HANGZHOU, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Organizers of 2019 World Environment Day celebrations in Hangzhou said the four-day event, which began on Sunday, will be "carbon neutral."

A total 721 tonnes of carbon dioxide are estimated to be produced during the event from June 2-5, which will be offset by purchasing equal amounts of carbon credits from the Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm Afforestation Carbon Sequestration Project in north China's Hebei Province, said an official from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.

In addition, the event has been using new energy cars as shuttle vehicles, and reducing paper use, the organizers said.

In late 2017, the Saihanba afforestation community won the UN Champions of the Earth Award for creating a vast man-made forest covering about 93,000 hectares in northern China, making great contributions to the restoration of degraded landscapes.