Google wants to help with climate-friendly travel …
Aircraft account for around two to three percent of the emissions that cause climate change. For years, however, air traffic has been working on improving its CO2 balance around the world. Investments are primarily made in energy-efficient aircraft and flight procedures. But it may still take some time before all planes are CO2-neutral.
A new Google search function, which was introduced on Wednesday, now shows users which aircraft have the lowest CO2 emissions from take-off to landing.
If desired, the search for emissions can be restricted, similar to what you can do based on the price or the number of stopovers. Flights with the lowest CO2 emissions are highlighted in green.
Google works with estimates from data from the European Environment Agency and flight-specific information that Google receives from airlines and other providers. This data can include the age, model, and configuration of an aircraft, the speed and altitude at which it is flying, and the distance between the origin and destination of the flight.
According to the new search method, for example, a flight from Berlin to New York on December 6th with United Airlines is listed as the most environmentally friendly because it emits 17 percent less CO2 compared to the average emission value.
For some flights, estimates may not be available due to lack of data or other information for certain aircraft, according to Google.
The new emissions tool follows the tool introduced by Google last month to search for “eco-certified” hotels. Also on Wednesday, Google presented a technology that enables drivers to find more fuel-efficient routes on Google Maps. The new features are part of a sustainability initiative that Google CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted on Wednesday.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat, it is increasingly local and personal,” Pichai wrote in a blog post. “We need urgent and meaningful solutions to address this challenge,” he added, explaining that the company is committed to running its data centers and campus on carbon-free energy by 2030.