Photo by Li Yang on Unsplash

The increasing usage of online shopping and food delivery and other services adds additional pressure on reducing emissions in Chinese cities. According to an estimate from Chinese thinktank Carbonstop, a single city resident can reduce over 1,000 kg CO2 if he/she switches to low-carbon product or service alternatives. On March 26, as part of our work to decrease carbon emissions from day-to-day activities in cities, NRDC organized the first online workshop on low-carbon lifestyles with Energy Foundation China and other international NGOs. We brought together experts from the clothing, food delivery, packaging, and car rental industries to share existing practices and explore synergies with sustainability experts and NGO communities. Representatives from Didi, China's largest car-hailing company, and Meituan, China's largest on-demand food delivery company, presented their company’s respective carbon-reduction efforts and challenges. The participants were impressed and expressed deep interest to participate in future workshops to engage more industries and establish a platform for low-carbon lifestyle advocacy. The platform, consisting of experts from industry leaders, NGOs, and city governments, will work together to integrate current initiatives and to scale up personal carbon savings.