In Quzhou, 2.20 million residents, accounting for over 95 percent of its permanent population, have opened personal carbon accounts and are enjoying the benefits of a low-carbon lifestyle, according to Tide News on Nov 12.

Carbon accounts work like bank accounts, but instead of money, store data on carbon emissions.

To promote the green and low-carbon transformation, Quzhou pioneered carbon accounts in 2021, building a carbon account platform based on data collection, accounting, grading evaluation, and application services of carbon emissions.

Quzhou's digitalization efforts are behind its low-carbon initiatives, establishing a carbon account system that covers seven key areas: industry, agriculture, energy, construction, transportation, residential life, and forestry carbon sink.

In terms of residential life, activities such as online payments, taking public transportation, and recycling generate personal carbon points. These points can be redeemed for coupons, local specialties, and handicrafts.

"Carbon accounts help companies find precise ways to realize the carbon emission reduction, reducing production costs. They help us clearly see the daily usage of electricity, steam, and other data for each workshop," said Yu Huiben, manager of the asset management department at Zhejiang Jasan Group Jiangshan Knitting Co.

In the first half of this year, the added value of Quzhou industries above a designated size increased by 11 percent year-on-year, while the energy consumption of these industries decreased year-on-year.