Carbon emissions tracked to encourage more green commuters

People who use bike-sharing platform Bluegogo will soon be able to track the amount of carbon emmissions they've saved by cycling, in a bid to encourage more people to ride, rather than drive.

Bluegogo signed an agreement with the Shenzhen-based Green & Low-Carbon Development Foundation on Friday, designed to enhance the city's green commuting.

Under the agreement, Bluegogo will gather data about its users' travel and share it on an online platform developed by the foundation called Carbon Account. The platform will then convert the data into a carbon emission reduction, score each rider's efforts and give out incentives to the best contributors.

The cooperation is aimed at easing the city's environmental problem caused by the rapid increase of the number of its vehicles.

Foundation general-secretary Liu Fuer said bike sharing was gaining popularity among more and more people.

By joining with Bluegogo, the foundation will be able to encourage more people to participate in green commuting.

The foundation is Shenzhen's first non-profit environmental protection organization focusing on low-carbon development.

"Bluegogo and Green & Low-Carbon Development Foundation have the same objective — that is to promote low-carbon development in Shenzhen," Bluegogo's Wan Yao said. "We believe the cooperation will facilitate Shenzhen's environmental protection efforts."

The number of vehicles in Shenzhen has been growing rapidly, posing a serious threat to the city's environment.

There were 3 million vehicles running in Shenzhen last year, up from 2 million in 2012. The city ranks has the highest vehicle density of all Chinese cities and carbon emission from transportation accounts for 40 percent of total emissions.

Bluegogo launched its smart bikes in Shenzhen in mid-October. So far, more than 100,000 users have registered with each bike being used an average of eight times per day. It is currently offering services in Shenzhen and Guangzhou and is spreading to other cities at a fast speed.