- The platform gives businesses a unified record of carbon emissions and links them with green finance and carbon-trading services
- It also turns individual low-carbon activities such as green travel and energy saving into credits
Zhejiang has launched what it calls China’s first provincial-level carbon-account management platform, giving 62,000 industrial companies a unified digital record of their carbon emissions while extending carbon-account services to individuals.
The Zhejiang Carbon Account Management Service Platform went online September 28, linking provincial, municipal and county-level systems.
Built jointly by government agencies covering development, the environment, energy, power and statistics, it has collected more than 16 million pieces of carbon-related data from six existing platforms.
Tracking emissions efficiently
For businesses, the platform addresses a basic problem: carbon emissions cannot be effectively managed or traded without reliable data.
Companies can track their emissions and access services including green finance and carbon trading without repeatedly hiring third-party agencies to calculate their carbon footprint.
The system could be particularly useful for exporters as overseas carbon-reporting requirements tighten.
Under the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, covered exporters need verifiable emissions data to support reporting and compliance.
A carbon wallet for individuals
The platform also brings personal carbon accounts into the provincial system. Activities such as green travel and energy saving can be converted into carbon credits and redeemed for benefits.
Similar schemes have been tested in different parts of China, but data and standards have often been fragmented. A provincial system could make them easier to scale and connect with more everyday activities.
The platform runs on a “5 plus N” carbon-account system, covering everything from regions and industries to companies, projects and products, with additional accounts for public institutions, low- and zero-carbon parks, carbon markets and individual incentives.
From local pilot to provincial system
Zhejiang’s carbon-account system originated in Quzhou, where the concept expanded from individuals to companies in 2021.
In May 2026, Quzhou enacted China’s first local regulation governing the development and use of carbon accounts.
The provincial platform builds on that experience and uses blockchain technology to protect corporate data and privacy.
Its broader test will be whether better carbon data can translate into lower compliance costs and easier access to green financing and carbon markets.
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