Probably not. Proof of work seems to be essential for a successful currency. Go visit the City of London or the Financial District of Manhattan to check out the proof of work of the current financial industry. Millions of people busying around and spending time in huge buildings that are---quite evidently now during the pandemic---completely unnecessary.

If you really want to stop waste then try to convince people to stop worrying about whether others have more stuff than they do. John Lennon wrote a well-known song about this idea. You could try imagining it too. Unfortunately you've got billions of years of evolution against you, but good luck!

Alternatively, if you can figure out a way to do it without proof of work then you'll stop all of this waste while still appealing to our animalistic instincts.

But, then again, who are you to talk about waste anyway? What makes your life not a waste of energy? Don't you consume food every single day?