was built with sustainability in mind, using a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism that requires significantly less energy than proof-of-work blockchains. In fact, Cardano is so energy-efficient that it’s been dubbed “the green blockchain.”

But Cardano’s sustainability isn’t just a buzzword – it’s a core value that’s driving real-world change. Cardano currently powers a variety of altruistic projects focused on sustainability, environmental protection, socio-economic development, solving food insecurity, and more. 

In this article, we’ll go through a brief rundown of four exciting Cardano-powered initiatives. So, let’s dive in and discover how blockchain technology can be a force for good!

Climate Neutral Cardano

Climate Neutral Cardano (CNC) is a stake pool alliance that focuses on promoting environmentally sustainable and socially responsible practices. The CNC alliance involves stake pool operators who have pledged to reduce the carbon footprint of their operations by implementing a number of key practices:

• Using 100% renewable energy sources: CNC members use renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, or hydroelectric power to power their stake pool servers. This helps to reduce the amount of carbon emissions associated with their operations.
  
  

• Promoting energy efficiency: Members of CNC also focus on making their stake pool operations more energy-efficient by using efficient hardware and optimizing their infrastructure. This helps to reduce the overall energy consumption of their operations.
  
  

• Offsetting carbon emissions: CNC members offset their carbon emissions by supporting projects that help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. For example, they may invest a portion of pool operator fees into reforestation projects, renewable energy projects, or other climate protection measures. 
  

But wait, does staking with CNC pools mean less rewards for delegators? Nope, not at all– staking with a CNC stakepool is the same as any other pool. This means that delegators receive 100% of their ADA rewards (plus CNC tokens and NFTs) all while helping to promote a more sustainable future by supporting initiatives like the CNC Ala Project. Pretty neat, huh? 

Veritree

Veritree is an innovative project that leverages blockchain technology to promote sustainable development and combat climate change. Based on the UN SDGs #13 Climate Action, and #15 Life on Land, Veritree manages blockchain-verified reforestation projects, which help to improve the transparency of the climate actions reported by corporations and fight against greenwashing. By combining geolocation with blockchain verification, Veritree is setting new standards for reforestation and providing companies with transparent and verifiable data on their reforestation efforts.

What makes Veritree special is that it standardizes data collection on reforestation projects, cretaing a more efficient way to monitor tree growth and planting. Here’s how it works: local planting companies use Veritree’s tools to register the location of every tree they plant on the Cardano blockchain. This information can then be checked and verified by companies to provide proof that their reforestation efforts are real and ongoing. 

During the 2021 Cardano Summit, the Cardano Foundation unveiled its collaboration with Veritree. Soon after the summit, the Cardano community generously contributed 1 million ada towards Veritree’s inaugural reforestation initiative, aiming to plant 1 million trees worldwide. If you’d like to follow the progress of the Cardano Forest, or send a donation in support of the initiative, you can do so here.  

Empowa 

Empowa is a social impact platform that seeks to address the housing crisis in African countries while promoting sustainability and economic development. The platform focuses on UN SDG #11, which aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Empowa’s approach involves crowd-funding sustainable development projects that provide affordable housing to locals. The projects utilize a lease-to-own model, where tenants pay rent towards owning their homes over time, creating new opportunities to build generational wealth while supporting the economic prosperity of local communities. 

The platform’s development projects prioritize green building practices and employ local companies to build energy-efficient and eco-friendly homes. To raise capital for its projects, Empowa issues Impact NFTs (non-fungible tokens) that represent a share of the project’s rent revenue stream. The NFTs are sold to investors who can then earn returns from the rent paid by tenants over an extended period.

Empowa was launched thanks to community-designated funding from Cardano’s Project Catalyst. Since then, the initiative has kicked off its first project in Mozambique providing affordable homes to locals through lease-to-own agreements.  

Landano 

Landano is an Africa-focused “RealFi” solution that’s using blockchain technology to improve land ownership rights for smallholder farmers in developing countries The initiative is based on the first of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere.

Using the power of the Cardano blockchain, Landano enables farmers to register and manage their land ownership rights using a decentralized app (dApp). The title deeds and supporting documents are notarized on the Cardano blockchain and a non-fungible token (NFT) is generated for each registered land title. Using a shared, auditable ledger like the Cardano blockchain improves transparency and prevents fraud by demonstrating that only one legitimate deed exists per registered property.

But Landano doesn’t just help farmers protect their land rights – it also enables them to use their land as collateral for loans and other financial services. This can help to promote economic growth and reduce poverty in communities where access to credit is limited.

The Landano initiative began its pilot project in northern Ghana in March 2022, soon after adding an additional project in Mozambique, which alone has already created 80,000 digital land right records. With a successful first year under its belt, and plans to continue project expansion in Kenya underway, it’s clear that Landano has the potential to transform land ownership rights for millions of smallholder farmers not just in Africa, but around the world.

A Brighter Future Ahead

Built on a foundation of values that prioritize sustainability, transparency, and decentralization, it’s no surprise that Cardano is home to a growing number of projects dedicated to driving positive change. And while these four are at the forefront of sustainable development and social impact, they are just the tip of the iceberg of Cardano-powered projects that are making a difference. Together, we’ll change the world.