New book explores a green 'metaverse'

Metaverse and Carbon Neutrality, a book that provides a systematic introduction to two frequently mentioned concepts and relevant case studies of industrial convergence, was released on Feb 28 in Beijing.

"Metaverse" refers to the concept of an immersive virtual world where people gather and interact. The term became widely known after Facebook rebranded itself as Meta in October, as its CEO Mark Zuckerberg said "I believe the metaverse is the next chapter for the internet".

Xing Jie, one of the authors and chairman of Beijing-based Youshi Capital, concluded the key insight of the book is that digitalization and smart technologies will empower carbon neutrality in all aspects. The process to realize carbon neutrality, with the use of green energy, will support the infinite computing power of the metaverse.

It shows how we can balance the development of metaverse, the demanding computing power of which requires an even larger deal of energy consumption, and the effort for carbon neutrality in the current stage, Xing said.

The book is part of a series around the metaverse to popularize knowledge and provide a vision of its potential application in multi fields, according to Qiao Weibing, editor-in-chief of China Translation and Publishing House.

Following the book launch was the founding ceremony of the Metaverse and Carbon Neutrality Institute led by the China Association for the Promotion of Industrial Development, aimed to carry out research and promote application of the field as well as providing consulting services for policymakers, trade associations and companies.