On chinadaily.com.cn

Environment: Alipay tree initiative honored

A conservation initiative by a Chinese company has won the 2019 Champions of the Earth award, the UN's highest environmental honor, according to UN Environment. Ant Forest, an initiative on the Alipay online platform, was honored on Thursday for turning the "green good deeds of half a billion people" into real trees planted in some of China's most arid regions. The UN agency recognized Ant Forest in the "Inspiration and Action" category. Ant Forest was launched on Alipay by Ant Financial Services Group. Its users are encouraged to record their low-carbon footprints through daily actions such as using public transportation or paying utility bills online. For each action, they receive "green energy" points. When they accumulate a certain number, an actual tree is planted. Users can view images of the trees in real time via satellite. Since its launch in August 2016, Ant Forest and its NGO partners have planted some 122 million trees.

Travel: Entry fees to be reduced, even waived