Explore the world, sustainably
We travel to satisfy our curiosity. To discover something new and make connections. Our travel experiences are essential to who we are.
TRAVEL IMPACTS OUR CLIMATE
It’s time to think about how our travel impacts the world around us
Greenhouse gas emissions, sometimes called carbon emissions or CO2e (carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas equivalents), include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O) and others.
From EPA
From Nature
The way we plan our travel has the power to make a change
COLLECTIVE ACTION
50% of travellers are making more climate-friendly travel choices
From Booking.com
Our travel choices, together with changes in the industry, help build a climate-friendly future
Flying for two hours instead of six saves about 65% emissions per passenger
Emissions are calculated per passenger. So the more passengers that a flight has, the smaller each passenger’s share of the flight’s emissions.
Choose where to go
CLIMATE-FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS
Choose where to go
When choosing where to go next, consider how far away it is. Distance determines your transport options, and your impact.
Explore nearby
Exploring closer to home is climate-friendly because you travel for less time and don’t have to fly. It can also be more cost-effective.
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Local adventures
Explore what’s around you. Visit a local museum or park that you’ve never been to.
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Nearby trips
When planning your next trip, consider travelling shorter distances. Explore a neighbouring city, region or country.
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Further away
When visiting somewhere further away, travel direct or go less often to reduce your travel time
Choose how to get there
Choose how to get there
Transportation is tourism’s main source of emissions. How you travel to your next destination can reduce emissions.
Alternatives to flying
Compared to flying, taking a bus, train, or sharing a car has less impact on the environment. When available, they can be more cost-effective and convenient, and sustainable.
Fly less
When burning fuel, planes produce carbon dioxide and greenhouse gas equivalents (CO2e). Flying less, or not at all, means that you avoid these emissions. This reduces the impact that your travel has on the environment.
Catch a train or bus
Short-haul flights are especially inefficient. Consider replacing shorter flights with a train or bus journey. Over a similar distance, trains and buses produce fewer emissions than planes because they burn less fuel. Electric trains or buses that use carbon-free energy sources are especially climate-friendly because they don’t burn fossil fuels.
Take a road trip
Compared to taking a bus, driving causes more emissions per person because a car carries fewer passengers. Even so, driving with passengers is a more climate-friendly travel choice than flying.
Train
Car
Plane
From Our world in data
The less fuel a transport mode burns and the more passengers it carries, the lower its environmental impact per passenger
Compare emissions for flights
Distance
Flying shorter distances typically burns less fuel, reducing the flight’s emissions
Stops
Making fewer stops typically burns less fuel, reducing the flight’s emissions
Cabin class
The less space that your seat takes up, the lower 'your share' of the flight’s emissions
Emissions are measured in CO2. CO2 stands for carbon dioxide. Emission values are representative and do not reflect exact itineraries. Learn more about how emissions are estimated
Tree and electricity conversions from: the US EPA.
Aircraft features that affect emissions
In addition to the choices we make, many travel companies are committing to climate-friendly practices
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Travel providers
More and more accommodations and online travel agencies are committing to climate-friendly practices. You can usually find their pledges online.
Choose where to stay
Choose where to stay
When choosing a place to stay, support accommodations that are committed to lowering their environmental impact
Sustainable accommodations reduce their impact by using less energy and water, cutting down their waste or sourcing their supplies in climate-friendly ways
Sustainability practices and eco certifications
Accommodations identify these practices as opportunities to reduce their environmental impact
Energy efficiency
Includes energy-saving thermostats, energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling or using energy from carbon-free sources
Water conservation
Accommodations use less water through water-efficient taps, toilets or showers, or encourage guests to reuse towels
Waste reduction
Includes recycling or food waste-reduction programmes, donating or composting excess food, safely disposing of electronics or not using single-use plastics
Sustainable sourcing
Accommodations source food and beverages locally, offer eco-friendly toiletries or cook responsibly-sourced seafood
Recognised eco certifications
Accommodation can also gain eco certifications. To be recognised as eco-certified on Google, certifications must be verified by independent organisations.
How is Google helping?
SUSTAINABLE WITH GOOGLE
Google is committed to building tools that move the industry towards a responsible, climate-friendly future, supporting travel providers and enabling travellers to make climate-conscious choices.
INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTIONS
Google is working with the travel industry, academics and travel providers to develop the Travel Impact Model (TIM). This publicly available model has the potential to estimate air travel impact globally and lead to a climate-positive change in the travel industry.
CLIMATE-CONSCIOUS TRAVEL
Make climate-conscious choices when choosing your next flight or hotel on Google. You can find eco-certified hotels or compare emissions for flights.
GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS
Google has partnered with the Travalyst Coalition to develop and drive global sustainability standards across the travel industry.