Stirling Management School, The University of Stirling, FK9 4LA, Scotland, United Kingdom.
Brunel Business School, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, London, UB8 3PH, United Kingdom.
J Environ Manage. 2024 Sep;367:122059. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122059. Epub 2024 Aug 3.
This study addresses the ongoing debate concerning the environmental implications of cryptocurrencies. Specifically, it investigates the impact of Bitcoin trading volume on water and sanitation (Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6) and climate action (SDG 13). The research employs Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) panel data analysis to examine these relationships using a sample of 32 countries with available Bitcoin trading volume data from 2013 to 2020. The findings indicate that Bitcoin trading significantly and positively impacts progress towards SDG 6, suggesting potential benefits for water and sanitation initiatives. However, the study reveals a significant negative impact of higher Bitcoin trading volume on increased carbon emissions, underscoring the environmental costs associated with cryptocurrency activities. Similar impacts are observed for gold reserves, as their mining necessitates substantial energy consumption. These results highlight the need to regulate cryptocurrency trading and promote voluntary sustainable practices, particularly given the disparities between developed and emerging markets based on their governance frameworks. Additionally, the study considers the disparities between countries based on technology exports and economic policy uncertainty as influential determinants. The study's results emphasize the importance of proactive measures to ensure the responsible and sustainable use of cryptocurrencies. While cryptocurrencies offer significant economic returns, their early adoption stage necessitates further investigation into environmentally friendly approaches. Potential strategies include directing financial returns from cryptocurrencies towards alternative energy projects and supporting other environmental SDGs, thereby fostering a positive impact on the overall ecosystem. The study's implications extend to policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders, advocating for comprehensive and collaborative efforts to integrate sustainability into the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency market. This integration is crucial to ensure that the economic benefits of cryptocurrencies do not come at the cost of our environment.
这项研究探讨了加密货币对环境影响的持续争议。具体来说，它调查了比特币交易量对水和卫生（可持续发展目标 6）和气候行动（可持续发展目标 13）的影响。研究采用普通最小二乘法（OLS）面板数据分析，使用 2013 年至 2020 年期间有比特币交易量数据的 32 个国家的样本检验这些关系。研究结果表明，比特币交易对实现可持续发展目标 6 有显著的积极影响，这表明比特币交易对水和卫生倡议可能有益。然而，该研究发现，更高的比特币交易量对碳排放增加有显著的负面影响，突显出加密货币活动的环境成本。黄金储备也存在类似的影响，因为其开采需要大量的能源消耗。这些结果突出表明需要对加密货币交易进行监管，并促进自愿的可持续实践，特别是考虑到发达市场和新兴市场之间基于治理框架的差异。此外，该研究还考虑了国家之间的差异，这些差异基于技术出口和经济政策不确定性等因素。研究结果强调了采取积极措施确保负责任和可持续使用加密货币的重要性。虽然加密货币带来了显著的经济回报，但在其早期采用阶段，需要进一步研究环保方法。潜在的策略包括将加密货币的财务回报用于替代能源项目，并支持其他环境可持续发展目标，从而对整体生态系统产生积极影响。该研究的意义延伸到政策制定者、监管机构和利益相关者，倡导采取全面和协作的努力将可持续性纳入快速发展的加密货币市场。这一整合至关重要，以确保加密货币的经济利益不会以牺牲环境为代价。
