Google Flights now shows estimated carbon emissions in search results

Flights with significantly lower emissions will be labelled with a green badge. You can sort all of the results by carbon emissions and see how each flight compares to the average.

Starting today, when you search for flights on Google Flights, you will see carbon emissions estimates per seat for nearly every flight in the search results. This will help you make a sustainable choice when you're choosing among flights of similar cost or timing.

Flights with significantly lower emissions will be labelled with a green badge. You can sort all of the results by carbon emissions and see how each flight compares to the average.

To estimate carbon emissions for flights, Google combines data from the European Environmental Agency (EEA) with the flight-specific information it receives from airlines and other providers such as aircraft type, trip distance and the number of seats in each seating class.

"Last month, we shared new sustainability initiatives from our travel team, including ways you can find eco-certified hotels on Google. Now, we're bringing information on carbon emissions directly into Google Flights. This update to Google Flights is just one of the many ways we’re helping people make sustainable choices in their everyday lives," Google wrote in a blog post on Wednesday.

In September 2021, Google joined the Travalyst Coalition which is working together on sustainability initiatives that drive system change and lead to a resilient and thriving future for the travel and tourism industry. As a member of the Travalyst Coalition, the search giant will help develop an open model for calculating carbon emissions from air travel and promote standardization across the travel industry using this framework.

At today's Sustainable with Google event, the company also announced three new Google Maps updates to help lower CO2 emissions. These include:

• Eco-friendly routing - With eco-friendly routing, Google Maps will show you the fastest route and the one that’s most fuel-efficient — so you can choose whichever one works best for you.
• Lite navigation for cyclists - With lite navigation, you can track your trip progress, see your ETA update, and know your elevation without entering turn-by-turn navigation.
• Bike and scooter share information - It is now available in over 300 cities around the world on Android and iOS.