Fernando Padilla Farfán and the sustainable development of the metaverse
According to Fernando Padilla Farfán , the metaverse is a new paradigm that aims to bring the Internet to a more immersive format, using technologies such as virtual reality, the blockchain and cryptocurrencies, but all this in exchange for a very large carbon footprint through high energy consumption and massive data storage. Intel, one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world, estimated that the energy expenditure required to maintain the metaverse would be 1,000 times higher than today.
However, the metaverse also promises substantial reductions in carbon emissions by replacing physical goods with digital ones and replacing real-world presence with virtual interactions.
The prospects offered by the metaverse of moving work and daily life into a virtual world is very attractive. But that transfer to the virtual world would not have to imply a demand for material resources.
At the gate of a new technological revolution, it would be convenient to begin to assess how the metaverse could help with sustainable development. As an example of this, there are companies like Iconic Moments, one of the first markets dedicated to the great cultural institutions around the world, a project with a sustainable model for the preservation of history and for the cultural industry.
The platform consists of helping large cultural institutions and museums to adapt to this technological and social change. Thanks to his goals, the marketplace NFT won the Award at the United Nations World Summit (UN).
Iconic Moments is one of the 40 winning companies of the World Summit Award, an initiative promoted by the UN that seeks to reward institutions that use technology to achieve their sustainable development goals.
Chris Cummings, founder and CEO of the company, shared in a press release that “Our mission is to enable museums and cultural institutions to digitally engage a new generation of visitors, evolve the museum experience, and create a more sustainable economic model. for museums through green NFTs and the metaverse.” Iconic enables museums to generate much-needed revenue through limited-edition NFTs without relinquishing ownership or governance of the world's historic assets.
The climate emergency has placed sustainability in the hierarchy of business strategy priorities. Companies, and especially technology giants, are beginning to realize that it is not just about making a business profitable, but about achieving that profit in a sustainable way.
These environmentally responsible business models are contributing to innovation, technological development and greater efficiency in the way of working.
Building a sustainable metaverse has to be a challenge for technological development, but, as he claims Fernando Padilla Farfán , you have to start with creating a culture focused on trust and transparency with new technologies. The only solution that people have in their hands is for companies to become aware of the need to create a sustainable metaverse, through agreements and commitments that guarantee their technological development with greater use of renewable energy, otherwise the metaverse is not sustainable and would violate the SDGs of the UN 2030 agenda.
