Map app can track users' low-carbon activities

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment, Alibaba Charity Foundation and a map app called Amap, launched an environmental mapping service on Amap today that can help record users' low-carbon activities and provide real-time environmental information, including air and water quality.

The new service aims to encourage more people to take part in environmental protection and start living a low-carbon life to build a "beautiful China", according to Sun Lijun, partner of the Alibaba Group.

Users can access this service by searching "environment map" in the app. When users choose their mode of transportation, such as walking, cycling or using public transport, the app will automatically record the mileage of these low-carbon trips.

Liu Zhenfei, president of Amap, said that the app also will set up some incentives to those who keep a good record of low-carbon travel. He added that the app will accumulate charity points whenever its users do some "green activities", and the platform will turn those points into charity deeds, including building bridges for rural mountainous areas.

Users can check environmental information, including air and water quality, and factory sewage across the country. For example, they will be able to see the air quality index as well as the predicted index in the next four days of the city they live in. They will also be able to see if the factory sewage in their cities exceeds the standards.

Liu said the former map was mainly based on direction guidance but the new service can combine comprehensive information with different traveling scenarios.

"For example, the app will be able to recommend a better destination and automatically divert congested roads as well as waterlogged roads based on the weather forecast," Liu said.

"This environment map enriched our service, making a location-based map app get hold of the conditions of both the sky and the ground," Liu added.