The Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games hold a ceremony on July 26 to mark the donation of carbon offset credits. [Photo/tianmunews.com]

The Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games held a ceremony on July 26 to mark the donation of carbon offset credits, local media outlets reported.

Carbon offsetting involves purchasing "carbon credits" to compensate for the greenhouse gas emissions produced in daily life. The practice enables individuals or organizations to offset their unavoidable emissions by purchasing emissions reductions from other regions or projects.

Since April of last year, the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games organizing committees have been working towards creating the first-ever carbon-neutral games, and have achieved notable progress.

"From the start of preparations, a certain amount of carbon emissions was to be expected. To address this, we enlisted qualified accounting agencies to calculate the emissions throughout the entire preparation process, based on international standards, which helped us estimate the emissions reduction needed for carbon offsetting," said an official from the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee.

How is the carbon emissions of the Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games "offset"? The primary method involves donations from governments, enterprises, and institutions. Currently, a total of 45 organizations spanning across various industries have contributed to the initiative.

Beyond governmental bodies and enterprises, the public is also actively engaged in the carbon neutrality efforts. Activities proposed by Alipay such as the "Plant a Tree for the Asian Games" and "Every Person, 1 Kilogram: Supporting Carbon Neutrality at the Asian Games" have garnered the participation of over 100 million individuals, heralding the adoption of green practices as a new social trend.

To date, the combined carbon offset donations for the games have reached 1.068 million tons, which include carbon quotas, China Certified Emission Reductions, internationally certified carbon credits, and carbon inclusivity measures.

The Hangzhou Asian Games and Asian Para Games hold a ceremony on July 26 to mark the donation of carbon offset credits. [Photo/tianmunews.com]