Envision Blockchain & HBAR Foundation Introduce Innovations at COP28, with Support from the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub

Written by guest author Daniel Norkin, Co-Founder and CEO of Envision Blockchain Solutions.

[Boca Raton, Florida] – [December 4, 2023] – At COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, Envision Blockchain, in collaboration with partners HBAR Foundation and Swirlds Labs, unveils a suite of innovative enhancements to the open-source Guardian and Managed Guardian Service (MGS) platform, the world’s leading platforms for digitized and digital measurement, reporting, and verification (dMRV) for carbon markets. The platforms are powered by Hedera Hashgraph’s distributed ledger and native token, HBAR. These advancements, developed with the collaborative input of the UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub, signal an approach for digital transformation in carbon markets.

“UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub recognizes the vital importance of innovative Web3 solutions in advancing our collective environmental goals. The recent enhancements to the open source Hedera Guardian and the Managed Guardian Service (MGS), exemplify a significant step towards streamlining and digitizing climate change mitigation methodologies. The work done by Envision Blockchain, HBAR Foundation, and Swirlds Labs leveraging Web3 solutions to digitize methodologies can enhance transparency, efficiency, and accessibility of the carbon market.” - Massamba Thioye, Project Executive UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub at UN Climate Change Secretariat

‍Refining Methodology Accessibility with Advanced Searches and dMRV

Highlighted among the enhancements are the advanced AI Search and Guided Search features, which signify a significant milestone in the accessibility of environmental methodologies, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Methodology library and other standard registries across the carbon market Industry. These tools enhance user interaction, enabling precise and swift identification of pertinent methodologies, thereby elevating the standard for digital methodology searches. During the development process, guidance from the UNFCCC Secretariat was instrumental in aligning the enhanced digital solutions with the CDM Library. In addition to the advanced search capabilities, 15 methodologies have been transformed into actionable Guardian policies. Within the context of the Guardian platform, a 'policy' refers to a set of predefined rules and digital workflows designed to guide and automate the process of verifying and managing environmental projects, ensuring they adhere to specific standards and methodologies.

Enhanced Data Analysis with Project Data Comparison:

The enhancements also include a new Project Data Comparison feature, enabling users to contrast data recorded as Verifiable Credentials (VCs), now including Global Blockchain Business Council’s (GBBC) dMRV Specification Version 2 compliant 'property fields.' VCs, the digital certificates that include signatures which validate essential project information, are key to ensuring authenticity. While, 'property fields' detail specific, critical data points within these VCs. This comparison tool offers a detailed analysis of project data, addressing double counting issues as per the Paris Agreement and improving transparency and traceability in environmental projects, thereby aiding users in making informed decisions.

Integrating GBBC’s dMRV Specification:

Additionally, the Guardian’s Project Data Comparison feature is the first implementation of GBBC’s dMRVC Specification Version 2. As a fully functional integration, this feature brings significant progress in the realm of digital environmental asset reporting to both the open-source Guardian and MGS.

"Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), through its InterWork Alliance (IWA) initiative, is happy to see real world use cases coming to market based on IWA guidance.This implementation from Envision Blockchain and HBAR Foundation of IWA’s dMRV Specification Version 2 within the Guardian platforms reflects a profound shift towards the digitalization of environmental asset reporting and represents a tangible realization of our framework. Drawing directly from dMRV specification properties, this implementation underscores the platforms' commitment to enhancing interoperability, data analysis and decision-making in carbon markets. GBBC is proud to have contributed to these pioneering efforts and looks forward to seeing how these developments propel the industry forward, ensuring that environmental reporting is both transparent and adaptable to the evolving needs of our planet." - Marley Gray, Chair of GBBC/IWA dMRV Taskforce

"The HBAR Foundation is proud to support the continued development of the Guardian, bringing together parties across the carbon markets. The addition of 15 new methodologies to the largest digitized and open source methodology library coupled with groundbreaking search functionality for project data, opens new possibilities and innovations based on easily accessible project information. This innovation was only possible through the integration and support of the Voluntary Ecological Market Taskforces dMRV properties, bolstered by the invaluable guidance from the UNFCCC Secretariat staff, which exemplifies the opportunities in partnership for sustainable development.," said Wes Geisenberger, VP of Sustainability & ESG at the HBAR Foundation 

