The Global Carbon Council (GCC) has registered the Brazil Zero Empty Seats Project under GCC Standard 2.0, making it the first transport-sector project from Brazil to be registered under GCC.
Implemented by BlaBlaCar Brazil, the project uses a digital carpooling platform to connect drivers with available seats to passengers travelling on similar long-distance inter-urban routes across Brazil.
The idea is simple: make better use of journeys that are already taking place. By filling otherwise empty seats, the project helps reduce the need for separate trips and lowers the emissions associated with low-occupancy travel.
The project was independently validated by Earthood Services Private Limited.
Expected to Reduce 59,112 tCO₂e Each Year
The Brazil Zero Empty Seats Project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 59,112 tCO₂e annually, with estimated reductions of approximately 591,119 tCO₂e over its fixed 10-year crediting period.
To calculate these reductions, the project compares emissions from eligible carpool journeys with the travel choices users would otherwise have made. These may include private cars, buses, motorcycles, rail or air travel.
This approach allows the project to reflect actual travel behavior rather than relying on a single assumed baseline.
A Methodology Designed for Long-Distance Carpooling
The project applies GCCM007, Methodology for Private Carpooling for Long-Distance Inter-Urban Travel, Version 1.0.
The methodology sets out how baseline travel behavior, project emissions, additionality, monitoring and emission reductions are assessed. The project uses platform trip records, user surveys and calculation scripts to support this process.
It has also been validated as first-of-its-kind in Brazil for its specific model and scale. The assessment focused on the commercial deployment of a large-scale, open carpooling platform for long-distance travel based on cost sharing rather than conventional ride-hailing.
At the point the project moved from pilot to commercial operations, the platform had more than 3 million active users in Brazil, well above the minimum scale threshold defined under GCCM007.
The methodology also takes a conservative approach to induced travel. If a user indicates that a journey would not have happened without the carpooling option, that trip is assigned zero baseline emissions and does not generate credited emission reductions.
Built Around Digital Data and Annual Monitoring
As a digital mobility project, much of the monitoring is built around data generated through the platform itself.
The validation process reviewed trip records, survey responses, coding scripts and the way data move from raw platform records into the final emission-reduction calculations. Individual records were traced back to the underlying data to confirm consistency and accuracy.
Annual monitoring will continue throughout the crediting period, supported by platform activity data and user surveys covering passenger rides, driver trips, travel distances and other parameters required under the methodology.
Environmental and Social Considerations
The project was also assessed against GCC’s environmental and social safeguards and was found not to cause net negative environmental or social impacts.
The monitoring framework includes areas such as road safety, harassment, stakeholder engagement and grievance management.
A local stakeholder consultation was held with representatives from local authorities, civil society, academia and communities. The consultation covered the project’s objectives, benefits, safety measures, potential risks and grievance mechanisms.
Contributing to Six Sustainable Development Goals
The project has qualified for the Diamond SDG+ label, with expected contributions to six United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
SDG 5 – Gender Equality
SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities
SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13 – Climate Action
These contributions will be monitored during the crediting period in line with the project’s approved monitoring plan.
A Milestone for BlaBlaCar Brazil
Reflecting on the registration, Tatiana Mattos, President of BlaBlaCar Brazil, said:
“At BlaBlaCar, one of our biggest missions has always been to make travel more sustainable by simply filling empty seats. Having the Brazil Zero Empty Seats project registered with the Global Carbon Council, as the first transport project of its kind from Brazil, is a significant validation of the impact our community creates every day. It proves that shared mobility is not just a convenient way to travel, but a highly effective and scalable tool for reducing carbon emissions. We are incredibly proud of this milestone and remain deeply committed to supporting Brazil’s transition towards a greener transportation future.”
Expanding the Role of Transport in Carbon Markets
The registration of the Brazil Zero Empty Seats Project adds a new transport activity to GCC’s registered project portfolio and shows how shared mobility can be assessed within a carbon-market framework using project data, user behaviour and independent validation.
As the first transport-sector project from Brazil registered under GCC, it also marks an important step in widening participation beyond more traditional project categories and bringing new forms of climate action into carbon markets.
