Carbon Neutrality on the Solana Blockchain
Regular Emissions Reporting and Offsetting
Since the first energy use report in November 2021, the Solana Foundation has pledged to regularly measure and publish the carbon footprint of the network and make the network carbon neutral via offsets.
First-Time Onchain Offset Purchase
Today, the Solana Foundation is pleased to announce that for the first time, the Solana Foundation has offset the 100% network’s carbon footprint by purchasing carbon offsets entirely onchain.
Real-Time Carbon Footprint Tracking
Additionally, as of March 2023, the network’s carbon footprint is tracked in real-time at SolanaClimate.com.
December 2023 Energy Use Report Highlights
Key takeaways of the December 2023 energy use report:
- The Solana blockchain’s carbon footprint totalled 4,392.9 tCO2 over the six-month period from April 1, 2023 – September 30, 2023, annualized to 8,785.8 tCO2.
- Solana energy use per transaction has declined by 25% since the last energy use update and total emissions decreased by 17.5%.
- In keeping with its commitment to keep the Solana network carbon neutral, the Solana Foundation purchased 10,901.2 tons of carbon credits to offset the network’s 2022 carbon footprint.
Past Energy Use and Emissions Updates
Since the last update on energy use and emissions from the Solana Foundation (the period between April 1, 2023-September 30, 2023), the Solana blockchain generated 4,392.9 tons of Total Average Carbon Emission (tCO2e), an average of 732.2 tCO2 per month.
This update covered a year-long period (April 1, 2022-March 31, 2023) that included 10,651.2 tCO2e, for an average of 887.6 tCO2 per month. This indicates a decrease in carbon emissions per month in the period since the March 2023 energy use report.
This decrease in emissions is due to a decrease in energy use per transaction of 25%, from 0.879k J to 0.658k J.
Carbon Offset Credits Purchase
The Solana Foundation purchased offsets for 100% of carbon emissions from the Solana blockchain for the 2022 calendar year, a total of 10,901.2 tons of carbon as calculated through real-time monitoring from TryCarbonara, via embedded software directly on nodes within the Solana blockchain.
The Solana Foundation also commits to offsetting the network’s 2023 carbon footprint once the year is complete, in keeping with the Foundation’s commitment to keep Solana carbon neutral.
Carbon Offset Credits Origins
This purchase of carbon offset credits was from two organizations:
- 5,000 tons of carbon offset credits from ecoToken verified by Regen Network, and 5,902 tons of carbon offset credits from Sunrise Stake, enabled by Toucan Protocol.
ecoToken Purchase Breakdown
The ecoToken purchase is split between different types of credits and projects:
- City Forest credits in the United States
- REDD+ credits in Colombia, at the Mataven Forest Unified Indigenous Reserve Project
ecoToken carbon offset credits are independently verified by third-parties, and involve both preservation of existing forests, and planting of new trees or reforesting depleted areas.
Sunrise Stake Purchase Breakdown
The Sunrise Stake purchase was completed onchain through a dedicated “Offset Bridge” built by Sunrise Stake to buy and retire Toucan NCT, a nature-based carbon token.
The offset bridge allows USDC on Solana to be bridged to chains supported by Toucan, and allows the retirement certificates to be bridged back to Solana in the form of a Retirement NFT, that contains details of the total carbon retired.
Verified REDD credits go towards funding the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project, which preserves tropical peat swamp forest in Indonesia.
Carbon Emissions Tracker
The carbon emissions tracker at SolanaClimate.com was developed in collaboration with TryCarbonara, a carbon data platform, and embeds software directly on Solana nodes to provide the most comprehensive and accurate measurement of the blockchain’s footprint to date.
Conclusion
The Solana Foundation is committed to transparency and sustainability, and has made significant strides in reducing the network’s carbon footprint. By purchasing carbon offsets entirely onchain and tracking emissions in real-time, the Solana Foundation is working towards a carbon-neutral future for the blockchain.
FAQs
Q: What is the Solana Foundation’s carbon neutrality commitment?
A: The Solana Foundation has pledged to regularly measure and publish the carbon footprint of the network and make the network carbon neutral via offsets.
Q: What is the total carbon footprint of the Solana blockchain for 2022?
A: The Solana Foundation purchased 10,901.2 tons of carbon credits to offset the network’s 2022 carbon footprint.
Q: How does the Solana Foundation track its carbon footprint?
A: The Solana Foundation uses TryCarbonara, a carbon data platform, to track its carbon footprint in real-time. The platform embeds software directly on Solana nodes to provide the most comprehensive and accurate measurement of the blockchain’s footprint to date.
Q: What organizations did the Solana Foundation purchase carbon offset credits from?
A: The Solana Foundation purchased carbon offset credits from ecoToken and Sunrise Stake.
Q: What types of credits and projects are included in the ecoToken purchase?
A: The ecoToken purchase includes City Forest credits in the United States and REDD+ credits in Colombia, at the Mataven Forest Unified Indigenous Reserve Project.
Q: What is the Sunrise Stake purchase breakdown?
A: The Sunrise Stake purchase was completed onchain through a dedicated “Offset Bridge” and includes verified REDD credits that fund the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project, which preserves tropical peat swamp forest in Indonesia.
