Welcome to the ‘Digital Disruption for Conservation’ toolkit! This toolkit is made available by the Digital Disruption and the Future of Conservation project team at the Luc Hoffmann Institute. It is designed to provide conservation practitioners with a basic introduction to blockchain concepts and their potential use for nature conservation. If you’ve ever wondered what innovations like blockchain, smart contracts, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs) are all about, and how we can use them to leverage conservation efforts, then you’re in the right place!
We understand that blockchain concepts can seem a bit overwhelming at times. For this reason, our toolkit is thoughtfully designed to clarify the terms, opportunities and challenges associated with blockchain technologies so that you can understand their potential for nature and society.
The following chapters will cover different blockchain concepts, showcase inspiring blockchain applications in the conservation sector, and lay the groundwork to discuss contentious topics that we as conservationists should be familiar with while engaging with emerging digital innovations. Every chapter builds on the one before, so we recommend going through the toolkit in order.
‘Digital Disruption for Conservation’ – Toolkit chapters:
1) Blockchain and Web 3.0
2) Smart contracts
3) Cryptocurrencies and Tokenization
4) NFTs – Non-Fungible Tokens
Moving through the toolkit, you will find that each concept is divided into five sections:
- Down to basics – providing an initial understanding of the concept
- Down the rabbit hole – illustrating some of its potential future uses for conservation
- What’s out there – showcasing already existing blockchain use cases in conservation projects
- Things to keep in mind – highlighting some key considerations that conservation organisations should make before approaching the concept
- Further resources – referring to additional content we consider useful for deepening our understanding of these innovations.
The toolkit is an expression of the project team’s on-going efforts to share digital innovation insights with the conservation community, and will be updated regularly as this space evolves. We hope you will find it thought-provoking and are encouraged to explore what role blockchain technology could play in the impact created by your organisation. We would love for you to join the conversation and help us explore how best to use blockchain concepts for biodiversity conservation. If you are interested in knowing more about the project, get in touch here and … Enjoy the learning ride!
As part of its Digital disruption and the future of conservation project, the Luc Hoffmann Institute is exploring how blockchain technology could help conserve biodiversity. The institute is not involved in the creation or trading of any crypto assets. It is aware of the environmental externalities and opportunities of these activities and firmly believes that both the climate change and biodiversity crises should be tackled together.