These contributions pave the way for further ecosystem that collaboration, innovation, and development. They are designed to meet the immediate needs of the carbon market while remaining adaptable for future advancements. To further develop the ecosystem, DLT Earth a joint initiative between the HBAR Foundation and DLT Science Foundation, have launched a hackathon to continue the growth in developing Guardian-based digital methodologies, which further technological advancements that will be highlighted at COP28. This alignment demonstrates our commitment to staying at the forefront of climate action and technological progress.

"As pioneers in blockchain-based sustainability solutions, Envision Blockchain is thrilled to present at COP28 our latest enhancements to the open-source Guardian and MGS platforms. These enhancements, born from a dynamic collaboration with our esteemed partners at the HBAR Foundation and Swirlds Labs, mark a significant milestone in our commitment to advancing the digital transformation of environmental asset management. We believe these innovative tools will not only streamline processes within the carbon market but also set a new standard for transparency and efficacy in environmental methodology management. Envision Blockchain remains dedicated to fostering a future where technology plays a crucial role in driving responsible environmental stewardship and collective action against climate change." - Jason Pancis, COO and Co-Founder, Envision Blockchain Solutions.

About Envision Blockchain:

Envision Blockchain Solutions, a leader in the Web3 space, specializes in solutions and services based on Web3 technology. The company is dedicated to guiding organizations through their digital transformation journey, encompassing Use Case Analysis, Proof of Concept Development, and Scaled Deployments. As the builders and maintainers of the open-source Guardian platform, Envision Blockchain has introduced the Managed Guardian Service (MGS), a comprehensive SaaS offering that simplifies the creation and management of digital environmental assets. With a strong commitment to fostering sustainable and transparent solutions in the Carbon Market sector, Envision Blockchain Solutions is at the forefront of leveraging Web3 technology to enhance operational efficiency, transparency, and growth.

About The HBAR Foundation:

The HBAR Foundation supports the creation of Web3 communities built on the Hedera network, by empowering and funding the builders developing these communities. The Foundation’s six funds - focused on the Crypto Economy, Metaverse, Sustainability, Fintech, Privacy, and Female Founders - each support communities within those areas, and the interconnectedness enables applications to participate as part of a larger ecosystem.

The collective power of these funds enables entrepreneurs, developers, and enterprises of all sizes to tackle some of the world’s largest problems, and create and control their own economies, all built on the Hedera public network. Whether you’re building something new or migrating an existing EVM-based application and community, the HBAR Foundation is here to support you. For additional information, please visit https://hbarfoundation.org.

About Swirlds Labs:

Swirlds Labs was established with the mission to accelerate the future, built on Hedera – the most used, greenest, enterprise-grade public ledger for the decentralized economy. Our vision is to enable ‘Shared Worlds’, where anyone can gather, collaborate, conduct commerce, and control their own online footprint. We will enable this vision by continuing to provide development and other support for the Hedera network, building community and enterprise solutions that enable fast, rapidly scalable adoption of Hedera network services, and cultivating ‘moonshot’ projects that will change the way humans and organizations interact in cyberspace.

About GBBC’s IWA:

The InterWork Alliance (IWA), an initiative of Global Blockchain Business Council (GBBC), empowers organizations to adopt and use token-powered services in their day-to-day operations, across use cases and networks, bringing inclusivity to globally distributed applications. Founded in 2020, and merged in 2021 with the GBBC, the leading global industry association for the blockchain ecosystem with more than 500 institutional members, IWA is a key rallying point for organizations to collaborate on market-driven interwork standards and taxonomy to transform digital interchanges of value.

For more information, please contact:

Daniel Norkin

Co-Founder and CEO

Envision Blockchain Solutions

800-513-8334

info@envisionblockchain.com

https://envisionblockchain.com/