On Wednesday, Google unveiled an new feature that displays to consumers how flights affect the environment. Users can now view an estimate of carbon emissions for almost all flights in the search results. The estimate can be seen next to the flight’s cost and time. According to Google, consumers will be able to consider carbon emissions while making travel booking decisions in addition to price or timing.
The calculations are seat- and flight-specific. For example, the emissions estimates will differ depending on whether you’re looking at economy or first-class seats because the seats with more legroom contribute more to overall emissions. Additionally, newer aircraft emit less pollution than older ones in general.
Low-emission flights will be marked with a green badge. When looking for a flight, those who want to emphasize carbon impact can order the results such that the flights with the lowest emissions are listed first. Flight emissions are classified as higher, usual, lower, or unknown.
Google combines data from the European Environmental Agency with flight-specific data provided by airlines addressing specifics like aircraft type and the total number of seats to produce the estimates. According to the search engine giant, real carbon emissions can vary and rely on a number of variables, including aircraft model and configuration, speed, and attitude, as well as the distance between the aircraft’s origin and destination. To increase accuracy, the corporation intends to keep updating carbon emissions in the future.
Richard Holden, Google’s vice president of travel products, stated in an blog post. : “This change to Google Flights is just one of the many ways we’re helping people make sustainable choices in their everyday lives.”
This most recent Google Flights upgrade comes shortly after the company unveiled eco-friendly routing in the U.S. for iOS and Android customers. Drivers can choose between the fastest and most fuel-efficient routes while using eco-friendly routing. Google thinks that the new function might save users of Maps from emitting more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. Next year, eco-friendly routing is anticipated to debut in Europe.
