Travel organization app TripIt is getting into the carbon emissions tracking and offset market. The company announced today that its flagship mobile application will now report on carbon emissions for all flights it manages across all airlines. The results can be viewed per segment or in aggregate by year or in total.
Our goal is to help you better understand the environmental impact of all of your flights. That’s why we made it easy for you
to see, track, and offset your carbon footprint. – Jen Moyse, director of product for TripIt from SAP Concur
TripIt calculates a user’s carbon footprint using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, the same methodology used by American and European government agencies. Distance and class of service are considered in the formula. No word if aircraft type is also part of the math. The ICAO version of the calculator occasionally runs into trouble on that front. SkyScanner also displays some eco-friendly details in its search results though the algorithm behind that data is very vague.
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In addition to tracking the emissions TripIt presents offset options and suggestions for travelers. The suggestions – taking the train or recycling more – may not be relevant for many of the company’s users, but the option to buy offsets should still work for all the app users. Even with the potential offset purchases it is unclear if having the data available to users will alter travel patterns. It certainly seems unlikely that TripIt suggesting economy class travel to save the environment is going to sway most premium cabin passengers.
The carbon emissions tracking feature rolls out on both iOS and Android beginning today.
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