Key Highlights:
- Google Flights search results will display consumers the carbon emissions of their potential travels.
- According to Google, the move is part of the company’s wider efforts to combat climate change and make it easier for consumers to choose sustainability.
- The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled plans last year to require American aircraft makers to meet international emissions limits by 2028.
Google Flights to show carbon emissions
Beginning 6th October, Google Flights search results will display consumers the carbon emissions of their potential travels, allowing buyers to evaluate their environmental impact in the same way they would pricing and length, Google stated in introducing the new feature.
The business used a color-coded approach, with green denoting the most ecologically friendly flights and sorting options that allow consumers to prioritize carbon emissions when booking their tickets.
Google arrives at its final figures by combining third-party data from airlines and the European Environmental Agency. According to Google’s Help Center, the carbon cost of a flight is determined by a variety of factors, including the kind of plane utilized, the route followed, and even the number of seats on the aircraft.
Emissions from air travel are expected to triple
According to Google, the move is part of the company’s wider efforts to combat climate change and make it easier for consumers to choose sustainability. It joined the Travalyst Coalition, a collection of businesses dedicated to making sustainability the standard in the travel industry, last month. Among the other players are well-known travel companies such as Booking.com and Tripadvisor.
Google stated, “It’s essential that consumers can get consistent and reliable carbon emissions estimates no matter where they wish to study or plan their vacation.”
According to the International Council on Clean Transportation, greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aircraft account for around 2% of total global carbon emissions and are predicted to treble by 2050.
Some people are now shunning air travel
Some tourists have begun to take matters into their own hands in response to rising worries about climate change and escalating natural catastrophes. According to their website, groups like Flight Free are made up of people who have pledged not to fly as a method of decreasing carbon emissions and sending a message to those in power that climate change is a priority.
However, the cost of change does not fall only on individual customers; government authorities are beginning to turn to producers to shoulder at least some of the load.
The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled plans last year to require American aircraft makers to meet international emissions limits by 2028.
Some praised the decision as a step in the right direction, while others were less thrilled; a coalition of 11 states and Washington, D.C. claimed that the new restrictions would not significantly reduce emissions.
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