Shenzhen has published CO2 emission reporting guidelines for buses and taxis in preparation for bringing them into the city’s carbon market.

Shenzhen bus and taxi companies will have to start reporting their carbon emissions, according to a statement released this week by the Market and Quality Supervision Commission of Shenzhen Municipality. It did not specify when mandatory reporting will begin, but said the reporting guidelines will enter into force on June 1.

The municipal government has decided to bring transport into the ETS, planned since 2013, due to its high share of the city’s energy consumption.

Experts estimate transport accounts for more than a quarter of Shenzhen’s CO2 emissions, and that the share is likely to rise in the future.

The city already has policies in place to drive emission reductions in the transport sector, and announced last year it aims at having 8,000 green buses and 15,000 electric taxis on the road by 2017.

In March, the Shenhen government announced it would provide 5 billion yuan ($800 million) in funding to boost demand for low-carbon vehicles.

Shenzhen is the smallest of China’s pilot carbon markets, covering just over 30 million tonnes of CO2 annually.

By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com