Blockchain for sustainable development: Insights from Mariana de la Roche
Speaking to the AIBC Europe conference, Mariana de la Roche, who forms part of the board of directors of the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Application and co-chair of the Social Impact and Sustainability Working Group shared her thoughts on the transformative power of blockchain for sustainable development.
Mariana, a seasoned professional with over nine years of experience, is actively involved in various sectors, serving as a legal and regulatory advisor and leading projects in the blockchain space. She is a key figure in the BC100 initiative, aiming to promote social impact projects for sustainable development.
BC100 and sustainability
As a member of the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications, Mariana emphasised the importance of collaboration in bringing together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds, including academia, development sectors, and blockchain projects. The BC100 steering committee, consisting of organisations like the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum, Ethereum Cloud, and others, has been actively working to raise awareness, organise educational campaigns, and publish position papers to drive the global adoption of blockchain.
“The main thing that we want to do is bridge the Web2 and the Web3 ecosystem. So organisations that originally work in the development sector that are not native to the blockchain space can learn how to use or how to deploy solutions that are being implemented by different organizations in the blockchain ecosystem.
“Whether they are focusing on social impact or not, that can then be replicated and adapted by the development sector to do the job that they have been doing for decades in a faster and more efficient manner.”
Best in Class Projects
One of BC100’s key initiatives is identifying and promoting best-in-class blockchain projects that contribute to sustainability goals. Mariana highlighted the ongoing work of a working group in developing criteria to evaluate projects that are beyond the proof-of-concept stage and are already generating significant impact. The criteria include blockchain’s vital role, proof of deployment beyond initial stages, involvement of multiple organisations, ease of replication, and a dedicated development team. Mariana discussed the importance of creating a bridge between Web2 and Web3 ecosystems, facilitating cross-sector collaboration to enhance the adoption of blockchain technology and achieve UN charter values.
