Airlines and ranchers are eating beef in Google’s climate calculator

A premium flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a common trip for some Californians, could generate 101 kilograms, or perhaps 142 or 366 kilograms of carbon emissions.

The wide range of estimates stems from what some climate experts see as a growing problem, with Google at the center. More and more people are factoring the impact of climate change into their life choices, such as where to vacation and what to eat. But scientists are still debating how to accurately estimate the effects of many activities, such as flight and meat production. While the calculations are being cleaned up, some industries have accused the emissions estimates of being unfair.

Google has taken the lead among big tech companies by informing users about their potential carbon footprint while traveling, heating their homes, and most recently, preparing dinner. But airlines, ranchers, and other industry groups are pushing back against this, saying Google’s nudge could hurt sales. They were successful with airlines, but they called on the search giant to rethink how it calculates and presents emissions data.

The United Nations Climate Change Commission has begun to say that individual decisions matter. For example, last year’s report found that avoiding train rides and long flights could account for 40% of the potential reduction in global aviation emissions by 2050 due to climate change. pointing out. how people choose to travel. However, it is difficult for consumers to get a personal picture of their carbon impact. That’s because primary research tends to focus on global or regional averages rather than individualized measures, say emissions researchers.

Scientists and start-ups working on emissions estimates are not only misinformed about the impact of their choices by showing shoppers a variety of data, they are also misrepresenting emissions estimates for years to come. I worry that I won’t be able to. It could hamper efforts to slow the release of greenhouse gases.

Travalist is a non-profit organization that brings together travel stakeholders such as airlines, Google, Expedia and Visa to standardize emissions formulas. “Making noise that lacks clarity and consistency keeps people from switching off and driving the behaviors we want.”

pledge to climate change

Since Google publicly set a goal in September 2020 to help 1 billion people make sustainable choices through its services by the end of 2022, Google has made significant progress on the potential impact on consumers’ personal climate footprint. has emerged as a powerful force in , search, Nest thermostat, and other Google services, and in total he has over 3 billion users. According to the company, his Google searches for “rooftop solar,” “e-bike,” and “electric car” hit all-time highs last year.

Rivals such as Apple, which optimizes iPhone charging based on the mix of energy sources on the local grid, and Microsoft, which emphasizes green shopping items on Bing, have launched their own “green” features. But consumer tech companies can’t match the breadth or audience size of Google’s climate feature, or the granularity of the data they push to consumers (down to a tenth of his kilogram emissions for protein sources). You can not.

However, Google’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Kate Brandt, acknowledges that Google’s mission to inform users about low-emission options is a work in progress. “People want information, but they don’t know what the most meaningful choices are,” she says. “Data keeps changing and getting better. It’s not static.” Brandt wouldn’t say whether Google has reached its goal of helping one billion people by the end of 2022 said it plans to show its progress in its annual environmental report due mid-year.

Joro, a startup that offers apps to track and offset emissions from card purchases, recently reviewed four online calculators for estimating flight emissions to help consumers. That analysis, guided by academic advisors such as Yale environmental researcher Reed Miller, revealed significant differences in routes from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (the UN’s aviation agency) and the international aviation industry body IATA provide different formulas for calculating aviation emissions, says Joro. Industry groups focus on flight time versus distance traveled, and average aircraft and load fuel consumption drawn from actual flights, instead of what is considered less accurate estimates used by other calculators. We use airline data for

Joro also noticed that Google had split with Swiss non-profit Myclimate. Unlike search companies, Myclimate incorporates emissions from start to finish, including jet fuel production, plane idling at airports, and passenger bus transfers from gates. Myclimate also adds some non-carbon effects, such as the heating effect on the atmosphere of contrails, clouds formed by airplane exhaust gases.

Google lists the San Francisco route’s emissions as 75 to 101 kilograms per first class passenger. Myclimate suggests an average of 366, industry associations 142, and UN agencies 85.

Google has a financial stake in making it easier for people to fly. Although Google does not charge a fee for booking airline tickets, the travel and hospitality business, including airlines, is one of the largest Google advertising spenders, and has been disproportionate to travel due to its contribution to global warming. Pleasant consumers can ultimately slow down travel and advertising sales.