carbon tracker

Inspiration

Climate change is driven by everyday human behavior, yet most people have no clear visibility into how their daily choices affect the environment. We were inspired by the idea that if individuals could see their personal carbon footprint in the same way they see their fitness data or bank balance, they would be more motivated to change. CarboTrack was created to turn environmental awareness into measurable, actionable, and positive behavior change.

What it does

CarboTrack is a web platform that helps users track, understand, and reduce their carbon footprint. It collects data from activities like travel, shopping, and energy usage, automatically extracts information from bills and receipts using OCR and AI, calculates emissions, and provides personalized insights and tips. It also rewards users for achieving sustainability milestones and encourages eco-friendly habits through gamification and community features.

How we built it

We built CarboTrack using a modern web stack:

• Frontend: React
  
• Backend: Node.js
  
• Database: MongoDB
  
• Decentralized Storage: IPFS
  
• AI Layer: Generative LLMs for insights and OCR
  

The system processes user activity data, applies emission factors, and calculates carbon output using a modular pipeline that allows real-time updates and personalization.

Challenges we ran into

Integrating multiple advanced technologies such as OCR, LLMs, and decentralized storage into a single seamless application was technically complex. Performance optimization was a challenge, especially while handling data processing and real-time feedback. We also had to carefully design the UX to make sustainability feel engaging rather than overwhelming.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

• Successfully integrating AI-powered OCR to automate carbon tracking.
• Building a secure decentralized bill storage system on IPFS.
• Designing and launching seven fully functional sustainability features within the hackathon timeframe.
• Creating an engaging experience that balances data, education, and motivation.

What we learned

We learned how to effectively combine AI and blockchain technologies in real-world applications, how important performance optimization is in feature-rich systems, and how user-centered design is critical when dealing with behavior change.

What's next for Carbon Tracker

We plan to expand CarboTrack into a mobile application, introduce more advanced gamification and social features, integrate with IoT energy meters, and partner with sustainability organizations to offer meaningful rewards and scale our impact.

Built With

• aws-/-render-(backend)-**version-control:**-git
• built-with-**languages:**-javascript
• css3
• express.js-**database:**-mongodb-**decentralized-storage:**-ipfs-**ai-&-ml:**-generative-llm-apis
• github
• html5
• oauth-2.0-**hosting-&-cloud:**-vercel-(frontend)
• ocr-engine-**browser-extension:**-chrome-extensions-api-**maps-&-routing:**-google-maps-api-/-openstreetmap-**authentication:**-jwt
• tailwind-css-**backend:**-node.js
• typescript-**frontend:**-react